atlantic city

Lessons From the Fall of Atlantic City – Vegas Seven

In this week’s Green Felt Journal, I look at the death of my former workplace, the Trump Taj Mahal: Even without the current Republican presidential candidate’s name on the building’s crest, the Taj is as perfect a symbol of Atlantic City’s quick decline as can be imagined. Opened in 1990 as the city’s largest, it […]

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atlantic city, Vegas Seven

Donald Trump, the Taj, & Atlantic City in The Washington Post

I’ve been asked what I think about the Taj closing. If you didn’t know, I worked there for about 3 years (1994/95, 1998, 2000) so this one literally hit close to home for me. I had the chance to write about it for the Washington Post’s Post Everything, so I did: Behind the campaign-related headlines,

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atlantic city

BOARDWALK PLAYGROUND is now available

The day has arrived: Boardwalk Playground, my latest book, is now available for purchase via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This book started as a series of columns for Casino Connection magazine, and I have edited, updated, and supplemented those original columns to bring the story up to date. Unlike my earlier books, this one isn’t

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Thank you for supporting BOARDWALK PLAYGROUND

After 28 days, my Kickstarter campaign to publish Boardwalk Playground has wrapped up. Thanks to the generosity and support of 58 backers, I raised the funds I needed to cover the production costs of my next book. What’s next? I have had the book proofread, and have laid out the photos. Right now it is

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New Book Coming & You Can Help!

I have some exciting news to share: I have a new book coming out, and you can be a part of it. If you’re familiar with my work, you may have seen my articles about Atlantic City history in Casino Connection magazine. Each month (for about 8 years), I wrote about an aspect of that

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atlantic city, what's new

What Macau Can Learn from Las Vegas | Vegas Seven

In this week’s Green Felt , I consider how Las Vegas might just have a few lessons for Macau after all: Once those architects began planning resorts, however, it became apparent that Asia was not Las Vegas, and that what worked so well here for the previous generation—large slot parlors with table-gaming cores—was not at

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Vegas Seven

What Atlantic City Needs to Learn From Las Vegas | Vegas Seven

As an Atlantic  City native and an observer of the casino scene, I’ve gotten asked my opinion on what’s happening there. I’m glad to have the chance to write a column that summarizes how I feel. It’s a bit of a history lesson and a cautionary tale: Atlantic City casinos prospered in those years because

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Vegas Seven

Atlantic City’s Last Great Hope? in Vegas Seven

I’ve got something besides today’s Green Felt Journal in today’s Vegas Seven: a look at Revel, Atlantic City’s latest casino: Revel, Atlantic City’s first new casino in nearly a decade, has been called “Cosmopolitan East,” for its similarities, real and supposed to the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. Like the Cosmo, it’s put a great deal

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My Boardwalk Homecoming in Vegas Seven

I’ve got a very special Green Felt Journal out in today’s Vegas Seven. No, it’s not like a “very special episode” of Diff’rent Strokes or The Fact of Life that’s going to pontificate on a current social issue. Instead, I’m talking about the usual stuff I talk about in that space–gambling, casinos, and tourism–but in a

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Atlantic City double shot in Two Way Hard Three

In case you missed it, I’ve recently posted two Atlantic City-related pieces on Two Way Hard Three. The first is the complete text of my answers to questions Wayne Parry asked me about Atlantic City: The AP’s Wayne Parry wrote an excellent article about Atlantic City’s rise and fall. He reached out to me for

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Landry’s Marina takeover talk in Two Way Hard Three

If you’ve missed it, I’ve got a post up at Two Way Hard Three that explains Landry’s purchase of Trump Marina and the return of the Golden Nugget to Atlantic City, with some bonus historical context: Landry’s Inc. a Houston-based company that owns a full spread of restaurant chains and Downtown Las Vegas and Laughlin’s

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Atlantic City changes

Looks like change is in the air in Atlantic City. First off, Trump Marina is apparently going to change hands. As the Atlantic City Press reports, Landry’s Inc., which owns Golden Nuggets in Downtown Las Vegas and Laughlin, is planning to buy the property for $38 million and give it a through facelift, both inside

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atlantic city, news about gambling

A new hope for AC? in the Las Vegas Business Press

In this week’s Las Vegas Business Press, I share my thoughts about the just-passed Atlantic City casino regulatory reform: After suffering its fourth consecutive year of declining casino revenues, Atlantic City might finally be feeling the winds of reform. But will a planned regulatory overhaul be too little, too late to save the city’s slumping

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atlantic city, news about gambling

Big Six under study

My latest report is up over at the Center for Gaming Research. It’s a look at why Big Six is such a great game–for the house: Big Six is a minor casino game, but one that has high visibility on most casinos floors. Positioned where it is easily accessible by casual and novice gamblers, the

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atlantic city, news about gambling

Inside the NJ casino overhaul

As promised, I’ve taken a deeper look at the recent casino regulatory overhaul that passed the New Jersey legislature. My comments are based on version of the bill that was current as of 1/10/11. You can find it right here. First of all, the bill codifies into law the current existential angst the industry is

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atlantic city, news about gambling

Inside the NJ Internet gambling law

You might not have heard, but the New Jersey legislature voted to legalize Internet gaming. The bill in question (S490) passed both houses and awaits Governor Christie’s signature. So what does it mean? The new law changes the Casino Control Act to permit Atlantic City casinos to offer gambling over the Internet to residents of

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atlantic city, news about gambling

AC casinos 2010: Another bad year

The Casino Control Commission released the 2010 casino revenue figures today. Here’s the pdf press release if you want to take a look. For the market at large, it was close to an unmitigated disaster, with a 9.0% decline in slot revenue and 10.9% slowdown in table revenue combined to drop total casino revenues by

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atlantic city, news about gambling

Mini-Casinos approved in NJ

Proving that the system can change, as long as it’s a nonsensical change that won’t help anyone already in the market, New Jersey has approved mini-casinos for Atlantic City. From the AC Press: Gov. Chris Christie signed a law Wednesday evening allowing two smaller-size casino hotels to be licensed in Atlantic City. The pilot program,

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atlantic city, news about gambling

Tony Grant, Star Maker in Casino Connection AC

This month, I have a milestone Atlantic City history column in Casino Connection that celebrates one of the real personalities of Atlantic City, Tony “Mr. Wonderful” Grant: Today, most of the entertainment in Atlantic City comes courtesy of seasoned veterans and nationally known recording artists. Once, however, the city was a mecca for amateur performers

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