Difficult financial times are expected in Atlantic City following Gov. Phil Murphy's decision to have casinos shut down as of 8 p.m. Monday, and the boardwalk this morning looked more like a ghost town.

 

People who work in the gaming industry say having them close down could be a financial disaster, and around 40% of all casino employees in the entire country have been affected, including in Atlantic City.

Some young men that spoke with News 12 made it clear they are not in any way concerned for their own health, but are in one way or another affected by these decisions.

“I just lost my job actually because I work at a gym,” says Jared Morris, of Gloucester City. “I’m the manager and we just shut down for two weeks.”

MGM Resorts International says in a statement, "This is an unprecedented public health crisis and we must all do our part for the public good and for the good of our employees and communities. We will work hard to mitigate the impacts and will reopen as soon as it is appropriate and safe to do so."

Caesars Entertainment, which includes Caesars, Harrah's and Bally's, says, "To be clear, there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at any of our Atlantic City resorts to date. However, for the health and safety of our team members and guests, the casino will close to the public. Please know that we have taken every step and precaution to promote the health and well-being of our guests and team members, and will continue to do so. We've implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitizing protocols throughout our facilities, based upon recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control.”

 

The owner of Bricker’s Burgers outside the Showboat Hotel is open. He says his prices have not and will not change, adding there are still enough people in the city who need to eat.

During the closure, Caesars will pay two weeks of pay to all team members, and benefits will not be interrupted.

They will also be working to donate food items from their restaurants during this time to The Community Food Bank to help support others in need throughout South Jersey.