Atlantic City can reopen 7/2

Yeah, I am bummed I will miss this coming weekend but I'm heading to my parents' home in a couple of days to check on them and celebrate my birthday with family over the next 10 days or so. Heading to AC from Western NY a week from Thursday.

I'm hoping there are some great multiplier promos during Labor Day weekend. I'm most interested in reward credit multipliers. Fingers crossed!

 

Possible indoor dining on the horizon for AC.

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/08/murphy-hopes-some-nj-indoor-dining-will-reopen-before-mid-september.html

 

I sure hope so. I’m going for an overnight night trip on the 13th. I haven’t been to AC in over 5 years, even though I live about 80 minutes away. Just got tired of the tight slots and expensive weekend rates. For a normal weekend stay in AC I could fly to Vegas and stay 6-7 nights. But I’m hoping the slots aren’t tight, and I’m not bringing much to play with, hoping to win something.

 

Beverage service resumes on Friday, drinks must be ordered from a server and consumed in one's seat according to the Press of Atlantic City

Craps players will be asked to find chairs and drink while seated. If a player stands up, it will be grounds for ejection and loss of tier credits for the session and a demotion of one player's card status level. Governor Murphy is not to be trifled with.















OK, just kidding about the chairs for craps players.

 

Another article about indoor dining restrictions being lifted and the reaction from some locals https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/indoor-dining-reopens-friday-but-25-capacity-doesn-t-work-for-some/article_f7678e4d-b9bf-5c08-a117-b666fa56b500.html

 

Not much has changed in the rate of infection from COVID-19 in New Jersey, but Murphy is basically giving up because the economy is doing so poorly.

 

@hammie to confirm, you can't walk away from the table (or a machine) with a drink, is that accurate? I'm glad I'm not going up this week as this seems to be another logistical headache in the making lol.

I saw the language I think you're referring to, "Walking around with a drink indoors will not be tolerated, he said, explaining that a server is the only person allowed to serve customers their drinks and food." Curious how this plays out in a casino atmosphere.

 

I hate that we have to decipher all these Murphy proclamations that never have enough detail. In the old days, the press would hound him for answers, but coverage of the statehouse has gotten lax over the years. I would write what I assume it means, but I think we are better waiting until some trip reports come in from this weekend for clarification.

It sounds like a step in the right direction at least, unless he changes his mind again between now and Friday.

 

Looks like folks will just have to drink up before they leave the table or slot machine. I guess this means they can open the VP bars, probably every other machine to maintain distance. Imagine not being able to order a drink at a bar unless seated.

The business owners are upset because they were only given 4 days notice to staff up and order provisions from vendors.

In the second link, the owner of a local restaurant said her place has a capacity of 50 patrons, so operating at 25% would allow seating for 12. She was able to get her town to close off an adjacent street and put up a tent for outdoor dining that allows for more than 50 seats.

 

I’m inclined to agree. Not sure I’m as excited as I thought I would be regarding this decision as I’m sure it will be another let down when it’s practically applied.

 

That's how Massachusetts implemented it when they re-opened. It's no doubt because they saw what happened in Vegas right after the mask mandate went into effect.

I went to the MGC website and left a message that it was overkill because it you're going to ask employees to enforce the mask thing while customers are walking around, then it doesn't matter whether they have a drink in their hand or not.

Someone from their office actually called me and left a message, no details, but I never bothered calling him back.

 

@Chuck2009x I think at this point I'm almost inclined to just continue avoiding going to Vegas and/or AC until they can get some sort of fluidity insofar as the implementation whatever the rules are. I get that initially it takes time to get acclimated, but when I look at Vegas and people are queueing in like for an hour at an ABC or Fat Tuesday to shirk rules in casinos, it makes me think: Do I really want to get on a plane and fly 5 hours for this shit? By staying home it appears that bank account is growing, I'm not getting sick, and I'm avoiding what looks like a no-fun situation.

I want to hit AC b/c I love it and it's "only" a 3.5 drive, but if you're forced to drink your drink at a table and not walk with it, it appears that you can't take it to the bathroom, likely can't leave it at the table whilst you use the restroom, so I guess we're left with chugging it and waiting for a CW to come by? Some of these rules seem tantamount to throwing things against a wall and seeing what sticks. For the record, I'm saying this as someone 100% pro mask/ppe/sensible enforcement, so not an unhinged anti-masker like some, but at the end of the day, even I look at some or these edicts and am left wondering, what the hell is going on here? And more importantly, is this fun?

I'm erring on the side of avoidance, at least until the new rules can be fleshed out.

 

It's funny because when it comes down to it, that's why I ended up crossing out AC and putting Vegas back on.

Masks don't bother me and waiting until there's no one else in the casino doesn't bother me, but I wanna be able to mix my own jug of something, be allowed to bring it to the casino, and be able to carry it from machine to machine in that empty casino at 6:00am, dammit.

And as I watched the way flights were being underbooked, 5.5 hours on a plane ended up being preferable to 5.5 hours on I-95 (especially coming back).

 

Take the Merritt Parkway, Hutch, Cross Island, 87 south to the GWB.....agreed, it’s a white knuckle ride through one of the most congested parts of the country. Are you getting any offers from Borgata or Caesars that include shuttle flights?

@LB9, I think it’s gonna be a rough ride for awhile until the reinfection rate declines below 1, until then, baby steps. There has been a lot of pressure on Murphy to open indoor dining, we have had it for about a month now here in PA, although it’s restricted to 25% capacity.

 

I think you both make excellent points. I also wanted to make mention that regardless if someone does or doesn't want to go, I'm not making a judgment on them. Just speaking personally, it seems like AC will be bereft of fun longer than I had anticipated, so for that, I blame my own naivete. 25% capacity is going to be interesting to see how it plays out, but once things are somewhat fun, I'll be more inclined to partake. Then again, the definition of "fun" is inherently subjective.

To that point, I'm going to continue to volunteer @hammie to check out the scene and report back (sorry hammie, but you live close enough to happen to be in AC on any given day lol).

 

Someone posted on a TA forum that the drink must be ordered from a server, so does this mean that the on screen ordering system at Caesars and Tropicana (does Hard Rock have this as well?) will be disabled? Will have to reconnoiter the situation pronto.

 

I hate to speculate too much but will, and you can take it with a grain of salt or less. If the intention was to keep things indoors under control, then they can if they serve drinks to those seated. Seats can be set up to be socially distanced with removing chairs, setting up plexiglass, and also those in seats will probably be gambling. I would presume they would keep the electronic ordering system for the machines as it a controlled ordering system usually with a member card, and money in the machine to generate the order. They don't want large congregations either at the bars or standing around, so I would imagine they would have the usual cocktail waitress doing the rounds from table to table and row to row, but ignoring (even more) those lurking around tables or slots without playing.

I don't think they will come at you all guns blazing if you take your bottle of bud and leave the table when you're felted, but they might if you are wandering around, pulling your mask down to drink constantly. Like a restaurant, they want to see people masked while coming and going, and only unmasked when they are seated and drinking/eating. Wandering/Congregating+Drinking/Eating is less controlled than if you are seated 6 feet apart from someone, or seated separated by plexiglass. The uncontrolled aspect is what they probably want to avoid. With boardwalk drinking legalized, they may tell you that only seated patrons can remove their mask to drink, so please have a seat or take your drink outside, but who knows how much they will engage the patrons on this. Mask usage compliance is probably their first and foremost concern. If you are seated - remove the mask for a sip. If not - don't push it.

The 25% capacity may only be an issue this Saturday and Sunday and then it's the offseason, and crowds should be less. With mostly every other machine off and the tables seating about half the normal capacity, bars closed, nightclubs shuttered and concert halls closed, even a crowded floor may only be at sub 50% capacity. Maybe some weekends will bring some strong crowds from those who stayed away all spring and summer, but who here really knows what 100% capacity looks like for any of the bigger casinos. Has every nightclub ever been filled and every slot sat at and every table maxed out at the same time? If it were, it would probably be on Memorial Day/4th of July/Labor day weekend, so we will see.

Again, this is all guesswork. I am sure a few trip reports or a drop in by Hammie will let us know something definitive.

 

Agreed, I say @hammie goes and gives us a run down!

 

I've never stayed in AC, so I don't get any junket offers from Borgata although I was able to get comped/discounted nights there via Mlife. CET sends me junket flight offers for AC but they're too short, only 3 nights. If some airline flew direct from an airport near me, I'd pay for it, but there aren't any.

I was going to do 5 nights at Borgata followed by 5 nights at CP, but then I thought about the drive back after 10 nights and just didn't want to face it.

The problem is, you won't know how they're handling it until you get there. I wouldn't use carrying a drink around as an excuse to have my mask off, but I do want to be able to bring my own (which definitely sounds like it's not allowed) or move machines in the middle (at least technically not allowed).

 

I just wish the poker rooms would reopen. I’d be ok with playing 5-6 handed with plexiglass. There is next to no info, as to when you will be able to play poker.