The wait is over
After nearly six months, New York’s commercial casinos are finally going to reopen. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced last week that this Wednesday, September 9, is the date that the casino can welcome back customers. The are four “resort style,” large casinos in New York – Resorts World Catskills, del Lago, Rivers Casino, and Tioga Downs – and eight racetrack casinos, or “racinos.”
New York is the last state to reopen its casinos and for good reason. The state, particularly the New York City metro area, was demolished by the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring. But strict mitigation measures, including extended lockdowns, have resulted in the state being one of the best in the country at bringing its coronavirus numbers down. Even with that, however, the governor and his public health advisors were more careful than most when deciding to relax restrictions.
“New Yorkers have done an extraordinary job,” said Governor Cuomo. “This is good news and the right next step in our data-driven, phased reopening which is working.”
Casinos must keep people safe
The health and safety protocols to which the casinos must adhere are quite strict. They are only allowed to admit customers up to 25 percent of capacity. Protective face masks are required by everybody in the casinos, unless they are eating or drinking. And casinos are required to enhance their ventilation and air filtration systems.
It will mostly be slots and video poker at first, with enough machines turned off so that they can be spaced at least six feet apart. Table games will only be allowed once plexiglass partitions are installed and the New York Gaming Commission has signed off on the setup.
The state did not seem to give the casinos much of a heads-up on what the reopening requirements will be. Thus, when Cuomo announced that they could reopen, only Resorts World Catskills definitively committed to opening it doors on September 9. Genting, Resorts World’s owner, also said that Resorts World racetrack casino in Queens will also reopen on Wednesday.
“We’re trying to get information from the state as for what we have to do,” Jeff Gural, owner of Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs, told the Times Telegram. He said that the air filtrations are being upgraded and he believes the casinos will reopen this week, even if it’s not Wednesday.
Vernon Downs, specifically, Gural said, will open in stages, leaving some of the most risky amenities, such as the buffet, closed for now. The hotel will reopen, though. He added that though the horse racing season is over at the end of the month, he may try to extend it to make up for lost time.
“I’m happy that I’m opening obviously,” Gural said. “I wish we were open earlier but I’m happy that we’re opening.”
Annoyed relief
Just about everyone who had a stake in New York casinos, even local lawmakers, were frustrated with how long it took to let them reopen. Some casino employees even held a rally in Albany recently to urge the governor to give casinos the green light.
“We were concerned with the inconsistent from the governor’s office,” State Senator Joseph Griffo said. “Because neighboring states were opening casinos as well as the Native American casinos in our area, and they were doing it safely.”
