Empire City Casino reopened today, about six months after the Yonkers gambling hub was forced to shut down because of the coronavirus.

Queens Residents Win Big with New Daily Bus Service to Empire City Casinos A new bus service now runs directly to Empire City Casino twice daily courtesy of Boston Deluxe Transportation Services from two locations: Forest Hills (corner of Qns Blvd & 71st Street) and Rego Park (Qns Center Mall). Empire Casino is the better of the two State run casinos in the New York City area. The staff is more friendly than Resorts and the their dinning options are a lot better. However as Resorts the slots just suck away your hard earned money with their highly outrageous max bets and 80% of your wins being less than your bet play.

Empire City's doors reopeneed at 10 a.m. as it became the state's latest casino to resume operations after the pandemic. The casino can only operate at 25% capacity, in accordance with state guidelines.

The casino, owned by MGM Resorts, will operate under stringent modifications, including requiring all guests to wear masks, according to a reopening plan posted on its website. Patrons will also need to complete a health screening and have a temperature check before entry.

Valet service and bar service won't be available and some machines won't be available to ensure social distancing.

Live racing at Yonkers Raceway on the casino property resumed in June. Spectators are still prohibited from races and no on-site waging is allowed.

Hand sanitizer dispensers and washing stations are located throughout the casino as are disinfecting wipes.

Empire City Casino Senior Vice President of Operations and CFO Ed Domingo called it an “unbelievable' feeling to have staff members and customers back. The top priority for the casino is to keep everyone healthy, he said.

“It was a long time coming here in Yonkers and Westchester County,” Domingo said.

Evelyn Garcia, of The Bronx, was one of the customers who came back Monday.

“I’ve been locked up for six months,” she said.

The casino, which is the largest private employer in Yonkers, furloughed about 1,000 workers in May as the virus kept Empire City's doors closed.

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MGM CEO and President Bill Hornbuckle in a May 5 letter called the furloughs 'the most challenging period ever faced by our company and industry' and said he was unsure how many employees would return before the end of the year.

The company has welcomed back more than half if its workforce for the reopening, a spokesperson told The Journal News/lohud.

Empire Casino Queens New York Map

MGM Resorts bought Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway in early 2019 for $850 million.

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: With modifications in place, Empire City Casino reopens in Yonkers