New York Casino Workers Will Stage Rally To Reopen Gambling MarketWill March On The State Capitol In Albany Thursday Morning |
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New York casino workers are staging a rally this week in Albany in support of reopening the Empire State’s upstate commercial casinos.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo shut down the state’s gaming market in mid-March in response to the coronavirus outbreak and has yet to reopen them. It is by far the largest market that has yet to resume operations for its casinos. New Mexico is the only other state that still has its commercial casinos shuttered.
New York’s tribal casinos do not have to follow state mandates. Those properties began the reopening process in mid-June. To curb the spread of the virus at its casino, some properties only allowed gamblers who resided within 120 miles of the casino inside. The 120-mile radius essentially kept New York City residents from entering the casino, which was one of the major virus hotspots in the U.S.
A few weeks ago, during a press conference, Cuomo was asked about when the commercial properties would open. He wouldn’t commit to a timetable and said that they must remain closed because of “density, the likelihood of compliance and the nonessential nature of the business.”
Since the forced closure, about 5,200 employees of the state’s four commercial casinos have been out of work. Many of those out-of-work employees will march outside the state Capitol Thursday at 11 a.m. to protest Cuomo’s decision and let local leaders know that they want to return to work.
According to a report from the Times Herald-Record, three casino workers organized the protest through a Facebook group, which is up to 862 members. An online petition to reopen the casinos has been signed by more than 2,400 people.
The event’s organizers said that the rally will comply with the state’s public health guidelines. Social distancing will be encouraged, face coverings will be required, and hand sanitizer will be available for those in attendance.
The northeast region was one of the last to reopen brick-and-mortar casinos. Massachusetts reopened its casinos in mid-July at 25 percent capacity and regulators still won’t allow properties to spread roulette, craps and poker.
New Jersey allowed its nine Atlantic City casinos to accept wagers July 2 at 25 percent capacity and without indoor smoking, drinking and dining.
On the other coast, California casinos were able to reopen in mid-June, but Gov. Gavin Newsom forced cardrooms in 19 counties, including Los Angeles, to close again at the start of July. Those properties are still closed.
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