T he night of 2 April 1990 is one Tina Condos will never forget. It was the opening night of Donald Trump’s new $1.1bn Atlantic City casino, and Condos was working as a cocktail waitress serving drinks to Michael Jackson, Elle Macpherson and the other stars and socialites who had flown in for the big night. Lit by $16m worth of chandeliers, Trump described the casino, then the most expensive ever built, as the “eighth wonder of the world”. The property tycoon now turned presidential candidate also promised it would transform the fortunes of the New Jersey coastal city. His promise held true, for a brief period, but now his casino empire is a busted flush: the Taj is set to close, and...
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D on Johnson finds it hard to remember the exact cards. Who could? At the height of his 12-hour blitz of the Tropicana casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, last April, he was playing a hand of blackjack nearly every minute. Dozens of spectators pressed against the glass of the high-roller pit. Inside, playing at a green-felt table opposite a black-vested dealer, a burly middle-aged man in a red cap and black Oregon State hoodie was wagering $100,000 a hand. Word spreads when the betting is that big. Johnson was on an amazing streak. The towers of chips stacked in front of him formed a colorful miniature skyline. His winning run had been picked up by the casino’s watchful overhead cameras...
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In gambling the house usually wins, but in Atlantic City it's the casinos that are facing long odds. A new report by Moody's warns that the city could lose additional casinos in the face of increased competition, according to Moody's. Atlantic City, known for its casino-lined boardwalk on the Jersey Shore, lost four of those gambling houses last year along with 8,000 jobs. "We expect more casino closures to occur in Atlantic City as some struggle to grow their business and face additional competition," said Moody's Investors Service, in a report on the gaming industry. Moody's said that gaming revenue dropped 8% last year and three of the remaining casinos are "already on the brink," with...
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Figures released Monday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the seven casinos won $205.3 million from gamblers in February. That's an increase of 0.3 percent from February 2016. But without the extra money won from online gamblers, the casinos would have posted a decrease of nearly 2 percent. Resorts Digital (up 131 percent compared with a year ago) and the Golden Nugget (up 66 percent) had particularly good months online. Rush Street Interactive runs one of the Golden Nugget's sites,, which has been growing its revenue by about 25 percent a month since launching last September. "Online gaming represents a growth vehicle for the gaming industry as it attracts a new and...
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Here’s something we all know: The glory days of Atlantic City are long gone. The announced closure of Trump Taj Mahal on October 10 solidifies the fate of this once gaming mecca—officially relegating it to a ho-hum regional gaming destination. However, there is hope that this resort town will be reborn with a personality different than the gaming persona it’s worn during the past few decades as the capital of east coast gambling. More on that later. Bit of History Let’s get caught up first. There was a time not long ago when Atlantic City was the country’s gambling darling. The first municipality to legalize casinos outside Nevada in 1976 (dice rolled for the first time in 1978), the move...
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By the summer of 2018, at least two new casinos are expected to be open in Atlantic City. But before the end of the year, there could be a third, which would bring the grand total back up to 10. Last year, casino profits skyrocketed, proving that seven is indeed a lucky number. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that nine or 10 casinos will be as good or better for Atlantic City. TEN was certainly not a lucky number for Glenn Straub, but that’s another story entirely. On the other hand, if ever the time was right to add new casinos to the mix, it would seem to be now. It’s a gamble, but that’s what this town is all about. If people weren’t willing to take risks, Atlantic City would never be...
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Hard Rock, Ocean Resort open in Atlantic City ATLANTIC CITY - The revival of Atlantic City’s gambling industry has begun a crucial chapter with the much-anticipated openings of two new casinos. Hard Rock Hotel...
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Atlantic City Casinos Atlantic City Casinos have always been the pulse of gaming on the east coast. From the table games to the large slot jackpots there is something in this town for everyone. Atlantic City created the slogan "DO AC", which it has been able to live up to with a simple message, the old slogan "Always Turned On!" has come and gone. Back in the day the original Jersey Shore destination featured the Atlantic City boardwalk, which to this day is still rated the #1 boardwalk in the US by and is still recognized worldwide. Visitors should be reminded of the great entertainment, concerts and shows, beautiful beaches and fantastic attractions the city has to offer. The casino...
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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Many sweet rides have pulled up to Atlantic City casinos over the years, but this one was the King. Joe Emanuele, whose vast portfolio at Hard Rock International includes finding and securing music memorabilia, had located Elvis Presley ‘s Rolls Royce, bought it at an auction and drove it to the Atlantic City casino whose opening Hard Rock will celebrate Thursday morning. It is one of two shuttered casinos that reopened Wednesday afternoon, ahead of schedule, after being cleared to do so by New Jersey gambling regulators. Hard Rock, the former Trump Taj Mahal, and the Ocean Resort Casino, the former Revel, are both having grand opening ceremonies Thursday....
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NEW JERSEY (FOX5NY.COM) - Two shuttered Atlantic City casinos are set to reopen with new names and under new ownership. Will their return bring new hope for the city's future? Ocean Resort Casino ambassador April Hoch showed soft-opening guests to the hotel casino's 99 table games, eight poker tables, and nearly 2,000 slots on Wednesday in preparation for the resort's grand opening a day later. "I really love this property and I think it's going to be the best place in Atlantic City," she said. Hoch and 26 percent of Ocean's 4,200 staff members worked in the Revel Casino in this building before it closed in 2014. It was one of five Atlantic City casinos to shut down in...
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