MGM Sets Reopening Dates For Casinos in New York and Nevada

Posted on: September 10, 2020, 03:44h. 

Last updated on: September 10, 2020, 04:12h.

Larry Henry Read More
Expertise: Commercial Gaming, Gaming Business, Legislation, Politics, Regulation.

Two MGM Resorts casinos, one in New York and the other in Nevada, are slated to reopen soon following a COVID-19 lockdown lasting six months.

Yonkers Raceway
Empire City, a raceway and casino in Yonkers, New York, is opening Sept. 21, MGM Resorts announced. The company also said Park MGM in Las Vegas will open in at least 45 days. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Empire City, a harness-racing track and casino in Yonkers, New York, is set to reopen Sept. 21, according to a news release from MGM Resorts. Yonkers is just north of the Bronx, a New York City borough.

Live racing at Empire City will take place without spectators and with no on-property wagering until further notice, according the racetrack’s website.

With Empire City opening its doors again, MGM Resorts will have reopened all of its domestic properties. The exceptions are two in Las Vegas, the Park MGM and Four Seasons, the company release states.

However, a sentence at the bottom of the release notes that “Park MGM is expected to reopen within the next 30-45 days,” meaning it could be operating again by October.

Park MGM is on the Las Vegas Strip near T-Mobile Arena, a sports and entertainment venue that serves as the home for the National Hockey League’s Vegas Golden Knights.

The Four Seasons is a non-gaming hotel on the Las Vegas Strip adjacent to MGM’s Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, near McCarran International Airport.

In both states, casinos were to closed in the spring as coronavirus infection rates began to soar.

Shutdown Lifted

In mid-March, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) directed all “nonessential” businesses, including casinos, to close. The intent was to curtail the rapid spread of COVID-19 infections.

New York is home to four commercial casinos and eight video-only venues, including racetracks such as Empire City.

This week, the governor allowed casinos to reopen after they had been idle for almost six months.

While some properties reopened on the governor’s target day of Sept. 9, others delayed their restart date to train staff members and to be sure the resort is in compliance with Cuomo’s reopening directives.

The governor stipulated that casinos could only operate at 25 percent capacity and must comply with other safety rules, such as mandatory masks for all workers and casino visitors.

The Strip Reopens

In Nevada, Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), also faced with rising COVID-19 infections, ordered many businesses statewide, including casinos, to shut down in mid-March.

The governor permitted casinos to reopen on June 4 with safety measures in place.

While many casinos in the Silver State have begun to operate again, a few on the Las Vegas Strip, including the Cromwell, Planet Hollywood, and Tropicana, are still shuttered, according to the American Gaming Association (AGA) website.

The Tropicana is scheduled to reopen Sept. 17. An anticipated reopening date has not been set for the Cromwell and Planet Hollywood, according to the AGA website.