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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. With the cold weather approaching, how South Jersey does business could again change this winter due to the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Since Atlantic City’s casinos reopened in early July, there have been 251 reported positive cases of COVID-19 from employees. According to the data, 60 percent of those cases occurred in October. Atlantic City Casino News is the leading source of the latest casino and gambling news, poker news, betting, and online gaming news, and much more. We offer up to the minute news stories to our readers. Casino.org is the world’s leading independent online gaming authority, providing trusted online casino news, guides, reviews and information since 1995.
During the coronavirus-induced casino shutdown, online gaming revenue has soared in states where it is legal. The revenue gains from iGaming, however, don’t make up for the lost brick-and-mortar revenue with several states experiencing huge drops in gaming revenue.
Just two weeks ago, New Jersey’s Department of Gaming Enforcement released financial information that showed the Garden State hit all-time highs in online poker revenue. The state’s online poker rooms raked $3.6 million in March, as its online gaming industry was up 64.4 percent.
With only 16 days for its nine Atlantic City casinos to operate, live casino gaming only generated $85.5 million. Combined with New Jersey’s online revenue, the state only generated $163.5 million in gross gaming revenue in March, down $124 million year-over-year.
Pennsylvania, which legalized all forms of online gambling in October 2017, experienced similar gains in its online gaming market since the shutdown. Its gross gaming revenue still fell from $304 million in February to $153 million in March.
According to a report from the Philadelphia Inquirer,the two states lost $274 million in gaming revenue just from two weeks of the shutdown. When April’s numbers are released in a few weeks, it will only be worse.
Similar trends were seen in Delaware, which is in a compact with New Jersey and Nevada to share player pools for online poker.
Vernon Kick, director of the Delaware Lottery, told the paper that online gaming just doesn’t generate the revenue that the state is used to seeing.
“Even though we’ve spiked up, it’s still just a drop in the bucket,” said Kick. iGaming is a very, very small portion. It’s up considerably, but those are percentages. Our dollars are nothing to write home about.”
When revenue drops for private companies, tax revenue for the states dries up as well. The effect was felt quicker and more drastically by some locales in Southern California, who don’t have access to online gaming revenue, but that same pain will likely be felt on the east coast soon.
Parx Casino, Pennsylvania’s most profitable casino, is located in Bensalem, just outside Philadelphia’s city limits. It pays the city $11 million annually but has been closed since mid-March.
Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo told the Inquirer that he expects to receive the first of four quarterly installments since it was operational for most of the first quarter. He doesn’t feel great about subsequent payments if the casino stays closed.
“After that I’m worried,” he said. “It’s a big part of our budget.”
The Pennsylvania state government relies more on casino gaming than New Jersey or Delaware. The Keystone State taxes slot revenue at 54 percent and table games at 16 percent. The Garden State taxes each of those activities at 8 percent.
A reopening date for casinos in all three states has yet to be announced by state officials.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced new restrictions Monday afternoon amid a spike in COVID-19 positivity.
'A second wave is here,' Murphy said. 'This is our reality.'
Starting Nov. 12, restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges must close indoor dining by 10 p.m.
NEW: We’re taking action to stop the spread of #COVID19.
Effective Thursday, November 12th:
☑️No indoor dining between 10:00 PM – 5:00 AM at restaurants, bars, clubs, and lounges
☑️Outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery services may continue past 10:00 PM
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 9, 2020The positivity has ticked up to 6%, and the numbers have been going up across the Tri-State area.
Murphy told CNBC Monday morning that he 'will take some steps,' described as 'tweaking our parameters at the edges,' to help curb rising coronavirus case.
'They won't come close to what we were doing in the spring,' he said. 'This is not a lockdown.'
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Casinos in Atlantic City will also not be permitted to serve food or alcohol during those overnight hours.
☑️Casinos must stop serving food/drinks at 10:00 PM
☑️All barside seating will be prohibited
☑️Restaurants may place tables closer than 6 feet ONLY if separated by barriers
☑️Individual fully-enclosed dining bubbles may be set-up for outside use
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 9, 2020
Indoor bar seating had up to this point had been covered under the state's indoor dining regulations, but it will now be prohibited.
The new restrictions, which will take effect Thursday, will not affect outdoor dining. Restaurants will be able to continue building out their outdoor dining, including setting up outdoor igloos.
Restaurants and bars are already limited to 25% indoor capacity, a restriction that is not expected to change.
Addressing indoor sports tournaments spreading the virus across state lines, the state will ban indoor interstate sports for elementary, middle and high school students. College and professional sports will not be affected.
NEW: Starting this Thursday, ALL interstate games and tournaments for indoor youth sports – up to and including high school – are prohibited.
It is simply not safe for teams to be crossing state lines at this time to participate in indoor competitions.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) November 9, 2020The rules are being put into effect two weeks before Thanksgiving to combat indoor dining spread during the holiday season.
Private indoor gatherings remain the state's primary concern, but lacking enforcement power in private homes, the state will continue to ask residents to keep gatherings to immediate family members.
The state has had infection rates as high as 8% within this past week.
He will detail the changes in restrictions at 1 p.m. in Trenton.
Murphy also discussed news that Pfizer's vaccine may be 90% effective, according to preliminary data, urging caution.
He said that while the trials are 'really, really good news,' its six-month vaccine distribution timeline will not change the state's short-term reality.
'We are sort of in a six-month window here...where we have to battle against the COVID fatigue, stop letting our hair down with holidays coming up,' he said. 'So the answer is it doesn't change us in that window, but it's really really good news in the longer term.'
State Health Commissioner Judith Perisichelli told '60 Minutes' Sunday night that the first batch of vaccine from the federal government will be enough to inoculate just 10% of the state's high priority health care worker category.
She said a state survey of health care members found 60% of the physicians would get the vaccine, and just 40% of nurses.
Related: Pfizer's early data looks promising, company says
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