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AFTER three slotless nights at Resorts Atlantic City, Lucille Mock was packing her bags to head home when she heard the news: the casinos had reopened!
"I lost US$75 in the first 15 minutes, but that's OK," said the 49-year-old New Yorker.
New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine signed a US$30 billion compromise spending plan on Saturday night to formally end a state budget impasse that spurred a weeklong government shutdown and shuttered Atlantic City's 12 casinos. On Saturday morning, the governor signed an executive order clearing the way for lottery ticket sales to resume, state parks to reopen and casinos to get back in the game.
Corzine said it was "regrettable" that the budget was adopted eight days after the July 1 deadline imposed by the state constitution, saying it was "something that should not have occurred and can never be repeated."
New Jersey's 12 casino-hotels, closed since Wednesday, rumbled back to life hours after lawmakers finished the budget during an all-night session in Trenton.
The shutdown furloughed 45,000 state workers, including the state casino inspectors who by law must be present in New Jersey's 24-hour casinos. That forced the gambling halls to close, idling about 36,000 casino employees.
"We're back in business," said Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa pit manager Bob Westerfield, unlocking a chip tray on a US$100 minimum blackjack table.
The casinos, which had never been ordered closed in 28 years of legalized gambling in Atlantic City, got the go-ahead to resume operations little more than an hour after legislators passed the budget.
Like rebooted computers, they took a while to get up and running, as slot machine systems powered up, dealers straggled back to work and gamblers filtered in.
"It was devastating for us to be closed for the time we were closed," said Joseph A. Corbo, Jr, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey. "It's not a good thing for a tourism-based business to tell people they can't do what they're here for."
The closings hit the state treasury hard, cutting off the US$1.3 million a day in tax revenues casinos pay to the state.
The budget deal was also good news for lottery players, as well as the small retailers who count on ticket buyers to also pick up sandwiches, milk and other items.
Curtis Shin, who works at a convenience store in Ewing, New Jersey, said Saturday afternoon that many customers were not aware that lottery tickets sales had resumed.
"People came in every day to ask (if they could buy tickets again), so I'm sure they'll be back," he said.
Those who bet on horse racing were also glad to see the tracks reopen.
"It's great that racing is back," said Bill Prongay, who won US$240 on the first two races at Monmouth Park.
Monmouth Park missed two days of thoroughbred racing during the shutdown.
'It's not a good thing for a tourism-based business to tell people they can't do what they're here for.'
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