Atlantic City’s Two New Casinos Opening on the Same Day — Why?
ATLANTIC CITY — By the end of June, two new casinos will start wheeling and dealing in the resort city, which has seen a number of gaming halls shut their doors over the past few years.
The casinos taking over for the former Revel and the former Taj Mahal will actually launch on the same day — June 28.
On the surface, that may seem like an odd strategy to maximize success. But experts claim it's the right move.
Roger Gros, publisher of Global Gaming Business magazine, said the highly anticipated opening of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino where Taj once stood is, and has been, the main attraction. Its launch, he said, will come with plenty of fanfare and, more importantly, plenty of visitors willing to try their luck at the tables and slot machines.
It's that momentum, he said, that Ocean Resort Casino — opening at the site of the former Revel — will feed on.
"If Ocean had done it, say, a week before or a week after, they would have not gotten as much attention," he said.
Rummy Pandit, executive director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University, calls the dual-casino opening "a strategic move on both their parts."
The two properties may be targeting different markets, but many folks making the trek to AC could like to experience the glitz and glamour of not one, but two casino debuts.
"The chances are they will get some cross-pollination of their customers, which I think will be good for both properties," Pandit said.
The June 28 launch date will get both properties rolling just in time for one of the busiest weeks of the year in Atlantic City.
July 4 is historically a big moneymaker for the city, and with the holiday landing on a Wednesday this year, the casinos can cash in on the weekend before and after.