After a year of shuttering and limited hours, Empire City Casino in Yonkers said it will resume normal hours of operation on April 7.
It will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. Current hours are 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on March 17 that the state would lift the 11 p.m. curfew it had placed on casinos, movie theaters, bowling alleys, billiard halls and fitness centers, effective April 5. Restaurants and bars will still be required to close at 11 p.m. until further notice.
After being closed since last year’s stay-at-home order in March, the casino did not reopen until September, at which point it was able to operate during limited hours.
Health and safety protocols, including mandatory mask-wearing, social distancing and plexiglass dividers, will remain in place. Capacity will remain limited at 25% occupancy.
“The lifting of the curfew brings us one step closer to a sense of normalcy as we resume regular operating hours for our loyal guests,” said Ed Domingo, senior vice president and chief financial officer for MGM Resorts”™ Northeast Group.
“While capacity restrictions and all health protocols will remain in place to ensure the health and safety of everyone on property, we are excited to continue welcoming back more of our team members and providing guests with additional hours to safely enjoy entertainment.”
The casino’s bars remain closed and its restaurants will continue to operate with limited hours, between 5 and 11 p.m. on weekends. Its food court will be open each day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Revenue for Empire City has been down significantly. During February of 2020, it brought in almost $52 million, while $34.5 million came in February of this year.
The past year saw Empire City Casino’s revenue cut by more than half. From April 2019 to March 2020, its net revenue was more than $576 million; from April 2020 to February 2021, it made $205.8 million.
