Some casinos drop buffets, live shows as virus spreads in US

Some casinos drop buffets, live shows as virus spreads in US

SeattlePI.com

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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A Pennsylvania casino shut down temporarily, some Las Vegas casinos closed their buffets and nightclubs, and the Hard Rock chain canceled live entertainment at all its U.S. properties for at least a month as the nation's casinos grappled with the coronavirus outbreak.

The Valley Forge Casino in King Of Prussia, Pennsylvania, closed early Friday, saying it was complying with a directive from the state's governor to close all public schools, entertainment venues and community centers in Montgomery County as a precautionary measure against the spread of the virus. The casino said it will reopen March 27 and noted there have been no reported cases of the virus at the property.

Hard Rock, whose brand relies on live entertainment, said it is canceling all such entertainment at its U.S. properties for 30 days, including concerts in large and small venues, and nightclub entertainment.

The move came after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, requested that all gatherings of 250 or more people be canceled.

Joe Lupo, president of Hard Rock Atlantic City, said the self-imposed entertainment ban is the casino's way of complying with the governor's request.

“We look at it as stopping gatherings of 250 or more people in a confined place,” he said. “You can still go into a grocery store, you can still go into an airport, and you can still go into a casino. There has been no talk of a casino closure at this point."

A spokesman for the New Jersey Attorney General's Office said the state has not imposed any restrictions on access to casinos, nor given individual properties any direction regarding the virus. Messages were left with The Casino Association of New Jersey seeking comment.

The Hard Rock entertainment ban will cancel scheduled shows by...

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