© ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS Michael Condello of Bradley Beach, N.J., plays video poker at the July 2 reopening of Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia, the first casino in the city of Philadelphia, is conveniently located on the picturesque Delaware River Waterfront. Located in Philly’s lively Fishtown neighborhood, Rivers Casino Philadelphia took over the site of the former Jack Frost Sugar Refinery, and was previously named SugarHouse Casino. Rivers Casino Philadelphia reopened on July 17 after a four-month industrywide shutdown to help slow the spread of COVID-19. About Rush Street Gaming. Founded by Neil Bluhm and Greg Carlin. With the rebranding and Grand Re-Opening as Rivers Casino Philadelphia, we have also launched a new casino floor, SportsBook, and reward points program. We hope that you will come visit us again and see what Rivers Casino Philadelphia has for you!
Rivers Casino Philadelphia Closed
Rivers Casino Philadelphia, the only Pennsylvania casino that did not reopen after the three-month coronavirus lockdown, is “hopeful” of reopening next week, a state regulator said Wednesday.
But smoking? That’s no longer permitted indoors at any casino.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia, along with the other 11 casinos in Pennsylvania, will limit customers to 50% of capacity, impose face-mask and hygiene requirements, and limit the number of slot machines in operation and of players at table games, Kevin O’Toole, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, told board members on Wednesday.
Thomas Farley, the city health commissioner, had announced that the casino could reopen July 3 if staff and patrons wore masks, social distancing measures were enforced, and no eating, drinking or smoking were permitted.
Despite the measures, untamed COVID-19 continues to imperil an industry whose central attraction is social interaction. The American Gaming Association announced Wednesday that it is canceling its Global Gaming Expo in October, which draws about 30,000 attendees and exhibitors to Las Vegas.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia Nbc10
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, the sister casino to the Philadelphia property formerly called SugarHouse, was among the first in the state to reopen last month, but it was forced to shut its doors again on July 2 after the Allegheny County Department of Health ordered bars, restaurants and the casino to halt in response to a resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Pittsburgh.
O’Toole said the Pittsburgh casino was “temporarily closed for a one-week period,” but a spokesman for the casino, Jack Horner, said the reopening was indefinite. More than half of the casino’s 1,700 employees who returned to work last month have been affected by the closure, he said. The Rivers casinos are owned by Rush Street Gaming.
Pennsylvania casinos, which shut down poker rooms and buffets when they reopened after the lockdown, last week also implemented one of the more dramatic COVID-19 countermeasures: A temporary halt to all smoking indoors. New Jersey had enacted a similar ban as a condition to reopening Atlantic City casinos on July 2.
O’Toole said some casinos are offering an open-air area outside the casino for smokers, as long as they also practice social distancing.
The Clean Indoor Air Act of 2008 prohibits smoking in public places except for casinos, drinking establishments, cigar bars, and private clubs. The law requires at least half of the space in a casino be designated nonsmoking. The industry fought to allow smoking in casinos because of its strong association to gambling; previous efforts to ban smoking in casinos in other states led to a dramatic decline in wagering and tax revenue.
———
©2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer
Visit The Philadelphia Inquirer at www.inquirer.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rivers Casino Philadelphia, which just celebrated 10 years on Delaware Avenue, has a new general manager. Rush Street Gaming announced today that Las Vegas gaming and hospitality executive Eric Fitzgerald has joined the property as general manager, pending approval by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Fitzgerald comes to Philly by way of the Las Vegas Strip, where he most recently served as president and COO of Excalibur Hotel & Casino — with 3,900 hotel rooms and 3,000 employees. Just prior, Fitzgerald led Circus Circus Hotel & Casino as president and COO, following a near-decade run as senior VP of operations for Luxor/Excalibur Hotel & Casino.
“Eric’s experience in running large-scale, multifaceted destination properties in Vegas provides the perfect runway for landing at Rivers Casino in Philly,” said Greg Carlin, CEO of Rush Street Gaming. “He has a track record of growing customer loyalty in highly competitive markets, under challenging market conditions.”
Fitzgerald is an Arizona State University alumnus, with a Bachelor of Science in finance. He takes over from storied casino leader Rob Long, who recently retired as Rivers’ general manager after a four-decade career in gaming. Pete Longi remains as Rivers Casino Philadelphia’s assistant general manager.
Over the past decade, Rivers Casino Philadelphia has been voted a “Top Workplace” or “Best Place to Work” 15 times by its Team Members. Rivers Casino Philadelphia reopened on July 17 after a four-month industrywide shutdown to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
River Casino Phila
About Rush Street Gaming
Rivers Casino Philadelphia Jobs
Founded by Neil Bluhm and Greg Carlin, Rush Street Gaming and its affiliates have developed and operate successful casinos in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Des Plaines, IL (Chicago area) and Schenectady, NY. By placing an emphasis on superior design and outstanding customer service, Rush Street Gaming has become one of the leading casino developers in the United States. Existing casinos generate over $1 billion in annual gaming revenues, and all Rush Street Gaming casinos have been voted a “Best Place to Work” or “Top Workplace” by their team members.