Pennsylvania is winning big with casino gambling. At the other end of the spectrum is Atlantic City. Once the only game in town on the East Coast, the struggling shore resort has been battered by a wave of competition, much of it from the Keystone State.
And the hits just keep coming. And we’re not talking about playing blackjack.
Atlantic City casinos reported their July revenue, and it was the same, sad tune.
In the words of Jersey troubadour Bruce Springsteen, they’re going down, down, down, down.
Play was off another 5 percent in July, continuing A.C.’s recent string of losses. Atlantic City’s 11 casinos took in $363 million. They’re pointing the finger at increased competition, including the arrival of table games here in Pa. at places like Harrah’s in Chester. There was also that weekend when they did not have air conditioning in several A.C. casinos.
It’s interesting that table games revenue was down at seven of the 11 Atlantic City casinos in July, just as those games made their debut on this side of the bridge. Trump Marina’s table games was off a whopping
30.9 percent. Even at the Borgata, which has been the front-runner when it comes to fending off competition from Pa., table games play was off
13 percent in July.
It appears pretty clear that Atlantic City’s loss is Pa.’s gain.
N.J. Gov. Chris Christie is calling for a state takeover of the Atlantic City casino district, along with another infusion of funds.
Christie is known as a huge fan of Jersey’s rock poet laureate, Bruce Springsteen. Maybe Christie should call on the state hero to once again lead the charge to reinvigorate the shore gambling mecca.
I can see it now, The Boss standing on the boardwalk.
“Put your makeup on,
fix your hair up pretty,
and meet me tonight in Atlantic City.”
Of course there’s another stanza to that song as well.
“Everything dies, baby that’s a fact,
but maybe everything that dies some day comes back.”
In New Jersey and Atlantic City they are hoping that Springsteen ditty still rings true.
Again.
Comments