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Once a major tourist destination that was world-famous for its steel pier and boardwalk attractions, Atlantic City gradually fell into decline and casino gambling was seen as its salvation when voters approved it there in 1976.
The first casino (Resorts International) opened to “standing-room-only” crowds in 1978. Since then 11 more casinos have opened and all but three are located along the boardwalk. Those three, Borgata, Harrah’s and Trump Marina, are located in the marina section.
In mid-1997 Bally’s Wild Wild West casino (Atlantic City’s first themed casino) opened, but due to a quirk in the licensing law, this casino is only considered part of Bally’s and not a separate casino. Additionally, in late 2002, the Claridge Casino Hotel formally joined Bally’s as “The Claridge Tower” and it is no longer considered a separate casino.
A new $2 billion casino/resort is being built in Atlantic City on the Boardwalk just north of the Showboat Hotel and Casino.
The Revel Resort and Casino will be the city’s tallest structure with a 47-story-tall hotel tower housing 1,900 rooms. There will also be a two-story 150,000-square-foot casino, 20 restaurants, a 40-store retail mall, a 5,000-seat theater, a spa, a waterfall and pools. Unfortunately, Revel has been having financial problems and the earliest the property is expected to open is mid 2012.
If you fly into Atlantic City it’s a 14-mile drive from the airport to the casinos and there are only two choices of transportation. The taxi charges are regulated and it’s a flat $27 to any casino. That price includes all tolls and luggage.
The other option is a rental car and there are three rental car companies at the airport: Hertz, Avis and Budget. Rental rates are in the range of $45-$70 per day but you can usually get a discount on those rates by booking online or using a coupon. In addition to the rental cost there’s about another 22% in taxes and fees.
There is a charge of $3 to $5 per 24 hours (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.) for parking in a garage at any casino in Atlantic City. Whenever you pay the fee you are issued a receipt which you can then use to park for free at one other casino. When you leave the second garage you have to give them the receipt from the first garage.
For transportation among the casinos there are two options, besides taxis. A 24-hour jitney service makes stops along Pacific Avenue and will drop you off by any casino including those in the Marina. The jitneys are very efficient and you will probably never have a wait of more than five minutes for one to arrive.
The cost for one ride is $2.25 per person. Frequent rider tickets are offered for $20.00 per 10 rides and senior citizens, 65 or older, can buy 10 rides for $7.50. For jitney information call (877) 92-TRAIN.
On the Atlantic City Boardwalk itself, there are the famous rolling chairs. These are covered two-seater wicker chairs on wheels that are pushed by an attendant as he walks you to your destination. The posted rates are the same for all chairs, but some of the drivers are willing negotiate a better price, The charges are: $5 for up to five blocks; $10 for six to 12 blocks; $15 for 13 to 21 blocks; and $20 for 22 to 32 blocks. For more information on rolling chairs call (609) 347-7500 or (609) 344-1702.
Following is information from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission regarding average slot payout percentages for the 12-month period from July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010:
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CASINO
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PAYBACK
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A.C Hilton
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91.6
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Borgata
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91.6
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Trump Taj Mahal
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91.5
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Resorts
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91.4
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Trump Plaza
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91.3
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Harrah’s
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91.3
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Tropicana
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91.2
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Trump Marina
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91.1
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Bally's A.C.
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90.7
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Caesars
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90.6
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Showboat
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89.7
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These figures reflect the total percentages returned by each casino for all of their electronic machines which includes slot machines, video poker, etc.
All Atlantic City casinos are open 24 hours and, unless otherwise noted, the games offered at every casino are: slots, video poker, craps, blackjack, Spanish 21, roulette, baccarat, mini-baccarat, poker, Caribbean stud poker, three card poker, four card poker, Texas hold’em bonus poker, let it ride, pai gow tiles and pai gow poker. Additional games offered include: sic bo (SB), keno (K), off-track betting (OTB), and big six wheel (B6). The minimum gambling age is 21.
For more information on visiting New Jersey you can contact the state’s Travel & Tourism Department at (800) 537-7397 or go to: www.visitnj.com.
For information only on Atlantic City call (800) VISIT-NJ or go to: www.atlanticcitynj.com.
Shown below is a list of all New Jersey casinos. Click on a casino name to see a page of detailed information about that particular casino.
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