What Will Happen to Atlantic City?

With Pennsylvania adding slot machines, it is no wonder that many of the properties in Atlantic City are looking to redo their images. They are spending millions to try and keep the clientele they had, and much of that involves revamping the way AC looks at their clients. They are used to day trippers, older clientele that can come and spend some money and then head back to their homes.

However, they need to change so that they do more than keep up with the Jones’ - they surpass them – and the Jones’ now live in Pennsylvania. Many of the properties are taking money and changing their casinos, their hotels, anything that will make them look more attractive to people, and make it worth their while to drive from the western part of the state, or from surrounding states, including PA.

The Borgata, the town’s newest casino and hotel, just spent $200 million to expand its gambling floor. The Showboat spent almost $100 million to add a House of Blues nightclub. Trump Entertainment has spent about $140 sprucing up his three properties – Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, and Trump Marina – and is planning on adding another $110 million over the next year and a half to bring more changes in.

Whether or not the current casinos will be able to compete with PA is not really the issue, as everyone knows that the Philadelphia casinos, and other PA casinos will not really be able to compete with them – nor will they surpass them in revenue or clients. However, they will be able to take a nice chunk of their operating revenues, and that is all they need to do to make their casinos profitable.




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