Damage from Hurricane Irene wasn’t as bad as feared in Atlantic City, although it ripped up beach facilities pretty good. Casinos were even able to maintain power through the wee hours of Sunday morning. Borgata‘s Water Club tower sustained some exterior damage. The Golden Nugget hung tough, closing its gaming floor but keeping hotel rooms open in defiance of both the State of New Jersey and Irene herself. That Tilman Fertitta‘s an ornery cuss.
Here’s the reggae interpretation …
Once Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ) said that tolls on the Atlantic City Expressway would be reinstated Monday, it was a lead-pipe cinch that the casinos would be back in business tomorrow, too. Obviously, Atlantic City is poorly positioned to absorb 72 hours of lost revenue but few punters would have dared the drive anyway. The Boardwalk can ill afford storm damage to its casinos, so — all in all — things turned out about as well as could be hoped.
