New York Governor Announces Increased Capacity for Casinos

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 05/08/2021

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Increased Capacity for Casinos

There was some good news for casinos across New York recently after the state governor announced a capacity increase. Casinos are among a number of businesses that will see the maximum capacity increase over the coming weeks, which will come as a huge relief to many business owners and operators.

For casinos, the past year has been a terrible one because of the global pandemic. Casinos and other hospitality industry parts have been among the hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic.

They were forced to close for several months at the start of the pandemic last year. After this, they were allowed to reopen under strict new measures and with severely restricted capacity.

Both the closures and the reopening under strict new measures have taken their toll on the finances and operations of casinos in the state. However, Governor Andrew Cuomo has now announced that the maximum capacity level is set to double.

Heading in the Right Direction

In a recent press conference, the governor said that as positive cases fell and vaccination numbers increased across the state, restrictions would continue to be loosened. He said that the state was definitely heading in the right direction.

At the press conference, he stated:

The arrows are all pointed in the right direction. We just have to keep the arrows pointed in the right. That is a function of what we do.

While a range of businesses will be benefitting from the loosened restrictions, casinos will see their capacity double from 25 percent to 50 percent. The changes will come into force on May 15th, so casinos can look forward to a boost in visitor numbers within the next few weeks.

When casinos were closed and then reopened under strict new rules, it caused devastation for the industry. Casinos suffered huge financial losses, and many workers ended up being furloughed or lost their jobs altogether.

The easing of restrictions will help to get casinos back on the road to some level of recovery. It could also mean that more workers are brought back in order to cater for the increased number of people allowed through the doors.

Easing Lockdown Measures

Over recent weeks, the New York governor has taken a number of steps to ease lockdown measures, with this increase in maximum capacity being the latest. The move comes as a result of the improving situation across the state when it comes to COVID-19.

There has been a sharp drop in the number of new cases and hospitalizations across New York compared to the peak seen earlier this year. In addition to lower positivity rates, the COVID-19 vaccination drive has continued across the state, and this is helping to improve the situation.

As long as things follow the right direction, the state could enjoy far more freedoms as the summer approaches. This will come as a huge relief for businesses, state officials, and the population of New York after what has been an extremely difficult year.