Atlantic City Casinos to Reopen Monday

Atlantic City casinos appear set to reopen on Monday, after closing their doors for nearly three days due to Hurricane Irene. The closure marked only the third time in history that all 11 casinos in Atlantic City were closed.

Reportedly, the casinos were largely undamaged by the storm. Irene left millions without power on the eastern coast of the United States, but seems to have caused relatively mild property damage and few deaths. The storm first made landfall in North Carolina, and was still a Category 1-strength hurricane when the storm reached New York City.

According to a report by the Associated Press, there are many steps that the Atlantic City casinos will have to undergo before they will be allowed to reopen. Casino regulators will have to sign off on reopening to ensure that no damage was sustained that could affect the integrity of the games.

Among many procedures that will need to be done, one of the most significant will be the return of cash to the casino cages, which requires supervision from state officials. In addition, all security and computer systems have to undergo testing to ensure that they are in proper working order before gaming can continue.

The shutdown came at one of the worst possible times for Atlantic City. The casino industry there has steadily lost market share to surrounding states, but its seaside location still makes it a popular summer destination for those who want to gamble and enjoy the beach during the same trip. This weekend would likely have been one of the busiest weekends of the year for the city; instead, the casinos were unable to be in operation. It is unclear just how much money was lost over the three-day period.