Eight of nine Atlantic City casinos reopened last Thursday for the first time since New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy ordered them closed in March to stem the spread of coronavirus, though things look and feel much different these days.
State rules limit occupancy to 25 percent and indoor restaurants and bars are still closed. Cocktails aren’t allowed on the gambling floor and neither is smoking. Food and drinks are also prohibited.
Face masks are mandatory.
“No booze? No one’s coming,” Bob McDevitt, president of a casino employees union, told the Associated Press last week. “I really don’t even think they should open. Why would they?”
Some casinos installed plexiglass barriers and are checking temperatures of people entering the facilities.
But people are coming.
“Casinos are dark,” Richard Edward Smrkovsky, 65, told NorthJersey.com. “My life is serious. My son died in 2004. My wife committed suicide eight months after that. I’m looking to re-start my life again. It’s hard. I came here because I wanted a little break.”
Of the nine casinos in Atlantic City, eight reopened last week: Hard Rock, Ocean, Resorts, Tropicana, Golden Nugget, Caesars, Bally’s and Harrah’s.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.