NJ Casino News: Weekly Roundup

Get the latest casino news and updates in New Jersey for this week (August 14, 2021 – August 20, 2021).

Borgata To Require Employee Vaccinations By This Fall

MGM Resorts, which owns Borgata, has announced that new hires and salaried employees who don’t work from home will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 15:

Employees at all MGM properties, which would include Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, will be required to show proof that they are vaccinated against the virus. MGM President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle informed employees of the new policy in a memo Monday, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Borgata employs 3,573 full- and part-time employees, according to New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement statistics.

AC Casinos On Track for a Record-Breaking Year

After having their best second quarter ever, Atlantic City casinos are making quite the comeback after 2020’s shutdowns. Total gaming revenues are up by 33% compared to this point in 2019, though in-person casino revenue is down 12% compared to that same timeframe:

Jane Bokunewicz, with the Levinson Institute for Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University, says there’s a reason for that.

“When they lifted the restrictions (this spring) a lot of the amenities still had not returned to normal. Like the concerts, the shows, the conventions. All the special events had just started coming back online,” Bokunewicz said.

She says now that most restrictions have lifted in Atlantic City’s casinos. She expects strong numbers for the rest of the year.

Caesars Entertainment Investing in Atlantic City Future

John Koster was named regional president of Caesars Entertainment’s three Atlantic City casinos back in June, overseeing Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, and Tropicana. In a goal to reinvigorate the Boardwalk “flagship” of Caesars, the company is investing heavily in a new plan:

“We view (Caesars) as our premium product in Atlantic City,” [Koster] said. “This one will be our flagship in Atlantic City. It’s got the great location. It’s got the Caesars name. But, quite frankly, it had been neglected for a number of years in terms of capital investment.”

Hundreds of hotel rooms will be renovated in the Ocean and Centurion towers this year. Two celebrity-chef restaurants will be unveiled soon. Upgraded slot products and a renovated casino floor are on the way.

And, Koster teased a new entertainment concept in the Wild Wild West Casino inside Caesars.

July 2022 is the target date for much of the work to be completed, he said.

Hard Rock Instituting Vaccine Incentive Program

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City has announced a new incentive program for employees to get the COVID-19 vaccination. The program is open to all fully vaccinated employees of Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming properties throughout the United States: 

The “Rock Your Shot” campaign will provide a $100 gift card to fully vaccinated employees along with chances to win grand prizes including $50,000 cash, a 2021 Jeep Cherokee, 15 prizes of $15,000 each and more. …

The vaccination incentive program is voluntary and open to all fully vaccinated employees in the past or in the future up through Oct. 31, when the grand prize drawing will occur. All vaccination information will remain confidential.

Major Drag Queen Pageant Returning to the Hard Rock This October

The Miss’d America drag queen pageant will hold its 30th edition this October at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Scheduled for Oct. 23, the event will feature all of the theatrical performances and sets you expect from a major drag pageant. Carson Kressley, formerly of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, will return as host, and Grammy winner Thelma Houston will provide a special performance:

A portion of the proceeds will be distributed to LGBTQ charities. Since its inception, more than $450,000 has been donated to various organizations, according to the CRDA.

The pageant was not held last year because of COVID-19. Sapphira Cristal was crowned Miss’d America at the 2019 pageant at Hard Rock.

“We are so thrilled to return to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with a bigger and better event,” Miss’d America co-founder Gary Hill said in a news release. “We are excited to bring the glamour of a pageant back to the Boardwalk and can’t wait to welcome more people than ever to our incredible event.”