Arcades in NY still closed; owners ask for guidance

LEVITTOWN, N.Y. - Ryan D'Amico, the co-owner of Laser Bounce in Levittown, has to tell customers they're still closed with no word on when they can reopen.

"The phones ring and people call every day to come," D'Amico said. "We feel forgotten, overlooked. It's frustrating."

The second-generation family business has spent close to $100,000 retrofitting their gaming facility to make sure it's safe but when and if they reopen they have more than $2 million in lost revenue to make up for.

"We went ahead and got plexiglass partitions, filters, foggers, and still to this day we have not gotten guidance from the government," he said.

Other public places including gyms, museums, and malls have been given the green light weeks ago.

Most recently casinos reopened. D'Amico says they're no different and if anything they pose a greater risk because of the typically older crowd they attract.

"They can have 2,000 to 2,500 people at Resorts World or Jakes on Long Island where we have a couple hundred," he said.

An official from the governor's office told FOX 5 NY that casinos are strictly regulated in the state and only four are opened. If arcades were to reopen a big difference would be compliance and enforcement that would fall on local governments.

County Executive Laura Curran visited Laser Bounce along with other arcades in Nassau. In a statement, she said she is impressed with the smart modifications they have made.

D'Amico hopes it's not much longer.