Atlantic City‘s last, best hope — sports betting — was swatted away by the U.S. Supreme Court. While keeping mum on its reasoning, the Supremes 
let stand a federal ban on sports wagering. Found at a charity softball game, Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) took the news philosophically: “So you know, that’s the way it goes. Nothing more I can say. They said no so we have to move on.” State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D) will, however, continue with his efforts to have the ban repealed at the state level, damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead. He noted the discrepancy between federal and state laws on marijuana use in Colorado and Washington State by way of precedent. The prevailing federal verdict is :“New Jersey’s sports wagering law conflicts with [Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act] and, under our Constitution, must yield.”
This doesn’t mean Atlantic City has run out of ideas. Resorts Casino Hotel may be stymied in its efforts to hook up with PokerStars (at least until the Amaya Gaming Group purchase goes through) but both NYX Gaming and Sportech are keen to run gambling sites off Resorts’ platform. Both of these could improve Resorts’ but — given its brand name and market share — its PokerStars that could be the much-sought-after game-changer.
Also trying to change the game is Mayor Don Guardian, who is trying to get the federal government to confer port status on Atlantic City, whose harbor could accommodate smaller cruise ships. (Unlike his predecessor, the Guardian fellow is a real idea man.) This comes atop Guardian’s efforts to court Jet2.com and Ryanair to add Atlantic City’s airports to their itineraries.
Envisioning casinos as a jumping-off point for voyages, Borgata President Tom Ballance was quick to endorse Guardian’s idea: “I always thought we could attract more business if a cruise line ran out of Atlantic City.” Notes The Press of Atlantic City, regarding the feasibility, “The Frank S. Farley State Marina next to the Golden Nugget has handled some palatial yachts over the years. Donald Trump’s former 282-foot yacht, Trump Princess, used to spend summers in Atlantic City. More recently, Golden Nugget owner Tilman Fertitta has moored his 164-foot yacht Boardwalk at the Farley marina.”
* Gambling’s slice of the Las Vegas tourist pie continues to shrink, surpassed by food and beverage spending. Local cabbies are garnering a substantial tranche of the tourist dollar, while sightseeing remains a low priority. With visitation projected to increase 1% this year and 2% next, it will be interesting to see how those increases are reflected in the pie charts.
*Caesars Entertainment must be finding a lot of takers for $792 million of its long-term debt. The clearance sale is being extended by through week’s end.
* While Japanese legalization of casinos creeps forward at a snail’s pace, Lawrence Ho is poised to draw off some of that business with his speedily 
erected casino in Vladivostok. The 110-room will be in a resort area popular with Russian tourists but the latter are expected to contribute only 8% of total visitation. The younger’s Ho’s casino will be within easy reach of Japan (13%), South Korea (22%) and three Chinese provinces (57%). Ho should have a clear run of several years, since NagaCorp‘s rival, $350 
million project (pictured) isn’t expected to open until 2018. However, NagaCorp has a secret weapon in the form of a fleet of jet aircraft it can use to bring players to Vladivostok, should air traffic prove disappointing. William Weidner, fresh off a public humiliation in the Philippines, is kicking the tires on Vladivostok, but with a “strategic pause” brought on but the recent Crimean crisis. Perhaps he fears meeting a “Yankee go home” response.
