Atlantic City casinos survive hurricane Sandy

Atlantic City’s 12 waterfront casinos survived the Sandy Superstorm largely unscathed, and could open almost immediately, but the Atlantic City gambling regulators will decide when they can do so, reports the Associated Press news agency.

Regulators plan to visit each operation to assess mainly safety and local infrastructure damage and requirements in the wake of the nightmare storm that wreaked havoc on the US eastern seaboard this week, killing 50 people and causing billions of dollars’ worth of damage.

One operator told AP: “Even though we could all re-open within 24 hours if we wanted to, the bigger question is the infrastructure: access roads, power and the situation in the local communities where our employees and our customers live. There’s no sense opening if we can’t get people in here.”

AP reports that the shutdown is costing the casinos a collective $5 million a day in lost revenue, and is only the fourth time in the 34-year history of legalised gambling in Atlantic City that the casinos were ordered closed.

Nine of the casinos are on the Boardwalk, facing the ocean; three others are in the Marina district, next to the Inlet and bay.