Atlantic City’s most profitable casino resort, the Borgata, has announced it will resume business on Sunday, July 26, more than three weeks after New Jersey’s other eight casinos reopened.
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy issued an executive order ordering casinos to close on March 16. July 2 was the first date casinos in the state would be allowed to open, albeit with 25% capacity and a host of other restrictions. A few days earlier, as new cases of the virus saw a major nationwide uptick, Murphy walked back permission for restaurants to offer indoor dining, which put restrictions on how casino restaurants and hotels could serve food to their guests.
According to the Associated Press, Borgata opted to hold off on opening, even as other casinos made hasty plans to stay within the rules including to-go bags and more outdoor dining options.
“Following the Governor’s directive to postpone indoor dining, we took a step back to reassess our reopening date to ensure we could give our guests the world-class experience they expect from us, safely,” Melonie Johnson, the Borgata’s president and chief operating officer, said in a statement.
The reopening will kick off Thursday, July 23 with an invitation-only “soft opening” before opening to the public on July 26. The Borgata told AP it expected to bring back 40% of its staff once operations resume.
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