Atlantic City back to only six casinos?

There's nothing worth showing up for in AC anyway. They just keep cutting their own throat by cutting what people came there for to begin with. They say they have a beach. True but the people in the casinos don't go someplace for their beach. They go to get the royal treatment and find great games that they have a chance at coming out ahead at. You put a frog in boiling water he figures out he doesn't want to be there pretty quick. You heat the water slowly and the frog doesn't know he is being cooked. AC expects gamblers not to notice the get cooked quick when everywhere else they go the water is nice and if they stay long enough to get cooked they never even notice the water is hot. In other words the crappy games make you lose so quick every time the average gambler either decides there are better ways to spend their disposable income or they decide AC is an unlucky place to play while the other destinations nearby are lucky since they don't always lose and when they do their money lasts a much longer time.

Most people in Jersey live in the North. It's a long, really boring drive. To take that drive, lose your money in an hour, and then face the long drive back does not make for an enjoyable outting. Or repeat customers. The drive to Pennsylvania is far more pleasant.

Originally Posted by Norm

The drive to Pennsylvania is far more pleasant.

And your money lasts long enough in Pa to make it seem worth the trip.

So Deutsche Bank is giving Resorts and Taj a full 2.5 years before pulling the plug? Interesting whether the 2 joints will remain solvent/profitable for that long. And why do they suppose the Marina District will remain intact? Is it because they are not cannibilizing each other, but rather all are focused on different market segments -- ie. Borgata with the High Roller, and Party Kid. Harrah's has it's TR loyalty follower (7*) and it's Pool After Dark crowd, and GN has the spillover from the Atlantic Club.

I think the cutback on casinos will help the casinos see more of the market share and pay off their overhead a bit easier.
Transportation is a big problem, as norm pointed out, it is an isolated area. If they got more flights coming ito and out of ACY, and brought back the train, i think it would help a lot.
Right now, your choices are drive there, or take the bus, and most high rolling cash cow gambler types arnt going to take the bus.

They will fly you in if you have a host. Even I get invites to be flown in. I like having a car though so I can visit any casino between where I live and AC.

I HATE small airports. Had to travel from Sydney to Rochester, Minnesota once. Rochester now supports jets -- didn't then. I flew to Honolulu, stayed the night (an interesting night), flew to Minneapolis, then drove to Rochester. 90 miles on a Sunday -- a Sunday. That means nothing but religious radio stations for 90 miles with jet-lag. Dozed off and drove off the highway a couple times. Didn't matter since there was nothing but corn or wheat to run into.

Having said that, ACY has been substantially upgraded since it was a WWII naval airport.

I’ve been to Atlantic City scores of times, by various methods. First time by bus from Philadelphia on the day Resorts opened. One problem is the lack of humans. The area betwixt AC and Philly is called the Pine Barrens. Barren for good reason. The Pine Barrens stretch through seven counties. The land is very poor in nutrients, consisting mostly of sandy soil incapable of supporting crops. Lots of pine trees. Old legend there talks of the Jersey Devil as many people have been lost in the Barrens. Hence, an almost total lack of commercial development.

BUT, it includes a massive aquifer – something of much greater value these days. The bus ride from Philly is fast (after you get through Camden), but boring as Hell. Absolutely straight with nothing but Pine trees. There is simply nothing interesting in the neighborhood. This is not like the trip to Pennsylvania casinos, which has gorgeous roads and sights. Of course, you could say the same about the areas surrounding Vegas, if you’re not a desert lover. Vegas is built on a 15,000 year old aquifer discovered by Mexican explorers and used by Native Americans for 5,000 years. (And, it is draining at an alarming rate.)

Excuse the rambling. My point is that AC has problems that are incredibly difficult to solve. It will require massive investment. Vegas probably succeeded due incredible risks taken at a perfect point in history. Now that was a serious gamble.

I hope AC finds a way. I doubt it will.

I almost crashed at Bader Field in AC. It is on an Island in the bay behind AC. Really treacherous wind changes at the boundary of water and land. We hit a big downdraft and lost about 50 feet in altitude in a second. We landed short of the runway but missed the rock bulkhead protecting the island from wave erosion. There is 3 feet or less that separates the two. People put their planes in the drink regularly there. It is not used much anymore. It is only suitable for small aircraft anyway. I was being flown in with another player on the plane. We both had back pain from the bump of hitting the lip of the pavement of the runway after touching down.

The old line about piloting: "Hours of boredom punctuated by minutes of terror."

Let me tell you ACY is no small airport, I landed there in a single engine plane a few times and felt like an ant or some small bug on their runway. The runway identifier markings were wider than the plane i was in! It has a 10,000 x150' runway, same as most major airports. Bader field is now closed so no worries there. Aparently one of the major carriers just opened up regular flights in and out of ACY in april.

Originally Posted by Norm

The old line about piloting: "Hours of boredom punctuated by minutes of terror."

I thought that line was about playing the 8 deck shoes in AC.

Originally Posted by bigplayer

I thought that line was about playing the 8 deck shoes in AC.

I guess that's when the picture in your avatar was taken.