New York’s casino industry might finally be ready to reopen. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has now hinted that the state’s casinos may be allowed to reopen soon.

Cuomo made the suggestion while on a conference call with reporters on August 30. “We will have an announcement next week,” the governor said. “It is going to be positive news.”

No further details were provided, so an exact time table for when casinos will be allowed to reopen will have to wait. Cuomo emphasized that casinos and racinos are still considered non-essential, and safety from the Covid-19 pandemic still comes first. “I understand their point, I understand their economic reality, I understand the feeling that you see other places opening up but you still can’t go back to work,” Cuomo said.

Operators saw this as promising news. Jon Schneider, spokesman for Suffolk OTB, operator of Jake’s 58 in Islandia, doesn’t know exactly what Cuomo has planned. But Jakes’ 58 will be ready if given the green signal. “Based on what the governor said, we are optimistic,” Schneider said