Article: What happened to AC?

Saw this in the New Yorker online What Happened to Atlantic City?

East coast becomes gambler's paradise. The combined number of existing and future built casinos in my estimate will surpass Vegas. It's sad, but with so much competition Vegas does not look as attractive as it once was. I found that I get better treatment with so many choices available. As far as AC is concerned it' NJ pride and history, it won't go down that easy.

I read the whole thing. I should've followed my instinct and stopped after reading this:

Quote:

Now Atlantic City risks losing even its modest status as a regional gambling center.

News flash: AC lost that status years ago.

Atlantic city casinos were lallowed to be built because the politicians sold it that the area around it would reverse the extreme deterioration that already was in full swing. Also it was touted that the proceeds would go to education and senior citizens.

Atlantic city casinos still sits in an area where you cannot walk around in saftey outside the immediate area of the casinos. Go one block outside the casino area at night and you are at risk. And if you are at risk there....people dont feel safe going to their car in the casino garage at night.

And the money from the casinos did go to education and seniors....except the money from the general fund that used to go to education and seniors ended up going elsewhere in what turned out to be a shellgame of state funds. So no real net gain for education and seniors.

The boardwalk is nice, but also allowed to be inhabited by beggars.(at least for the time i was there 1978-1998 and during my visit in 2005).

Its not a real vacation destination where you would want to fly to with the wife for a week. Its a day trip destination in my opinion

I never liked their strict rules and regulations from when they opened from day 1. Vegas is so much more friendly and gambler friendly than atlantic city dealers and floor staff.

I remeber walking thru harrahs once with an attache case, after spending 1 night. Cutting thru the casino to the car garage. I was stopped by security and told I coulndt carry that on the gambling floor. I had to walk outside and walk around the building to the outside garage entrance.

In vegas and reno you can pull large luggage thru the casino floor. I just had a small hand held attache case. THEMS THE RULES.....in atlantic city.

Quote: LarryS

Atlantic city casinos were lallowed to be built because the politicians sold it that the area around it would reverse the extreme deterioration that already was in full swing. Also it was touted that the proceeds would go to education and senior citizens.

Atlantic city casinos still sits in an area where you cannot walk around in saftey outside the immediate area of the casinos. Go one block outside the casino area at night and you are at risk. And if you are at risk there....people dont feel safe going to their car in the casino garage at night.

And the money from the casinos did go to education and seniors....except the money from the general fund that used to go to education and seniors ended up going elsewhere in what turned out to be a shellgame of state funds. So no real net gain for education and seniors.

The boardwalk is nice, but also allowed to be inhabited by beggars.(at least for the time i was there 1978-1998 and during my visit in 2005).

Its not a real vacation destination where you would want to fly to with the wife for a week. Its a day trip destination in my opinion

I never liked their strict rules and regulations from when they opened from day 1. Vegas is so much more friendly and gambler friendly than atlantic city dealers and floor staff.

I remeber walking thru harrahs once with an attache case, after spending 1 night. Cutting thru the casino to the car garage. I was stopped by security and told I coulndt carry that on the gambling floor. I had to walk outside and walk around the building to the outside garage entrance.

In vegas and reno you can pull large luggage thru the casino floor. I just had a small hand held attache case. THEMS THE RULES.....in atlantic city.

Well put.

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I have yet to see anyone begging on the board walk on my last 4 trips. Now that I think about I have not had anyone ask me for any money other then a loan to poker player. I don't see the difference in the AC or Vegas casino garages at night. The buildings surrounding the casinos in AC defiantly seem undesirable.

I've had beggars in Caesar's AC... but I also was approached by a beggar in THE WYNN in October.

The article makes a point that we as gamblers don't address much: AC was going downhill BEFORE casino gaming was approved. Gaming was introduced to try and reverse the decline. That doesn't change the cogent analyses that many of us have written, about greed and corruption and bad government. But it does give the problem an added dimension. Perhaps the unbelievable part isn't that they are now failing; the unbelievable part might be that they held off failure this long. They were never the right answer.

Quote: Mosca

I've had beggars in Caesar's AC... but I also was approached by a beggar in THE WYNN in October.
er.

I don't get the beggar thing in Vegas. Just a couple
years ago they were kept off the Fremont Experience,
now they're all over the place, even with signs. They
make people nervous, hell, they make me nervous. It's
the reason I left Santa Barbara 30 years ago, too many
street beggars. They're all crooks, they'll steal anything
if they get the chance.

My grandfather grew up in Atlantic City. His father worked for Nucky Johnson as a low-level clog in the corrupt GOP machine depicted (very fictionally) in Boardwalk Empire.

He always used to say "By the 1960s, Atlantic City had become a sewer. Then they built casinos. So it became a sewer with casinos."

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That is why Faux Downtowns were so great. The "downtown" was re-created on PRIVATE property so homeless and unionizers can be kept off. The problem is that its hard to be a retailer when you have to support not only your rented area but your share of those fake downtown sidewalks and tables.

The faux downtowns go bankrupt, the real downtowns persist ... with their very real blemishes.

I've never been to AC. Never really thought of going. I still see Vegas as the place to go if you want to gamble. I can gamble in my backyard, and have, but I like getting away and out west you don't have to go far to find a little solitude. I may find myself there one day for a couple of reasons. Acadia National Park in Maine, and to mark the east coast capitals on my and held GPS. Other than those two things, I have no reason to visit the area.

I've never been to AC. Never really thought of going. I still see Vegas as the place to go if you want to gamble. I can gamble in my backyard, and have, but I like getting away and out west you don't have to go far to find a little solitude. I may find myself there one day for a couple of reasons. Acadia National Park in Maine, and to mark the east coast capitals on my and held GPS. Other than those two things, I have no reason to visit the area.

Quote: Dicenor33

East coast becomes gambler's paradise. The combined number of existing and future built casinos in my estimate will surpass Vegas. It's sad, but with so much competition Vegas does not look as attractive as it once was. I found that I get better treatment with so many choices available. As far as AC is concerned it' NJ pride and history, it won't go down that easy.

Not a chance. The reason is because New Jersey, and much of the region, doesn't comprehend customer service. It's the attitude. When those of us from the Midwest and West coast travel to the AC region to gamble, it's culture shock! We are astounded at how rude, lazy, and inefficient the customer service is there.
The only way the area will survive is if they fire everyone there, and ship in people from elsewhere in the nation in order to run it.

The gambler's paradise that will one day top LV will be Florida!


-Keyser

Quote: Keyser

The gambler's paradise that will one day top LV will be Florida!

True, no matter how much Disney manipulates the politicians, eventually the money will win out.

It is strange. When Atlantic City first opened many craps dealers didn't know how to pay off some of the unusual bets, so the rule was when you get to the amount you think it might be, pay off in red chips and when the New Yorker smiles....take that last one back.
That was what they thought of New Yorkers.

Unfortunately I tend to agree that in NJ the Tourism Bureau is just a dumping ground for political hacks and always will be.

For decades casinos in Las Vegas really knew their customers and made them feel welcome. In AC its more security goons and lawsuits than a host welcoming someone and their family.

I can not win a dime when I gamble in west coast casinos. When I play on the other side of the island I rarely loose. It' s absolutely true, nothing can compare to southern and Midwest hospitality, but casinos are broke, they sweat out, and bac, which is my favorite game after craps not in a menu. And with craps it is always something, if these casinos can not afford to loose 100 bucks than they should not have craps on the floor.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

I just walk passed them and ignore them. Don't even look at them.

I was INSIDE the Wynn when I was approached.

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As posted previously, those who are "serious" about learning about how casinos came to AC would do well to read "The Boardwalk Jungle" by Ovid Demaris.

Little seems to have changed since the mob tried to clean itself up and build casinos at the shore.

Quote: LarryS

I remeber walking thru harrahs once with an attache case, after spending 1 night. Cutting thru the casino to the car garage. I was stopped by security and told I coulndt carry that on the gambling floor. I had to walk outside and walk around the building to the outside garage entrance.

In vegas and reno you can pull large luggage thru the casino floor. I just had a small hand held attache case. THEMS THE RULES.....in atlantic city.

Just to clear up this obvious misunderstanding....

Folks at Harrah's AC are CONSTANTLY dragging their luggage back and forth to and from the self-parking garage through casino.

Nobody is made to walk outside.

Your story is just an anecdote...them's NOT the rules in Atlantic City.

I've never had a problem in any AC casino from 1978 to the present. At some of them you have no choice but to walk through the casino with your luggage. I saw a guy lose the contents of his cooler on the casino floor at Resorts on my last trip. Security helped him pick up his beer. Think they'd respond in kind at Revel where the "cooler crowd" may not be as welcome?

Mohegan Sun does not allow bags in the casino but guests can walk the perimeter with no inconvenience. It's posted in their rules at each entrance and it is enforced. There's nothing in the rules about card counting though. Hmmm.

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Quote: Ibeatyouraces

They'll just take you out back and scalp you.

You can't sue them either. What did we ever do to the Injuns? :-)

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Quote: Keyser

We are astounded at how rude, lazy, and inefficient the customer service is there.

It's a fact that many experienced AC dealers have
a hard time making it in Vegas. You can't treat
Vegas customers the same as you treat them in
AC, they won't stand for it. Vegas is way too laid
back and friendly for many Jersey dealers, they
just can't handle it.

Quote: coachbelly

Just to clear up this obvious misunderstanding....

Folks at Harrah's AC are CONSTANTLY dragging their luggage back and forth to and from the self-parking garage through casino.

Nobody is made to walk outside.

Your story is just an anecdote...them's NOT the rules in Atlantic City.

You are not, however, allowed to have your luggage at the table with you. I had a backpack recently while standing in an AC casino and was only talking to somebody. I was asked to leave the casino premises because I "might be carrying a bomb."

I've carried backpacks through all of Vegas and never had anybody say anything. I put it down on the floor under me or seat next to me and nobody could care less.

Casino are there to make money in AC. You, by your own admission, were " only taking to someone ".

Next time Vinny will inspect that backpack !