With no reopening date in sight, industry experts have been preparing for the future once the state gives casinos the green light to open their doors. The American Gaming Association estimated the casino closures have been costing Atlantic City $540 million a month.īut, according to Allen, safety has remained the top priority. “This is not about just making money this is about being very cautious. I do think that the long-term recovery could be close to a year,” Allen said. “It’s going to be a very, very slow and gradual process of coming back. “Certainly, the most unique time in my 40-plus-year career,” said Jim Allen, the chairman of Hard Rock International and CEO of Seminole Gaming.Īllen said it could take a while for the city to recover financially. When we closed for Sandy and the state budget not being approved, we were closed for less than a week,” said Steve Callender, the president of the Casino Association of New Jersey.Īccording to the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, over 26,000 people worked in Atlantic City’s casinos as of March 1, and most of them have been laid off. “When we closed in the past, it’s been for a short time. The casinos have been closed for nearly nine weeks – the longest closure in Atlantic City’s history. You would have the jitneys operational going both ways. On a day like this, you would have traffic.
