Atlantic City has become almost entirely dependent on "the casinos". The problem now is competition.
"In the past decade, dozens of casinos have popped up outside New Jersey's borders. Casino revenue has plunged from a high of $5.2 billion in 2006 to $2.9 billion last year."
Ref: CBS News
Atlantic City has the advantage of a decent ocean beach. Other than that Atlantic City has nothing. It is a poor, old, decaying town with 12, . . . soon to be 8, . . . casinos around the edges. And the casinos have crowded out the local restaurants and entertainments. With the exception of "Lucy the Elephant" there's not much to see/do outside the casinos, . . . especially for families.
When DonDiego was a little boy, one week of dad's two weeks of vacation was spent renting a semi-dilapidated house one-or-two blocks from the beach down by "the shore". Mom and Dad and little DonDiego and his brother and Grammy and Grandpap and Aunt Josephine and Uncle Bob would all live there together. And the boardwalk was BIG and full of all sorts of wonders for a small-town tyke, . . . candy shops, penny arcades [real penny arcades with 1-cent games and old-time flip-card movie machines and ski-ball and other thrilling things to do.] And there were carnival barkers all along the boardwalk operating games of chance and offering shows, neither one intended for little boys and girls. And the smell of the beach and the candy shops and whatever that black-tarry-stuff all over the boardwalk timbers was was wonderful. And the constant noise and hustle-bustle.
Oh, . . . and although DonDiego and his family had nothing to do with it, the Atlantic City Convention Hall was a Big Business hosting not only massive conventions but also big-time sporting events and the Miss America Pageant.
Why, . . . it just ain't the same anymore.
The casinos closer to home for, especially, Pennsylvanians have done the most damage to the NJ casinos. They have lower prices for accommodations, food, and gambling, . . . and often better rules/odds, . . . and they're a lot closer than the Atlantic City resorts.
***EDITED TO ADD***
Whew ! Trump will be OK.
"Trump Plaza, which cost $210 million to build, opened in May 1984 as one of Donald Trump's pet projects. The real estate mogul has since limited his dealings in Atlantic City to a 10 percent stake in Trump Entertainment Resorts.
'I let them use my name, but I have nothing to do with it,' Trump told the AP on Saturday. 'Atlantic City has suffered for years. Many mistakes were made by government, tremendous mistakes, including no reinvestment in town; they would take casino revenue and put it in places that had nothing to do with Atlantic City. I got out seven years ago; my timing was tremendous.' "
Ref: Associated Press
