There are 9 restaurants and 2 coffee shops/cafes, as well as a snack bar/deli. “I can’t imagine people would think driving over the George Washington Bridge, paying $18 in tolls and sitting in traffic is preferable to going to a casino in the Meadowlands,” he said.Īllen used a play on Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small’s signature line that it’s “a great day in Atlantic City” in describing the threat from New York casinos.Harrah's Resort Atlantic City offers its guests a full-service spa, an indoor pool, and a sauna. Jeff Gural, who runs the Meadowlands Racetrack where a Hard Rock casino would be built, said New York casinos “would make it easier for me to get a casino in the Meadowlands.” It depends upon the opportunity.”Īllen noted there are no current plans for another referendum on a north Jersey casino, and said he was not aware of any sentiment among state lawmakers to revive the issue in the near future. He said Thursday the plan “is still there,” but said Hard Rock, like everyone else, is “trying to evaluate the landscape. Hard Rock had announced plans to develop a casino in the northern New Jersey Meadowlands, just outside New York City, before a statewide referendum on the topic was resoundingly defeated by voters. Diversification of amenities and a focus on superior customer service for gamblers might offset the convenience of ‘local’ casinos in New York.”

“After all, millions of people who live within a short drive of casinos fly to Las Vegas every year. “While it’s possible that one or more casinos could fold their tents and exit the market, there is also an opportunity for casinos to expand their offerings and give New Yorkers a reason to drive down to” Atlantic City, he said. “The ones that don’t will get right-sized or shut out of the market,” he said, adding “this is going to be a very long process.”ĭavid Schwartz, a gambling historian with the University of Nevada Las Vegas, said a lot depends on how Atlantic City’s nine casinos react to the new competition. At the same conference on Wednesday, several Wall Street analysts also predicted New York casinos will take a bite out of Atlantic City’s business.ĭuane Bouligny, managing director at Wells Fargo said Atlantic City casinos that continue to invest in their businesses and have good leadership will grow.

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