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Rivers Casino Philadelphia announced today that it will reopen on Friday, July 17, at 9 a.m., following a four-month shutdown to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The reopening of Rivers Casino. Man Wanted For Stealing $24,000 From Harrah’s Casino In Chester – CBS Philly Man Wanted For Stealing $24,000 From Harrah’s Casino In Chester CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – A crafty thief managed to steal $24,000 from Harrah’s Casino in Chester. It happened around 12:15 a.m. Casino news stories - get the latest updates from 6abc. Harrah's Philadelphia Casino reopening with safety protocols. Hundreds of casino employees demand health insurance.
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© JOSE F. MORENO/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS Mary Collins, of Prospect Park, gives the thumbs up as she enters the Harrah's Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack during reopening day in Chester, PA. Friday, June 26, 2020.Mark Dorrin, 66, hasn’t seen his gambling friends in over three months.
But at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, the Prospect Park resident stood in line for the reopening of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Chester. Dorrin, a customer of Harrah’s since it opened in 2007, used to visit at least twice a week. And he came Friday in part “to see old friends —I’ve already seen four.”
The casino opened its doors at 9 a.m. to repeat customers belonging to its loyalty-card program, , but Dorrin and other early arrivals were let in half an hour early to prevent long lines forming outside. Going forward, the casino will once again be open 24/7.
Harrah’s, owned by Caesars Entertainment, is one of many casinos in the region that are reopening this week as Pennsylvania and New Jersey continue to ease stay-at-home orders. Atlantic City casinos are set to return July 2.
Valley Forge Casino Resort joined Harrah’s in opening on Friday, while Wind Creek Bethlehem and Parx Casino in Bensalem will reopen on Monday. Rivers Casino Philadelphia, formerly SugarHouse Casino, has yet to announce a reopening date.
The pandemic decimated revenue for casinos. In February, Harrah’s reported over $192 million in wagers and over $173 million in payouts for slot machine gaming revenue, one of its biggest earners. Those numbers fell by 65% in March, after the casino closed its doors on March 14. In April and May, the slot machine revenue was zero.
State and local tax revenues are likely to face sharp declines, as well. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported a record $3.3 billion in revenue for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, after launching sports betting in November 2018. Reports for the latest fiscal year will likely come out in July.
Even after reopening, Harrah’s is unlikely to recoup its losses immediately. With the casino now operating at only 50% capacity, every other slot machine is closed to ensure patrons are seated six feet apart. Table games also have fewer chairs. Harness races held on site will be open for betting, but only a few spectators will be allowed to watch races from a small outdoor deck.
Food and beverage sales will be down too, with limited service from The Market and Guy Fieri’s Philly Kitchen + Bar.
Despite reopenings allowed by Governor Wolf’s green phase this weekend, casino crowds have cause for concern. Gamblers, who tend to be older in age, are still at risk of contracting the virus, which remains prevalent across the country.
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The number of daily COVID-19 cases is dramatically increasing in many states, like Florida and Texas, that began reopening businesses in May. While Pennsylvania and Philadelphia have seen recent daily case volumes fall below their peaks in April, the state still has a run-up in cases over the last two weeks, based on the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.
The casino will enforce new safety protocols. All patrons and employees must be wearing masks at all times, and everyone entering the casino will undergo a temperature check.
“Machines are wiped down every two hours with spray guns,” said Aimee Cicero, a public relations manager. “There are buckets of sanitizing wipes throughout the casino floor that patrons can use to wipe machines as well.” Chips for table games will be disinfected on a regular basis, too.
Some patrons were less diligent in following mask-wearing policies, especially in the smoking section. Others nearby had masks slung below their chins as they smoked cigars and cigarettes while playing the slot machines.
Some not in the smoking section stuck haphazardly to the new rules, with many patrons wearing them only over their mouths, leaving their noses exposed. One craps table attracted a closely packed crowd of 10 gamblers, despite Caesars regulations limiting the number to six.
Michael Castellente, 45, wasn’t surprised by the changes, since he’d seen pictures online of other reopened casinos across the country. He said that coming in the morning might be a healthier choice than at night, when the casino tends to be more crowded.
Because he lives near the airport, Harrah’s is the most convenient casino, and he’s glad to see it reopen. “It doesn’t feel too different,” he said. “I like it because you’re around other people that are happy.”
Aileen Morton, 67, found comfort in the return to Harrah’s, too, though hers was more bittersweet. The East Norriton resident used to visit the casino with her husband every week before she retired at the end of December. Two weeks later, her husband passed away.
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“I’ve missed it,” she said. “ It’s my first time being here without him.”
Despite her apprehensions about going out in a pandemic, Morton looked forward to the reopening . “I’m elated, seriously, just to see people.”
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Lou Monaco@loumonacoNovember 20th, 2020 - 05:37pm@loumonacoThe weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday is bringing new coronavirus closures in Philadelphia.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia (the only casino within the city limits) and South Philadelphia Race and Sportsbook will be temporarily closed beginning today (Nov. 20) until at least Jan. 1 under updated restrictions by the city of Philadelphia to slow the sudden surge of COVID-19 cases.
Closing voluntarily in March for four months when the coronavirus pandemic hit the state, Rivers Casino reopened on July 17. It marked the longest coronavirus-caused closure of any brick-and-mortar casino in Pennsylvania. It will now close again.
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Live! Casino Philadelphia, currently under construction, is scheduled to open in South Philadelphia in early 2021.
As of Friday, no other casinos around the region has announced a temporary closing.
Just 70 miles north of Philadelphia, Wind Creek Bethlehem is scheduled to open its first sportsbook, operated by Betfred Sports, on Saturday.
Under the new “Safer at Home” restrictions in Philadelphia, casinos fall under the “business and activities that are not allowed” category.
Lincoln Financial Field, home to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, won't be allowed to have fans until further notice when they return home to face the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 30 as outdoor gatherings can't exceed 2,000 people.
Hitting even closer to home, the Eagles on Thursday placed wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, running back Corey Clement and defensive end Vinny Curry on the Reserve/COVID-19 list and wide receiver Deontay Burnett on the practice squad COVID-19 list.
Teams Exempt From Face Mask Mandate
Pennsylvania’s secretary of health announced new orders this week and it looked like both NFL teams — the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers —along with the University of Pittsburgh, would have to wear face coverings and masks while playing under the new “Safer at Home” restrictions.
But that has been clarified by the governor’s office and an updated guidance says football is an exception for wearing face coverings while actively engaged in a game under Section 3 of the order.
The University of Pittsburgh, which hosts Virginia Tech Saturday, issued the following statement acknowledging that:
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“To provide further clarity, Pitt football student-athletes will be outfitted with face coverings throughout the game. However, they will not be required to have the coverings pulled up while in the midst of play to prevent the impairment of breathing. Such usage of face coverings during competition would be in compliance with Section 3 of the Secretary of Health’s Face Covering Order.”
The state is also requiring anyone who visits from another state to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to entering the state.
If someone cannot get a test or chooses not to, they must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in state. Both orders, which went into effect on Friday, are also for Pennsylvanians visiting another state as well.
Between Nov. 4-17, Philadelphia County had 10,279 new positive cases and on Thursday the city announced 765 additional confirmed cases, bringing the number of confirms to 57,237. Deaths have reached 1,945 in the city.
What is New Jersey’s Response?
Just 60 miles away is New Jersey’s gaming mecca, Atlantic City.
During New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy’s news conference on Wednesday, he said that, despite the planned and specific casino closings within the region, there’s no evidence that Atlantic City properties have been responsible for any coronavirus outbreaks.
“We believe, based on the evidence that we have, that they’ve been able to responsibly manage their casino floors,” Murphy said. “Whether it’s through PPE (personal protective equipment), whether it’s through dividers, capacity management, temperature checks, review of symptoms checks with people who go onto the floor, which is happening in all the casinos — there is no evidence that there is either bad management of the floor or that there is a big outbreak coming from participating on the floor.”
However earlier this week, the city’s top casino — The Borgata — announced it is laying off 73 workers and reducing the hours of 349 others due to new indoor-dining limits caused by coronavirus in New Jersey. The governor-imposed new order forces indoor dining to stop between 10 p.m.-5 a.m.
As winter rapidly approaches, the casino/gaming industry is trying to strike a balance, increasing their bottom lines while maintaining a safe environment for both employees and guests.
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sharetweetcopy linkLink copied!WRITTEN BY@loumonacoLou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.... Read MoreLou Monaco had been East Coast Scene columnist for Gaming Today in Las Vegas since June 2019, covering the East Coast sportsbook scene with emphasis on NJ and PA. He also currently is a part-time writer for the high school sports department for NJ Advanced Media (NJ.com) in Iselin, NJ. Lou has over 30 years sports experience with previous stints at ESPN SportsTicker, Daily Racing Form and Oddschecker.... Read MoreARTICLES YOU MAY LIKE
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