Ocean maintains that in addition to the governor’s order closing the casinos, it also shut down due to “the concern that the virus was having on the physical surfaces and the air” inside the casino, Orlofsky said. He said 14 state Supreme Courts around the nation have held that the mere interruption of business activity during the pandemic does not constitute physical losses.
But David Roth, a lawyer for American Guarantee, said the policies require there to be physical damage to the property, which he said did not occur at the casino.