AC Casino Closings Keep Players At Home. But NJ Online Casinos Remain Open!
Amid mounting concerns over the spread of the Coronavirus, the list of NJ businesses that are not allowed to remain open grows longer by the day.
UPDATE:
All NJ restaurants and bars have been ordered to limit serving to takeout and delivery only.
The statewide curfew that was initially set for 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., is now in effect 24/7. The state of New Jersey is now on lockdown. That means no social or recreational gatherings of any kind. Gov. Murphy has ordered residents to stay home and only go out when absolutely necessary.
Gov. Murphy also ordered the following casino closings.
All nine Atlantic City casinos along with other non-essential businesses throughout the State of New Jersey were required to close at 8 p.m. Monday, March 16. They will remain closed until further notice.
The announcement of the mandatory AC casino closings, while probably inevitable under the circumstances, will no doubt be disturbing to many people. However, NJ online casinos will remain open and continue to operate as usual.
New Jersey is not the only state to announce casino closings
Earlier on Monday, March 16, the governors of New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut jointly announced that effective 8 p.m., all casinos in the tristate area must close and stay closed until health authorities deem that they can safely reopen.
These casino closings now join numerous other casino closings in other parts of the country, including Pennsylvania, the Las Vegas Strip, and California. In fact, every land-based casino in both Nevada and Pennsylvania is currently closed per state orders.
Pennsylvania casino closings
The 10 closed Pennsylvania casinos are as follows:
Philadelphia area
- Parx Casino in Bucks County
- Harrah’s
- Rivers Casino Philadelphia
- Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia
Other parts of Pennsylvania
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
- Mt. Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono
- Presque Isle Downs and Casino
- Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
- Wind Creek Bethlehem in Lehigh Valley
Other closings in New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut
In addition to the mandatory casino closings, in all three states, all of the following places are now temporarily closed and will remain closed until further notice:
- Restaurants and bars (except for take-out and delivery)
- Racetracks
- Theaters and concert venues
- Gyms and health clubs
- Recreation centers
- Libraries
- Museums
- Indoor malls
- Department stores
- Places of worship (many churches and synagogues are now conducting services remotely)
- Beauty and nail salons, barbershops, and tattoo parlors
- All non-essential businesses and services
Supermarkets, gas stations, and other essential businesses and services will remain open. If you are not sure whether a particular place where you want to go will be open, it is best to call beforehand. Many businesses, including supermarkets, have reduced their hours of operation.
All World Series of Poker (WSOP) events and many other special events have been canceled, as have all major sports. NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Services will remain closed for at least two weeks. Gov. Murphy also ordered all NJ schools and colleges that were not already closed to close no later than Wed., March 18.
The East Coast Gaming Congress scheduled to take place at Harrah’s Resort on April 27-28. has been postponed to October 26-27 at the same location.
Whenever possible, do your shopping online. Everyone should follow the recommendations of the CDC regarding frequent hand washing and social distancing. But if you feel sick, for your own protection and that of everyone around you, don’t go out at all except to get medical attention.
Why the casino closings and other closings are necessary
There is no doubt that the current health crisis is already disrupting our lives and will continue to do so. But the unprecedented measures now being taken are necessary to halt further spread of the virus insofar as possible.
On Monday, March 16, Gov. Murphy said the following:
“We want everybody to be home, not out, and the only way to ensure that is to have a standard set of topline directives and restrictions.”
Meanwhile, NY State Gov. Cuomo had this to say:
“Our primary goal right now is to slow the spread of this virus so that the wave of new infections doesn’t crash our healthcare system, and everyone agrees social distancing is the best way to do that. This is not a war that can be won alone, which is why New York is partnering with our neighboring states to implement a uniform standard that not only keeps our people safe but also prevents ‘state shopping’ where residents of one state travel to another and vice versa. I have called on the federal government to implement nationwide protocols but in their absence, we are taking this on ourselves.”
This is a developing story. The opening paragraph summarizes the latest updates as of March 23. More restrictions might be implemented at a later date if deemed necessary.
The good news–All NJ online casinos remain open to take your action
Because of the recently announced Atlantic City casino closings, it could be a while before you will be able to play and enjoy the restaurants, bars, and entertainment at your favorite Atlantic City casino. With all of the major sports also canceled or postponed, even online sportsbooks won’t be able to offer many options. So what are NJ casino players to do for fun?
Continue playing your favorite casino games, but play online! All of the NJ gambling websites remain open 24/7 for your convenience. And I wouldn’t be at all surprised, given the present circumstances, that they will step up both the frequency and quality of their bonuses and promotions—not just for new sign-ups but for all players. If you are not already registered with a NJ online casino or would like additional places to play, there is no better time to join and get a generous bonus than now.