Atlantic City casinos will reopen by Independence Day if the town’s mayor, Marty Small Sr., gets his way. But the final decision will be up to Gov. Phil Murphy, who still hasn’t set a formal date.
Small spoke at a press conference to announce the future of the Trump Plaza, a local casino previously owned by President Donald Trump. The casino, much like the former Trump Taj Mahal, suffered unsustainable financial losses and, as a result, will soon be demolished.
The New Jersey politician told the press outside the Trump Plaza that he hopes Atlantic City’s casinos will reopen by the Fourth of July weekend. But he said, “that’s the governor’s call.” He then added that Gov. Murphy also wants the state’s gaming industry to resume by then.
Reopening the casinos isn’t the only priority on the governor’s mind, however. He also must take into consideration the health pandemic his state is still facing. New Jersey ranks second in the country behind neighboring New York with 170,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and nearly 13,000 deaths. Thus, the reason Murphy hasn’t yet permitted the casinos to reopen.
When Will Atlantic City Casinos Reopen?
Atlantic City casinos closed more than 100 days ago, causing financial strain on the gaming industry. But the state’s lawmakers are attempting to pass a bill that will provide temporary and permanent tax cuts for the city’s nine resort casinos.
In his weekly address last Thursday, Gov. Murphy acknowledged the impact COVID-19 has had on his state.
“Today marks 100 days – hard to believe – since the first case of COVID-19 in New Jersey was confirmed,” he said. “And in some ways it’s hard to believe that it’s been 100 days, and in other ways it’s hard to believe it’s only been 100 days, and it’s equally hard to fathom the impact this virus has had on our state, our communities, our economy, and frankly on our nation and the world.”
Murphy is weighing the pros and cons of reopening, but is also taking into consideration the risks involved. While no official timetable has been set, both Small and Murphy hope that can happen by the time America celebrates its day of independence.
