1. Rivers Casino Philadelphia Reopen Date
2. Philadelphia Casino Reopening Dates

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rivers Casino Philadelphia announced today that it will reopen on Friday, July 17, at 9 a.m., following a four-month shutdown to help slow the spread of COVID-19. The reopening of Rivers Casino Philadelphia has been planned in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). On reopening, the casino will have new hours of operation:

Harrah’s Philadelphia is Temporarily Closed. In accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s mandated temporary closure of casinos, Harrah’s Philadelphia will suspend casino operations and be temporarily closed effective 12:01 AM on Saturday, December 12. Rivers Casino Philadelphia announced on March 13 it would be voluntarily closing for a two-week period two days later, due to “an abundance of caution” over COVID-19 health concerns. Now, more than four months later instead of two weeks, it will reopen at 9 a.m. Rivers Casino is Philadelphia's hottest gaming destination on the waterfront with thrilling slots & table games, live entertainment & the best restaurants.

• Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m.
• Friday 9 a.m. through Monday 5 a.m. — open 24 hours

The downtime will be used for property-wide deep cleaning; in addition, there will be continuous sanitizing throughout each day. Rivers Casino Philadelphia follows best practices from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and meets or exceeds all COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols announced by the PGCB in May. Additionally, Rivers Casino adheres to all guidelines issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and meets all operating requirements set by the City of Philadelphia.

We look forward to welcoming guests back to Parx Casino ®.On Monday, June 29th, Parx will reopen to the public at 9am. As we reopen, you will notice many changes we have made based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

'Since voluntarily shutting down in March, we’ve been listening closely to public health experts and making changes — from gaming floor modifications to new policies and procedures,' said Rivers Casino Philadelphia General Manager Rob Long. 'Our goal is to provide the safest possible environment, and we’ll continue evolving as new information becomes available.'

There will still be lots of fun, relaxation and recreation to be found at the newly reopened Rivers Casino Philadelphia — and, importantly, lots of winning for lucky Philadelphians and visitors. Here’s some of what the new experience will look like for guests and Team Members:

MASK MANDATE AND TEMPERATURE CHECKS: Masks must be worn at all times while in the casino — no exceptions, no pulling down. Surveillance and Security — along with all Rivers Casino Philadelphia personnel — will be monitoring continuously and enforcing full compliance. All guests and Team Members will have their temperature taken upon arrival. Anyone with a reading of 100.4 degrees or higher will be denied entry.

NO INDOOR DINING OR DRINKING: There will be no indoor dining or beverage service, alcohol or otherwise. Bottled water will be available for guests on Jack’s Bar + Grill patio, located at the east side of the property along the Delaware River.

NO SMOKING: There will be no smoking or use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, anywhere inside the casino. Designated smoking areas will be available outside the casino.

Rivers Casino Philadelphia Reopen Date

UPDATED GAMING PROTOCOLS: For the accommodation of social distancing,slots will either be placed in alternating operational order or be separated by plexiglass. Seating at table games, like blackjack, has been reduced to no more than three positions per game, while baccarat has been reduced to four players per table; plexiglass will separate all positions including the dealer. For standing games, such as craps and roulette, players will be separated by plexiglass. The Poker Room will not reopen until further notice, per PGCB guidelines.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY UPGRADE: Rivers Casino Philadelphia has recently upgraded its HVAC system to include airPHX®, a patented technology that continuously disinfects indoor air and eliminates coronavirus on surfaces. Rivers Casino Philadelphia also features AtmosAir™, an indoor air quality purification system that has proven to neutralize coronavirus by more than 99.9%. For more information, visit airphx.com and atmosair.com.

A complete list of property-wide safety precautions and gaming floor modifications — introduced to help protect our guests and Team Members — will be published on the casino’s website at RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia.

To comply with state guidelines and further promote social distancing, Rivers Casino will be limiting gaming floor capacity to 25% occupancy until further notice. The casino will manage occupancy via a customer counter at the North Entrance. Valet Parking will not be offered at reopening.

The majority of Rivers Casino’s gaming floor, including the popular BetRivers Sportsbook, will reopen. Operations at PlaySugarHouse.com and BetRivers.com online sportsbook and casino were unaffected by the property shutdown and continue 24/7.

The phased reopening of Rivers Casino Philadelphia means more than half of Rivers Casino’s approximately 1,700 Team Members will be called to return to work. For the latest information, please visit RiversCasino.com/Philadelphia.

Mark Dorrin, 66, hasn’t seen his gambling friends in over three months.

But at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, the Prospect Park resident stood in line for the reopening of Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Chester. Dorrin, a customer of Harrah’s since it opened in 2007, used to visit at least twice a week. And he came Friday in part “to see old friends —I’ve already seen four.”

The casino opened its doors at 9 a.m. to repeat customers belonging to its loyalty-card program, , but Dorrin and other early arrivals were let in half an hour early to prevent long lines forming outside. Going forward, the casino will once again be open 24/7.

Harrah’s, owned by Caesars Entertainment, is one of many casinos in the region that are reopening this week as Pennsylvania and New Jersey continue to ease stay-at-home orders. Atlantic City casinos are set to return July 2.

Valley Forge Casino Resort joined Harrah’s in opening on Friday, while Wind Creek Bethlehem and Parx Casino in Bensalem will reopen on Monday. Rivers Casino Philadelphia, formerly SugarHouse Casino, has yet to announce a reopening date.

The pandemic decimated revenue for casinos. In February, Harrah’s reported over $192 million in wagers and over $173 million in payouts for slot machine gaming revenue, one of its biggest earners. Those numbers fell by 65% in March, after the casino closed its doors on March 14. In April and May, the slot machine revenue was zero.

State and local tax revenues are likely to face sharp declines, as well. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported a record $3.3 billion in revenue for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, after launching sports betting in November 2018. Reports for the latest fiscal year will likely come out in July.

Even after reopening, Harrah’s is unlikely to recoup its losses immediately. With the casino now operating at only 50% capacity, every other slot machine is closed to ensure patrons are seated six feet apart. Table games also have fewer chairs. Harness races held on site will be open for betting, but only a few spectators will be allowed to watch races from a small outdoor deck.

Food and beverage sales will be down too, with limited service from The Market and Guy Fieri’s Philly Kitchen + Bar.

Despite reopenings allowed by Governor Wolf’s green phase this weekend, casino crowds have cause for concern. Gamblers, who tend to be older in age, are still at risk of contracting the virus, which remains prevalent across the country.

The number of daily COVID-19 cases is dramatically increasing in many states, like Florida and Texas, that began reopening businesses in May. While Pennsylvania and Philadelphia have seen recent daily case volumes fall below their peaks in April, the state still has a run-up in cases over the last two weeks, based on the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.

The casino will enforce new safety protocols. All patrons and employees must be wearing masks at all times, and everyone entering the casino will undergo a temperature check.

“Machines are wiped down every two hours with spray guns,” said Aimee Cicero, a public relations manager. “There are buckets of sanitizing wipes throughout the casino floor that patrons can use to wipe machines as well.” Chips for table games will be disinfected on a regular basis, too.

Philadelphia Casino Reopening Dates

Some patrons were less diligent in following mask-wearing policies, especially in the smoking section. Others nearby had masks slung below their chins as they smoked cigars and cigarettes while playing the slot machines.

Some not in the smoking section stuck haphazardly to the new rules, with many patrons wearing them only over their mouths, leaving their noses exposed. One craps table attracted a closely packed crowd of 10 gamblers, despite Caesars regulations limiting the number to six.

Michael Castellente, 45, wasn’t surprised by the changes, since he’d seen pictures online of other reopened casinos across the country. He said that coming in the morning might be a healthier choice than at night, when the casino tends to be more crowded.

Because he lives near the airport, Harrah’s is the most convenient casino, and he’s glad to see it reopen. “It doesn’t feel too different,” he said. “I like it because you’re around other people that are happy.”

Aileen Morton, 67, found comfort in the return to Harrah’s, too, though hers was more bittersweet. The East Norriton resident used to visit the casino with her husband every week before she retired at the end of December. Two weeks later, her husband passed away.

“I’ve missed it,” she said. “ It’s my first time being here without him.”

Despite her apprehensions about going out in a pandemic, Morton looked forward to the reopening . “I’m elated, seriously, just to see people.”

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