It seems the East Coast gambling mecca is falling on hard times, facing "what analysts predict could be Atlantic City’s first annual drop since gambling was legalized in the state in 1977." The hope is that they'll be able to take AC upscale and make it more like a miniature version of Las Vegas. In principle, it seems like a good idea. Las Vegas is 270 miles from LA, which is about the distance between Boston and Atlantic City -- New York, Philadelphia, and Washington are all much closer. In principle, it could be a place people go a lot. But it's just awful -- really, profoundly unappealing. And it certainly looks as if it's been on the decline in years, though based on that Times account it hasn't.
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Atlantic City
19 Mar 2007 09:06 am
Comments (14)
The casinos are going to have to do some serious thinking about busing in day-trippers. These trips were a terrific revenue source for years, but now are encountering more competition and contribute to AC's downscale image. It's no surprise that the Borgata is both the most successful casino and the only one that doesn't sponsor day trips.
Peter,
The New York Times had an article once about the day trippers from Chinese neighborhoods in Queens. Elderly, poor Chinese would take the bus down to AC just to collect the ten dollars in chips. They'd cash in the chips, get a free lunch at a local church soup kitchen, and then just hang out on the boardwalk until the bus was ready to leave.
I'm guessing southeastern CT's two tribal casinos are going to be taking all of Boston's casino business, and may be taking NYC's casino business from AC.
Atlantic City has one thing going for it: its the name of a great Springsteen song. There's also a really good cover of the song by The Band.
The casinos in CT are just about the same distance as AC, and they're marketed in a very upscale way, so I wouldn't be surprised if they soak up a big chunk of the traffic.
I'm not sure if the icky city of AC itself is that much worse than the city of Vegas, though. If you ignore the glitzy casinos in Vegas, you have an awful lot of pawn shops and seedy storefronts to look at. One difference is that you can't drive into AC without seeing the bad parts of town on the way to the boardwalk (it's a lot like your Monopoly board in this respect) whereas in Vegas you can land at the airport, hop on over to the Strip, and not see much reality at all.
When I was living in New Haven, I wanted to visit a friend in Boston. My car was in the shop, and to save some money, I decided to go via a Peter Pan bus instead of renting a car. The bus was absolutely packed with senior citizens until it emptied out at Foxwoods, at which point I virtually had the bus to myself.
My guess is that no one north of New York City feels any need to go to Atlantic City. As more casinos open, the geographic exclusivity that AC enjoyed gets smaller and smaller.
Vegas overcomes these problems by offering something beyond gambling. The whole Vegas experience is a draw. Atlantic City, not so much. The one time I ever went there, for a convention, I found it indescribably depressing. (The boardwalk was pleasant, though.)
The problem they have is, what can they do to make it more appealing? Las Vegas had (and still has) floor shows and entertainment that are draws. But no matter how much Harry Connick Jr appears, AC is never going to out-entertain New York. So it's draw has to be something different.
I'm not sure if the icky city of AC itself is that much worse than the city of Vegas, though. If you ignore the glitzy casinos in Vegas, you have an awful lot of pawn shops and seedy storefronts to look at. One difference is that you can't drive into AC without seeing the bad parts of town on the way to the boardwalk (it's a lot like your Monopoly board in this respect) whereas in Vegas you can land at the airport, hop on over to the Strip, and not see much reality at all.
Atlantic City is more comparable to Downtown Las Vegas than to the Strip. If I'm not mistaken, the Downtown casinos generally don't do as well as those on the Strip, appealing to a less-affluent crowd just like Atlantic City.
Trivia: Las Vegas is no longer the world's leading gambling location as measured by amounts wagered. Macau recently took the title.
Maybe Louis Malle needs to make a sequel to Atlantic City. Burt Lancaster is still alive, isn't he?
Maybe Louis Malle needs to make a sequel to Atlantic City. Burt Lancaster is still alive, isn't he?
Sorry, but both of them are, as the old expression goes, eating dandelions by the root.
AC has come a long way in even the past 10 years, so I wouldn't count it out. I remember coming home from college on the casino bus and it not being safe to walk very far from the bus station. A huge shopping strip (called "the Walk") that connects the train station and the convention center with the Boardwalk is beautiful (though gaudy) and rapidly expanding. A bunch of the casinos (in addition to the Borgata) have invested in really nice clubs to attract the younger crowed. One competitive advantage that it has never taken full advantage of is the beach.
Not that poverty has disappeared, though it has been pushed out into the surrounding areas a bit more. Pleasantville and West AC are getting worse.
#1. You've got nickel slot machines in AC which is important if you're down to your last $5 bucks or less. I had 11 nickels a little after midnight on New Year's Eve once and lo and behold got 3 Cherries and a $175 dollar mini-jackpot. That's 3500 nickels. Finding a nickel slot in Vegas is almost impossible.
#2. There's the salt-water taffy
#3. You can surf in AC. It's not North Shore, Hawaii, but the waves aren't half bad.
The casinos in CT have CT's inane blue laws. No booze after one am. None. Zero. Zip. You can't even stock up with a couple drinks as the hour draws near.
I don't gamble, so the bachlor's party at foxwoods was a nightmare. And I know others who won't go near the place for the same reason.
The casinos in CT have CT's inane blue laws.
Huh. How's that work? I thought the whole point of tribal casinos was that they were on sovereign land.
Comments closed April 02, 2007.
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Heads in the Sand
Just wait 'til the Mohawks open up their casino in the Catskills. Attendance at AC from the New York area will take a big hit.
Posted by Glenn | March 19, 2007 9:46 AM