By   Fri, Sep 19, 2008

By Frank Legato   Thu, Jun 19, 2008

By Roger Gros   Mon, May 19, 2008

By Roger Gros   Mon, May 12, 2008

By Roger Gros   Tue, Mar 11, 2008

By Roger Gros   Wed, May 23, 2007

By Roger Gros   Wed, May 23, 2007

By Frank Legato   Tue, May 22, 2007

By Roger Gros   Tue, May 22, 2007

By Frank Legato   Thu, Mar 01, 2007

By Casino Connection Staff   Fri, Nov 24, 2006

In less than two weeks in November, MGM Mirage disposed of five lesser-known properties in non-Las Vegas venues.

The company sold the Colorado Belle and the Edgewater Hotel Casino to a group led by Anthony Marnell III and others. The two casinos are located in Laughlin, about 90 minutes south of Las Vegas on Colorado River, on the Arizona/California border. While Laughlin has recently been on the rebound, it has stagnated for about 10 years due to the proliferation of Indian casinos in Arizona and California.

Marnell’s group has plans to build the M Club casino resort on the far south end of the Las Vegas Strip, but construction has not yet begun.

And in Primm, Nevada, just 30 minutes from Las Vegas down Interstate 15 on the California border, MGM Mirage sold three casinos in that jurisdiction—Whiskey Pete’s, Buffalo Bill’s and the Primm Valley Casino Resort—to Herbst Gaming Corp., a private company owned and operated by the three Herbst brothers.

According to Alan Feldman, MGM Mirage spokesman, both Herbst and Marnell approached the company about buying the selected properties. He said that while no other casinos are currently on the selling block, “if buyers present themselves—and they do from time to time—we’ll certainly enter into a discussion with them.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Fri, Nov 24, 2006

The $80 million Silver Slipper in Hancock County, Mississippi, made history last month when it became the first land-based casino built from the ground up in the state.

The casino will have 26 table games, nine poker tables and 1,000 slot machines using ticket-in/ ticket-out technology. It will also employ 630 people.

“Of those 630 employees, if I’m not mistaken, the correct number is 480 are Hancock County residents or misplaced Hancock County residents waiting to come back and this is an opportunity for them. So, we’re very pleased with how that went. We really felt we were going to have a struggle with finding people to work,” said John Ferrucci, the casino’s general manager and former Atlantic City executive.

Paul Alanis, the chairman of Silver Slipper Gaming, had been supervising the final details in advance of the opening. He decided to increase the investment in the venture because of population shifts following Hurricane Katrina.

“Our target market doubled in population,” Ferrucci said. “We’ve sent out 600,000 pieces of mail.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Fri, Nov 24, 2006

It’s been a long, hard road since Pennsylvania’s legislature approved slot machines at 14 venues in 2004. However, last month, after many bumps in the road as a regulatory apparatus formed and as the state gaming law was amended, the first Pennsylvania slots went live.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs held its grand opening celebration in November, and the doors to the new racino build by the Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority opened with the approval of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Phase One of the Mohegan Sun project features two floors housing almost 1,100 slot machines, a food court, bar and patio. An additional third floor will be used for office space. Future construction phases will expand the facility to the maximum allowable 5,000 slot machines, as well as adding more retail shops, a nightclub and other amenities.

Pocono Downs is the first of 14 planned slot venues in the state, many of which have yet to be licensed. It is the first of six racetracks to open, having received one of the provisional Category 1 slot licenses in late September.

Last month, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell—after signing changes to the state gaming code into law—accepted a check of $50 million from the Mohegan authority. The payment, for the license fee, was accepted in a ceremony recognizing it as the first slot revenue paid by a gaming entity to the commonwealth. “As gaming continues to come on line in Pennsylvania, we will move closer and closer to guaranteed property tax relief for each and every homeowner,” Rendell said at the ceremony. “Gaming facilities like Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs will help fund the largest property tax reduction in Pennsylvania history, in turn helping working families and young Pennsylvanians trying to purchase their first home, and retired homeowners who risk losing their houses.”

By David Schwartz   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Recently, Hugh Hefner helped to open a new Playboy Club in Las Vegas’ Palms hotel-casino. It brought the Playboy brand of clubs back to the United States after an 18-year absence and represented the company’s return to casino gaming. Today, its brief foray as a casino owner—a casino hotel in Atlantic City—is almost unknown outside of Absecon Island.

Even before casino gaming was legalized, Playboy had its eye on a New Jersey casino. All the way back in 1972, when legalized gambling ideas were first floated, company officials expressed interest in a casino at its existing club in McAfee, Sussex County. Since the company ran four casinos in Britain, it was thought that the company would be a natural in the American gambling arena.

After the 1976 referendum allowing casinos in Atlantic City, Playboy shifted gears, since gaming was limited to Atlantic City and not all of New Jersey. In ’77, Playboy Clubs International President Victor Lownes testified at a public hearing that his company was prepared to spend $32 million on a casino project. He further urged that the “English system” be adopted—casinos would be limited to 16 hours and barred from offering players drinks at tables. Casinos would be forbidden from offering live entertainment, and credit would be tightly restricted.

Luckily, Lownes didn’t carry the day—Atlantic City’s casino laws, though stricter than those of Nevada, were decidedly more liberal than Britain’s. But his attitude foreshadowed future problems the Playboy casino would have.

The casino ran into obstacles before it was off the drawing board. The Federal Aviation Administration blocked Playboy from building a 33-story hotel tower on its Convention Hall-adjacent plot, claiming it would impede air traffic at Bader Field.

In response, the building’s height was reduced to 22 stories. Las Vegas architect Martin Stern, Jr., who built the Las Vegas Hilton and MGM Grand, designed a green glass tower with a three-level casino and a Playboy Key Club, among other amenities.

As work progressed on the casino, Playboy Enterprise’s fiscal health slipped. With its clubs and hotels not performing up to par, the company was counting on a tremendous boost from its Atlantic City casino. But to get the financing needed to build the now $135 million casino, it accepted the Elsinore Corporation as a partner.

The Playboy was issued a temporary permit on April 4, 1981, with the proviso that several Playboy International executives remain out of operations. At the time, Playboy’s London casino was at the center of a Scotland Yard investigation.

The casino officially opened on April 14, following four days of play-money gambling. Though the casino showed a profit over the summer, a cloud hung over Playboy’s prospects for a permanent license. The company was forced to sell its British casinos, and Casino Control Commission officials questioned both Playboy and Elsinore’s “suitability” for licensing.

In the end, the CCC issued a license to Elsinore but denied one to Playboy. Playboy then agreed to sell its share in the casino to Elsinore, which re-named the resort the Atlantis—a poor choice, when one thinks about the original fate of the Lost Continent. By the summer of 1984, Playboy Bunnies were out, the giant bunny logo on the crest of the building replaced by a seashell, and the age of Atlantis had begun.

Almost from the start, the casino took on water. In November 1985, it filed for bankruptcy, and continued to struggle for nearly five more years. In the spring of 1989, Donald Trump bought the Atlantis for a mere $63 million. Trump closed the casino and operated the property as the hotel-only Trump Regency.

In May 1996, after a regulatory change allowed him to own four casinos, Trump reopened the property as Trump’s World Fair at Trump Plaza. But this world’s fair was no cash cow; three years later, Trump closed the casino, citing its failure to turn a profit, and demolished it, promising to build a newer, more fantastic resort in its place.

That hasn’t happened yet—the land is now owned by a condominium developer who might, or might not, build on it. And there have been some rumors of it becoming part of a huge Trump-Steve Wynn development. But whatever the parcel’s eventual use, the original Playboy casino’s legacy will endure as long as bunny ears remain popular.

By Dave Bontempo   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Dawn McCauley always loved the telephone. Now, for eight hours a day, she’s married to one.

The tele-services rep for Harrah’s, Showboat, Bally’s and Caesars handles about 125 calls a day. McCauley finds rooms, show tickets and dinner reservations for potential and existing customers. She is equal parts telephone operator, salesperson and closer, armed with social skills.

For casinos, McCauley and colleagues represent the point of attack. Tele-service reps become the first voice a customer hears when deciding where to stay in Atlantic City. Good ones can sway undecided customers to the property or keep unhappy patrons from leaving. The reps become unofficial junior hosts.

McCauley speaks well for the property with a warm, unruffled, and gracious telephone presence.

“When I was a teenager, my parents had to get me a special telephone, just so they could have one to talk on,” McCauley says, giggling. “I never realized I would talk on the telephone the entire day, for a job. I love talking to various customers.

“They will call and ask for help and you can try to book something for that person so that they don’t get off the line. If they tell you they can get something cheaper somewhere else, you remind them about the good deals you have to offer. Always dig for the best deal.

“You stay upbeat, positive and extremely patient. Once in awhile, if they get negative, you thank them for calling and wish them a nice day.”

McCauley entered the business, family style, in 1988. Her mother worked at the Sands and had a friend at Showboat. McCauley interviewed there for hotel operator, scheduling and casino marketing positions. She received a job offer in all three, but selected marketing.

The position evolved into tele-service rep and grew from one casino to four. “I was driving to Showboat for 10 years; it felt like a second home,” McCauley says. “Everybody knows each other. You feel uprooted when you have to move your office. But after they moved us over to Harrah’s, it’s worked out fine.

“We have a lot more to know now. There is more access to the various properties, so much more going on with the Pier at Caesars and all of the new shops. We have more to offer and more information to share.”

McCauley enjoys the job’s technological advances. One computer click opens seating charts for restaurants, shows and room grids. Gone is the day of writing up special requests, checking manifests and risking the loss of business by keeping customers on hold.

Employees often look to advance from their first position. McCauley, however, remains content with job security and official recognition. Customer feedback to supervisors gained her several awards, including three Employee of the Month designations.

Some of the psychic reward is personal. One of McCauley’s finest days involved helping an elderly woman. This was one time she received, rather than gave, the good vibes.

“I took extra time to help this lady, who was having a really tough day,” McCauley says. “She was so appreciative of everything being done for her. I told her she had some of the wonderful qualities that reminded me of my grandmother. My grandmother was on my mind, because she had recently passed away. When I told this woman, she said ‘Your grandmother would be very proud of you right now.’ It was very worthwhile to hear that.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

By Roger Gros   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

There’s an old saying that goes, “Those who don’t understand history are doomed to repeat it.” If that is truly the case, the casino industry has been going around and around for years. But maybe this book will put an end to it.

David Schwartz is the director of gaming research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (and a columnist for Casino Connection magazine). When he took the job several years ago, one of the things he quickly discovered—not counting the fact that virtually no one else is doing the same job on the academic level in this country—is that there was no comprehensive book outlining the entire history of gambling. And therein might be the reason that gamblers seem to have to learn the same lessons over and over again.

Schwartz begins at the very beginning, documenting the first evidence that humans have been gambling since the dawn of time. The first clue is the “bones” with pips, which were the ancestors of dice, unearthed at many burial sites around the world. He traces the development of dice, along with the earliest playing cards, and comes to the conclusion that gambling is indeed only human.

The Greeks and the Romans were heavy gamblers (remember the Colosseum?) while the first casino (a “ridotto”) was opened in Venice in 1638. The dealers were recruited from a landless and poverty-stricken cast of nobles called the “Barnabots.”

Roll the Bones traces the development of gambling resorts, from Venice to Bath, England; and Monte Carlo to Las Vegas.

So will the gaming industry really learn from past mistakes and correct them? That is already happening with the proactive approach the industry has taken to problem gambling, something ignored in the past. But whether or not the problems are solved, Roll the Bones is a book for anyone who works for a casino, gambles in one or simply wants to get a greater understanding of the impact of gambling on the human character.

By Joe Legato   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Here’s a game that will bring out the comic book-loving kid in anybody. Activision brings fans Marvel Ultimate Alliance, a game with one of the largest collections of superheroes and super villains ever brought together.

The story is pretty simple: Doctor Doom has gathered together some of the Marvel universe’s most notorious villains to form a new Masters of Evil, and a distress call is sent to all superheroes. Gamers must now choose from over 20 playable characters to form the best possible team, mixing together such famous groups as the X-Men, Avengers and the Fantastic Four. Once their team is customized, players must thwart Doctor Doom’s plans and save planet Earth.

The defining feature of this game is the abundance of Marvel characters. With over 140 different appearances, you will see such classic comic book heroes as Spider-Man, Wolverine, Daredevil, and Captain America. Some notable bad guys include Bullseye, Shocker and Radioactive Man.

Each playable character comes with a unique set of moves and super powers that you can utilize as you progress through the game.

Another cool feature of Marvel Ultimate Alliance is the freedom of the player to choose his path in the game. There are many alternate endings, depending on the team you put together, the choices you make, and the reputation you build.

Whether or not you are a comic book fan, Marvel Ultimate Alliance is a game worth playing. If you’re too young to remember any of these heroes and cartoon shows, then it’s a great way to update you on what being a kid is all about. And if you’re old enough that you can’t remember any of these Marvel characters, then this game is a nostalgic way to renew your youth.

By Chris Borino   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

John Legend’s first release, Get Lifted, earned the soulful pop star three Grammys including Best New Artist. With a flawless sophomore effort and an album that’s probably better than his first, the title Once Again seems appropriate.

The album opens with the new single “Save Room,” a song that effectively conveys the nuances of love without sounding sappy. Legend’s lyrics uniquely blend the passion of a teenager in love with poetic adroitness. His genius is in his subtlety; in an era when overt sexual imagery—sometimes lewdness—reigns supreme, mature audiences embrace John Legend’s polite lyrical tapestry.

Like Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and Alicia Keys’ Songs in A Minor, Legend manages to blend R&B with hip-hop, incorporating influences recalling classic recordings by Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye.

A common theme in Once Again is love lost and the sometime futile pursuit of rekindling feelings that once were.

With “Where Did My Baby Go,” Legend presents imagery that could either be taken very literally or more abstractly, depending on your perception of it. He accurately describes the way some relationships simply fade away with lyrics like, “I miss my baby so, I’m callin’ but I can’t get through…maybe while I lay fast asleep, out into the night she creeped, I leave the light on so she’ll come back some day.”

In “Stereo,” Legend laments about the type of women he’s been surrounded by since establishing himself as pop star: “She fell in love with the radio, it wasn’t really me, so I had to let her go. Just ask any DJ back in her home town, she likes to get around.”

Producer Kanye West is credited on just one track, though his influence as executive producer is apparent throughout the record with borrowed melodies from artists including Jimi Hendrix and The Four Tops. Once Again is an album that will be spinning again and again throughout the year—it’s a must-have for fans of hip hop, R&B, or adult contemporary music.

By Beth Joseph   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

It hasn’t exactly been a stellar year for actor Tom Cruise. His couch-jumping antics, Scientology rants and breakup with a major studio put a dent in the star’s popularity. The negative publicity resulted in bad box office for his latest Mission Impossible installment, which is too bad since Mi:III is arguably the best of the lot.

Cruise reappears as super-spy Ethan Hunt, who receives his new mission during his engagement party to Julia (an excellent Michelle Monaghan). Returning from self-imposed inactive duty, Cruise’s character activates a fast-paced and explosive quest to recover a captured IMF agent (Keri Russell).

An element of heart is added to the high-tech mix when Hunt’s fiancée is captured. Hunt reunites with his old group (Luther Strickell, Ving Rhames, Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q), to rescue his wife and uncover IMF double agents in the process. His quest brings him into contact with a sadistic weapons dealer, Owen Davain (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the complicated plot questions where loyalties lie.

The best of this movie comes early with a helicopter chase, special effects and spectacular stunts keeping viewers wide-eyed, but Mi:III is not just the typical testosterone-filled action flick. Director J.J. Abrams combines adventure with reality, bringing a human element that was missing in the earlier films. It’s been ten years since the original but Abrams breathes new life into the franchise.

Mi:III spans the globe from Virginia to Germany to China, shifting audiences emotions with every scene.

Mi:III is an ideal mix of solid storyline and action, proving that the third time is a charm. It might not be enough to resuscitate Cruise’s career, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Wed, Nov 22, 2006

The proliferation of wine growers in recent years has been a godsend and a major headache at the same time. It seems that every yuppie with a dream, a few acres and a pocketful of money wanted to be a wine producer. It has been a worldwide phenomenon, and as a result, new wines are popping up like weeds in your garden.

It started as a joke on how to make a small fortune in wines… start with a large one. But what the wine-making phenomenon has done is help drive prices down and offer some really good values that otherwise we might not have seen. It used to be that you would have to spend $15 to $20 to get a nice bottle of wine. Well, if you have the courage and the time, you can now get a nice bottle of wine for under $15 and, if you shop, under $10.

Every region is offering some real nice values. It is getting old, because every new wine that comes along we have to try. And, let’s face it, stores are only so large, and there are a lot of wines that are pure junk. But retailers will always find space for a true gem.

Every major region has contributed to the proliferation—especially Chile, Australia, Italy and California. But it truly is a worldwide phenomenon. Even in New Jersey, we have seen some major improvements and additions. The Tomasello family, who produced Ranier Red and a few other mid-grade, low-priced wines for years, has entered the arena with some spectacular wines priced around $10. These wines offer some incredible quality and value, and are bottled under the Tomasello label. One of my favorites is Chambourcin (Sham-bour-sin), a grape that is styled along the lines of Pinot Noir but with loads of flavor and depth. It is an easy-drinking wine.

The Bellview Winery, another New Jersey producer, has some really nice varietals that offer both quality and value. Both of these producers can and will be able to compete globally. Both of these producers are really worth trying. Between them, they offer about 20 different varietals.

The other day we had dinner at a new restaurant in Cape May and I was shocked that I did not recognize any of the wines on the wine list. But it brought home the point that this is not just an anomaly, but a trend that is not likely to slow down anytime soon. As more and more of us baby boomers retire and want to make a dream come true by having our own label, this trend will keep going.

If you trust your wine merchant, just ask him or her and they will be glad to give you their recommendations. There truly are some wonderful wines that you may never have heard of, but are definitely worth your trying. Let’s face it: Variety is the spice of life, and for that matter so is wine. Enjoy!

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

December 1

Enrique Iglesias, Borgata

Anthony Clark, Borgata

December 1-2

Michael Feinstein, Trump Plaza

December 2

Jewel, Borgata

Adele Givens, Tony Rock, Guy Torry, House of Blues

December 2-3

Lorenzo Caccamo, Hilton

December 4-7 & 10-14

Christmas Special w/Coasters, Resorts

December 8

Four Tops Holiday Show, Trump Marina

December 8-9

Kenny Rogers Christmas Show, Taj Mahal

Way of the Wiseguy, Resorts

December 9

Mike Epps, Borgata

Ciara, House of Blues

December 10-15

Tony Orlando Holiday Show, Bally’s

December 13

GWAR, House of Blues

December 14-16

George Carlin, Caesars

December 16

Last Comic Standing with Josh Blue, Chris Porter, Ty Barnett, House of Blues

Cheetah Girls, Boardwalk Hall

December 16-20

Charlie Prose Christmas Show, Tropicana

December 23

A Very Twisted Christmas with Twisted Sister, House of Blues

December 28

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Boardwalk Hall

Sommore, House of Blues

December 29

Bouncing Souls, House of Blues

December 30

KC and the Sunshine Band, Hilton

Commodores, Resorts

December 30-31

Trey Anastasio, House of Blues

Gladys Knight, Tropicana

December 31

Jim Norton, Borgata

Jerry Blavat’s New Year’s Party, Trump Marina

Until December 14

Money for a Song, Trump Marina

Until December 15

Spirit of Christmas, Tropicana

Christmas Spectacular w/Peter Marino, Hilton

Tickets for most Atlantic City shows are available at property box offices, or through Ticketmaster at 1-800-736-1420 or www.ticketmaster.com

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

As you can expect, Atlantic City will be inundated with enough holiday shows to fill your calendar in December.

Charlie Prose, that lovable, corny joke man, storyteller, singer and musician, will continue his extremely popular and funny show in the Tropicana Showroom 8 p.m. December 16 and 17, and 3:30 p.m. December 17 to 20. Tickets are $25.

The Four Tops will bring their Motown classics including “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” and “Bernadette,” along with some holiday favorites, to Trump Marina’s Grand Cayman 9 p.m. December 8. Tickets are $22.60 and $45.20.

The Gambler, Kenny Rogers, will show off his holiday music catalog and some of his greatest hits including “Lucille,” “You Decorated My Life” and “Ruby,” when he performs 9 p.m. December 8 and 9 in the Trump Taj Mahal Arena. Tickets are $25, $40 and $60.

As always, Tony Orlando (“Tie a Yellow Ribbon ’Round the Ole Oak Tree,” “Candida” and “Knock Three Times”) brings his holiday show to Atlantic City, this time in Bally’s Ballroom, 3 p.m. December 10, 11 and 14, and 8 p.m. December 12, 13, 15 and 16. Tickets are $30.

The Tropicana’s annual Christmas extravaganza is titled the “Spirit of Christmas.” It runs through December 15. Showtimes vary. A Christmas spectacular featuring Peter Marino runs at the Atlantic City Hilton through December 15. Showtimes vary.

And the Coasters, Drifters and Platters will join forces at Resorts for a “Christmas Special” 7 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays December 3 to 14. Tickets are $30.

 But the most unusual holiday show of the season comes from Twisted Sister. The ’80s hard rockers, known for hits like “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock,” will present “A Very Twisted Christmas” at the House of Blues at the Showboat 8 p.m. December 23. Tickets are $25.25, $27.25 and $32.25.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

He will most likely always be known as the former frontman of Phish, but Trey Anastasio has a lot to prove as a solo artist. The extremely talented guitarist and vocalist lands at the Showboat’s House of Blues for two performances, December 30 and December 31.

If you’re a jam band fan, there will be no better way to ring in the New Year in Atlantic City this year than to check out Anastasio, who is on tour to support Bar 17, which is a return to his poppy-yet-inventive self-titled 2002 solo album.

With more than 40 great session players on the CD, including string musicians that include former members of Phish, John Medeski and Briggan Krauss, Anastasio shows off his rock side while also getting funky, poppy, and, of course, improvisational.

The new album is pretty much what Anastasio fans would expect from the man who fronted the most popular jam band since the Grateful Dead. Whether hit or miss, Anastasio always manages to be creative and sometimes brilliant.

The 42-year-old Princeton, N.J., native began his musical journey at the University of Vermont, where he met his Phish bandmates and eventually became part of one of the biggest touring acts to ever hit the planet.

The fact that he’s coming to Atlantic City on New Year’s Eve should be exciting for any Anastasio fan, because Phish was always known for putting on huge New Year’s Eve concerts that would last for hours. It won’t be a surprise if he does the same thing at the House of Blues.

This is a mini-tour of five shows as part of Anastasio’s “New Year’s Eve run,” including his Atlantic City debut as well as some of his favorite venues. He will bring his current six-piece lineup plus Dave Grippo (sax), Peter Apfelbaum (tenor/bari sax) and Russell Remington (tenor sax and flute).

Trey Anastasio performs 9 p.m. December 30 and 31. Tickets are $39.50 December 30, and $50 December 31.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Christmas will be celebrated a little late when the very talented and revered Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs its holiday repertoire December 28 at Boardwalk Hall.

The band, which formed in 1996, blends rock, R&B, Broadway and classical elements into a musical hybrid that is extremely creative and unique.

The New York City-based group’s most acclaimed and popular material comes from three Christmas albums, including 2004’s The Lost Christmas Eve.

A rock group, orchestra and chorus all in one, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s original material often borrows from Christmas standards while incorporating the group’s own compositions. A stunning laser and light show and a snowfall will also be part of the production. For each ticket purchased, one dollar will be donated to local charities.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs at 8 p.m. December 28 at Boardwalk Hall. Tickets are $39.50 and $59.50

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Quite the opposite of everything else in Atlantic City this month, GWAR will bring fellow metal monsters The Red Chord, Municipal Waste and Bloody Crackdown to the House of Blues December 13.

Despite the fact that GWAR is not known for being a great musical outfit, the band has been around for nearly 20 years thanks to its blood-curdling antics on stage.

An acronym for God What an Awful Racket, the thrash metal band is best known for its extremely gory, sexually disgusting and extreme concerts by a group that dresses in alien costumes made of latex and papier-mache—claiming to be interplanetary warriors who were stranded in Antarctica who have come to Earth to sexually enslave and/or slaughter the human race.

All of the band’s members go under aliases, including names like Oderus Urungus and Jizmak the Gusher, and you can count on fake pagan rituals, corpses spewing washable bodily fluids on the audience, and even a mechanical giant maggot.

The band is on tour to support Beyond Hell, a concept album that has not received many accolades.

If you decide to check out GWAR, you’d better not be easily offended. Their songs’ lyrics, if you can understand them, are incredibly sleazy and vulgar. And they have been known to re-enact scenes of scatology, sadomasochism, necrophilia, pedophilia, bestiality and executions, while spraying their audiences with imitation blood, urine, pus and other surprise fluids. Yes, it’s a feel-good concert just in time for the holidays.

GWAR performs 7:30 p.m. December 13 at the Showboat’s House of Blues. Tickets are $17.50, $20 and $27.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Michael Feinstein considers himself an anthropologist… of the Great American Songbook. So, Atlantic City audiences will not only be entertained by the talented singer and pianist when he comes to Trump Plaza on December 1 and 2, they will also get a little music lesson from the four-time Grammy nominee.

The new member of the National Sound Recording Advisory Board, an organization dedicated to safeguarding American music heritage, tends to sidestep the bigger names in recording history in favor of less-heralded geniuses, but his shows are full of hits and rarities to create a truly original night of casino entertainment.

A Columbus, Ohio, native, Feinstein developed an affection for music early on. After moving to Los Angeles with his family, he was introduced to Ira Gershwin in 1977 to help organize the Gershwin archives, and he worked with the composing legend until his death.

Eventually launching a solo career, Feinstein caught the eyes of big stars like Liza Minnelli, who helped get his name around enough to score a record deal, for which he mixed material from Irving Berlin, Stephen Sondheim and Gershwin, making him popular with lovers of classic and contemporary music. He even recorded a children’s album.

Michael Feinstein performs 10 p.m. December 1 and 9 p.m. December 2, in Trump Plaza’s Imperial Ballroom. Tickets are $50.50.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

First books, then television, then a movie, now a tour. That’s right, the Cheetah Girls, that sugary sweet pop group created by the folks at Disney, will hit the road this winter and land at Boardwalk Hall on December 16.

Any parent who has a tween girl and cable knows darn well who the Cheetah Girls are. They began as a series of books by Deborah Gregory about a girl pop band and gradually became the biggest thing on the Disney Channel when it was made into a series in 1999.

The popularity of the show kept growing to the point that Disney decided to make a made-for-TV movie in 2003 starring The Cosby Show star Raven-Symone, who also stars in her own Disney show, That’s So Raven. Joined by Adrienne Bailon and Kiely Williams of 3LW and actress/singer/dancer Sabrina Bryan, the movie propelled the Cheetah Girls to stardom.

Raven-Symone leads the group, which helped the movie sell more than 2 million copies on DVD. Disney, of course, keeps pumping out everything it can when it comes to the Cheetah Girls, including the movie’s soundtrack, a Christmas album, and a sequel to the movie and its corresponding soundtrack.

This is the first year the Cheetah Girls are on tour, so you can expect thousands of high-pitched screaming girls when the pop group lands in Atlantic City.

The Cheetah Girls perform 4 p.m. December 16 at Boardwalk Hall. Tickets are $29.50 and $45.

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

When it comes to Latin artists, it doesn’t get much bigger than Enrique Iglesias, who comes to Borgata December 1.

 Iglesias says music isn’t a numbers game, it’s about passion, expression and art. However, he’s also quick to note that he’s sold more than 40 million albums, including seven Gold and multi-Platinum ones, and scored No. 1 hits everywhere from America to Japan to India, where he is the best-selling international artist of all time. In other words, Enrique Iglesias is a superstar.

The son of Julio Iglesias is currently working on his first CD since 2003, collaborating with some of the best producers in the world.

The 31-year-old always loved music but didn’t tell his parents of his dream to be a music star until he went to the University of Miami and landed a record deal. His self-titled debut, recorded in Spanish, sold more than a million copies in its first three months of release, eventually selling more than seven million. Feats like this made him the best-selling Latin recording artist at the turn of the millennium.

Iglesias’ No. 1 hits include “Si Tu Te Vas,” “Por Amarte,” “Experiencia Religiosa,” “Trapecista, ” “No Llores Por Mi, ” “Enamorado Por Primera Vez, ” “Solo En Ti, ” “Miente, ” “Bailamos,” “Be With You,” “Hero,” “Quizas,” “Mentiroso” and “Nunca Te Olvidare. ”

Enrique Iglesias performs 8 p.m. December 1 in Borgata’s Event Center. Tickets are $49.50 and $65.

Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Dear Dawn Marie:

Every year I go through the same thing... I never know what colors to wear to all the holiday parties that will go with my outfit! I end up wearing the same old makeup! What can I do differently?

—Vanessa-Las Vegas, Nevada

Dear Vanessa,

The holidays come and go so quickly, a lot of us wait until the last minute to concentrate on ourselves. Instead, we pay attention to those we love and make sure all their holiday wishes come true. At the last minute we realize... What about me? What am I going to wear? We scramble and finally find the perfect outfit for the occasion. However, the last thing we think of is what makeup choices we are going to make, until the minute we sit down at the vanity and start to get ready. Don’t panic, girls! Help is on the way.

Holiday Blues

Awesome with black evening wear

Blues and purples are a great head-turner for any party. Try out some lip colors such as plum, magenta, fuchsia or berry. First, line the entire lip with a matching lip pencil. For a longer-lasting lip, fill in the entire lip with the pencil as well. This will give you color all over your lips, and help to make your lipstick last longer. Blot with a tissue to really set it in place. For a bolder look, take your matching lipstick and gently swipe the color over your entire lip with your lip brush. Your lips will take center stage!

Start your eyes by trying some gorgeous coordinating eye shadows in a navy blue or amethyst for a smokey eye. Yes, you can achieve a smokey eye without limiting yourself to brown or black. Finish it off with a dark blue gel/liquid liner and daring black mascara. This will stunningly balance out the purple hue without overpowering your face.

And now, you’re ready to party!

Garland Gold

Perfect for browns, soft earthtones—any holiday wear

This is one of my favorite looks for the holiday season. It’s a modified sun-kissed look that says, "Hey, my summer was a blast and I’m hangin’ on to it!”

Start by picking a sheer neutral lip and cheek. Pinks, reds, but stay subtle. All eyes are on you for this look. Use a sheer bronzer to keep the warmth in your skin tone and a shimmery finishing powder to add a dew to your look. Eye shadows should be in the warm family also, such as coppers, gingerbread, champagne, ice and mimosa. Choose a chocolate dark brown eyeliner for your lash line. Sweep a bronze/coppery shadow over your lid and add your choice of gold to the entire eye area. Add a light shimmer shadow where the inner corners of the eyes meet the nose. This opens up your eyes and brightens up your entire face.

And you’ll light up the room!

Santa Reds

Gold, black, off-white... You pick the outfit

This is the quickest and easiest way to look sexy during the holidays—red and hot! Red lipsticks are pretty scary when you see them in the tube, but when applied right...everything is right.

Start off the night by applying a soft, shimmery pink blush on your cheeks. Do your eyes up in pink undertone eye shadows, too. Mauve, heather, rose. Stay sheer on both the eye shadow and blush. We don’t want it to take away from those gorgeous lips of yours! Choose a beautiful burgundy or a deep red lipstick to go with any outfit for the holidays. Add some gloss for glam, and some black liquid or gel liner on the eyelid, close to the lash line for that classy “Marilyn Monroe” look. And if you really feel brave... add some false eyelashes. I promise, you'll get everything on your Christmas list!

May your holidays be as beautiful as you are!

Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Approximately 60 million people in North America suffer from recalcitrant lower extremity pain. Often, these patients will seek out numerous forms of treatment and medications without satisfactory results.

Cryoanalgesia, or cryosurgery, is a minimally invasive surgical technique that some podiatric physicians and pain management specialists are now performing in their offices. It is a new and innovative way of relieving foot and leg pain that may be related to nerve irritation or damage.

The most common applications are for people with chronic heel pain, neuromas (pinched nerves), peripheral neuropathy, and tarsal tunnel syndrome (the foot equivalent of carpal tunnel syndrome). It is also being investigated for arthritis relief and for treatment of benign soft tissue tumors (fibromas).

The procedure requires a small, no-stitch incision, and takes about 10 minutes to perform. Patients can walk immediately, but must limit any high-impact activity such as running or step aerobics for four weeks. Most patients are able to return to work the next day.

How does Cryosurgery work?

The procedure works by locating the painful area and applying a precise and controlled low-temperature freeze to the peripheral nerves associated with acute or chronic pain.

The result of this treatment is a nerve conduction block that provides effective long-term pain relief. The overall success rate is 80 percent with one treatment. The treatment can be repeated as necessary.

Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Holidays can create special dangers for your pets. Each year thousands of pets are seriously injured or become deathly ill during the holiday season. It’s a busy time, a time of planning, shopping, cooking and baking, of rushing to and from parties and get-togethers with relatives and friends. Often we forget about the four-legged members of our family during the rush and festivities. They are as curious and anxious as we are, and, therefore, hazards may await their curiosity. Here are some safety tips:

Careful Cooking

 Pets’ highly sensitive noses pick up scents before humans can. Therefore, don't be surprised when Fluffy and Fido are underfoot in the kitchen while holiday goodies are being prepared. Watch those hot containers filled with turkey and ham drippings. The pets can easily tip them over, causing severe scalding and burns. Don’t feed pets the cooled drippings, either. Human seasonings aren't good for pets, and rich stock and drippings can easily upset pet digestive systems. Aluminum foil can cut a pet’s intestines, causing internal bleeding, and in some cases, death. Plastic wrap can cause choking or an intestinal blockage. Dog or cats will ingest these when there are food remnants left coating the surface. Take caution not to leave them where the pet can get to them. Other holiday treats, alcoholic beverages and bones can be harmful or toxic to pets. Keep your pet on his regular diet and caution visitors against giving your pet “special treats” from the table.

No Chocolate

Chocolate contains an element called theobromine that is toxic to dogs. Even an ounce or two can be lethal to a small dog (10 pounds or less). Large quantities can poison or even kill a medium to large-size dog. Dark and unsweetened baking chocolate is extremely dangerous. Signs of chocolate poisoning are vomiting, tremors, diarrhea, hyperactivity and seizures.

Safeguard the Decorations

Holiday lights and electrical cords can be fatal to dogs or cats if chewed. Safeguard against their access to the cords by tacking or taping them down. Place tinsel and Christmas ornaments high on the tree and out of reach of the pet. Ingestion of these items can lead to blockages or intestinal cuts by tinsel’s sharp edges. Don’t leave lit candles unattended.

Careful with the Plants

Poisonous holiday plants include Christmas berry, Christmas cactus, Christmas candle, Christmas rose, holly berries (English and American), ivy, mistletoe, and Christmas greens such as balsam, juniper, poinsettias, cedar, pine and fir and their tree water, hibiscus, which may cause vomiting or bloody diarrhea if ingested.

No Boxed Pets

Don’t give any animal or any pet of any age as a holiday gift. Remember the first weeks of a new life or a sudden change in an adult pet’s environment is extremely traumatic for them. Instead, give a gift certificate for the acquisition of the pet along with pet supplies, food, and accessories.

Celebrate New Year with Caution

Be alert to any pet hazards such as fun noise-makers and confetti, which can very easily pose a serious threat to your pets’ sense of wellbeing and health. Noise-makers can frighten your pet, causing the pet to bolt out an open door or window, or leap to a precarious area in search of safety. Confetti can be ingested, wreaking havoc in the digestive tract. Have a safe and happy holiday season with your family members—two- and four-legged!

Wed, Nov 22, 2006

In the newly released James Bond movie, Casino Royale, it is stated that to become a “Double O” agent, “it takes two.” It seems appropriate for the upcoming double-0 (007) new year, in a city filled with casinos royale, that to become a “double ohh” superb casino worker, it might indeed take two.

So, this article is dedicated to you—my favorite part of the casino royale mystique—and what higher education can do in partnership with you to help you accomplish your “double ohh” goals in 2007.

James Bond may have his Q Branch that designs and builds his famous gadgets, but you’ve got the Casino Career Institute (CCI) right here in Atlantic City that can help you build your resume. CCI recently added the following courses to its inventory of gaming-related programs:

• Carnival Games: A one-week training course for dealers looking for their “double ohh” with multiple variations of poker table games, including Caribbean Stud, Let It Ride, Three Card Poker and Texas Hold ’em. This class will focus on poker rankings, procedures to pay and take, and house procedures.

• Poker: The hottest game in town both for players and dealers. Learn the fundamentals of dealing poker. This four-week course includes the basics of rake/antes/blind bets, game rules and regulations, dealer’s responsibilities and game security.

• Advanced Electronics for Slot Technicians: Experienced slot technicians can learn the advanced electronics skills they need for peak performance in just 40 hours. This course provides an in-depth study of passive and active components and devices.

• Surveillance Training: Advance your “double ohh” career with this three-week course designed to train potential and current surveillance and security workers to be sufficiently skilled in those aspects of slot machines and table games that lend themselves to cheating and illegal procedures.

• Slot Technology for Games Management Staff: Add versatility to your resume with this 35-hour course that exposes those in supervision and management to the daily operations of a slot floor as experienced by a slot shift manager. Learn how the various positions support the slot shift manager as well as demystifying the workings of the slot machine (a casino royale favorite gadget!).

For positions other than those on the gaming floor, such as hotel operations, food and beverage operations and other ancillary services, check with your property’s training department to find out what other continuing education courses ACCC may be offering right on your site.

Through the Casino Training Consortium, most properties in Atlantic City are offering training programs that include English as a Second Language, Computer Skills, Supervisory and Management Development, Customer Service, and others.

These courses are funded by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, and are free to employees of the consortium partners. And, as James Bond might say, “You can’t beat a free course.” OK, maybe I made that Bond saying up, but even Agent 007 would be interested in a free program.

For more information on any of these “double ohh” type programs, contact Carol Drea at 609-343-4816, or drea@atlantic.edu, or visit www.atlantic.edu.

By Dave Bontempo   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Princeton University’s famed alumni include doctors, lawyers and United States presidents. It is widely revered, wildly expensive and practically the last place ever expected to produce a casino kingpin.

Wendell Long may be the only one. And the former Playboy and Trump’s Castle executive hardly believes it. This Princeton student did not become a U.S. president, like fellow Ivy League graduates Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. But he will settle for CEO.

Long serves in that role at Casino del Sol and the Ava Amphitheater in Tucson, Arizona. Ten years after leaving Atlantic City, Long recalls its unlikely creation of his career.

“They must have made a mistake and put my Princeton application in the wrong pile,” Long says, laughing. “My father was a doctor and I expected to go there for engineering and electronics. I ended up finding the casino business more exciting. I guess it would have been better if they had a casino management program.”

Nope. The Oklahoma native instead moonlighted at Playboy while attending Princeton in the early 1980s. His unofficial degree in casino-nomics outweighed the Ivy League sheepskin. Long moved to Trump’s Castle (now Trump Marina) after graduating and rose to assistant shift manager during an 11-year career.

Long had gambled and won. After bypassing potential higher-paying jobs out of college, he had learned an exciting new business. The casino path rewarded Long economically and kept him fresh by appealing to his analytical instincts.

“You have to enjoy the fact that everything is mathematically based and that the math works on all games,” Long says. “You see how it works, how by having a slight advantage, it adds up to millions. You also see that this is a fun industry, it is one in which you are playing games. People are having a great time and if you can make sure they have an entertaining evening, even if they lose, that’s very important.”

Long applied the philosophy early on. He saw customer service impact the bottom line both as a dealer and then as head of the toke committee at Playboy. The principle sharpened during the Castle years. Before he left, Long saw the progression to toke boxes brimming at $20 an hour.

The education expanded into leadership, via employee relations. Initially, 200 workers reported to him. Long would eventually direct more than 3,000, with compassion.

“It’s important to manage from the heart,” Long says. “You find out what works and what doesn’t work, then use that in your own experience. It’s very important to take care of the people who work for you, especially line-level employees. They are interacting with customers every day. When your employees are happy, your players sense it. They come back to your place more often.

“Treat your employees like adults, empower them to make decisions and they will feel like part of the team. They will become the best promoters of your business.”

Long honed leadership skills by 1996, when two factors converged. One, he was a member of the Great Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and hoped to work with fellow Native Americans. Two, Atlantic City had stagnated. With no ties here, Long considered moving.

“I felt a bond with Native Americans and was also kind of hooked into the big casino picture,” Long says. “I had always regretted not becoming part of Foxwoods in the early ’90s. People said, ‘Oh, they are not going to succeed up there.’”

Famous last words, because Foxwoods became the world’s largest casino. Long eventually landed both at Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. Ironically, that’s where he met his wife Leta, who had worked in Atlantic City at the Golden Nugget and Showboat.

Long helped open Mohegan, then advanced to run Treasure Island outside of Minneapolis in 2002. He returned to Connecticut to help the Eastern Pequots establish their own facility, but their federal recognition was pulled. Long remained in the area and operated a nightclub situated between Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. The 25,000-strong work force helped his business prosper.

But Arizona beckoned. He answered the call of the Pascua Yaqui tribe and its moderate-sized operation. Unlike in big corporations, profits go back to the tribe, improving life via housing and health care.

“It’s a great scenario here,” Long says. “We have a locals market, with a great number of upper middle-class retirees. I am fortunate to be working with the tribe. It’s a process that is close to my heart. It’s still kind of bizarre in my mind that the industry I chose ended up being one of the best opportunities for Native Americans.”

Long found a coveted place of leadership. He adores the perfect climate, the locals market and the link back to his heritage. It all came together for him.

Even a Princeton professor would be impressed.

By Beth Joseph   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

The Quarter at Tropicana

The Quarter brings its guests a New Year’s Eve dance party experience without even stepping foot into a bar or nightclub. A DJ in Fiesta Plaza will play popular hits and requested songs, and portable bars will be set up by the Tropicana in Central Plaza offering a variety of beverages.

Red Square at the Quarter

Red Square will offer a special four-course menu after 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Guests will bring in the New Year with a midnight toast. For more information, call Red Square at 609-344-9100.

32 Degrees/ Luxe Lounge

Full of sexy entertainment and a midnight champagne toast, 32 Degrees is offering a New Year’s Eve bash to be remembered.

Tickets are $40 in advance. At-the-door prices are still to be determined. To order tickets or for table reservations call 609-214-5170.

The 40/40 Club

 The 40/40 Club is offering an array of New Year’s Eve packages ranging from $80 to $1,110. Most packages include a section for a select amount of people, one complimentary bottle of champagne, one complimentary platter (excluding seafood) and party favors. The VIP rooms are also available for a nightly rental to ring in the New Year.

For more information or to order packages visit www.the4040club.com.

HOB Club Worship

Club Worship at the House of Blues has compiled three bar packages for New Year’s Eve 2007 which all include club admission.

The Casino Royale package includes 1st and 3rd floor access, one complimentary bottle, champagne fountain and Pu-Pu platter from10 p.m. to 11p.m.

Three-hour premium bar, access to the 1st and 2nd floors, one complimentary champagne split, and a stationary chef’s table 10 p.m.-11:30 p.m. are included in the Goldfinger package.

Finally, the Thunderball package provides a three-hour premium bar and champagne fountain.

For pricing and more information or to purchase a package, please call the House of Blues Box Office at 609-236-2583.

Contact your favorite nightlife spot for New Years Eve parties and package information

By Beth Joseph   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Déjà vu Nightclub

New York Ave. & the Boardwalk

Sundays are Casino Night with a cocktail hour at Deja Vu for all casino employees. For more information visit www.dejavunightclub.com.

Club Tru

9 S. Martin Luther King Blvd.

Tuesday nights, Club Tru throws an Eastern European Party with the latest European sounds. Show a casino or college ID and they waive the standard $10 cover charge. Tuesday night specials include $2 Coors light and $3 Heineken bottles and parking is always free. Exclusive “In the Biz” memberships now available. For more information visit www.clubtru.com.

32 Degrees/ Luxe Lounge

The Quarter at Tropicana

Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, Luxe Lounge offers a bottle special trio. Buy three bottles (mix and match) for the price of one with featured brands Grey Goose, Three Olive and Bacardi. For more information visit www.32lounge.com.

10 West

10 West White Horse Pike, Galloway

 Two-dollar Tuesday introduces a full night of entertainment with no cover from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Enjoy hip-hop and R&B sounds while downing $2 drafts and mixed drinks all night. More fun for less cash, 10 West offers discounted drinks Tuesday through Saturday. Discounted admission applies with industry ID. For more information call (609) 652- 2400 or visit www.10westnj.com.

House of Blues

Showboat

Showboat offers casino employees a chance to see the great shows at the House of Blues each week. Discounted rates are offered to employees based on availability to various shows at the HOB. See Employee Relations for more information.

Firewaters

Tropicana

Wednesday is In-the-Biz Night with $5 10 oz. martinis and $2 domestic bottles. Industry guests can drink and dance to Top 40 music. For those who don’t like the late night scene, Firewaters offers $2 domestic bottles Monday through Friday from 4 to 6:30 p.m.

Cuba Libre

The Quarter at Tropicana

 Every Wednesday is Late Night Latin Happy Hour at Cuba Libre with half price Brugal mojitos and $3 Corona and Corona Light from 10 to midnight. Free salsa dance lessons begin at 11 p.m. and a DJ spins Latin, salsa and meringue through the night.

By Beth Joseph   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Atlantic City is no longer strictly a gaming town. Nor is it the haven for gray-haired, walker-assisted gamblers it once was. The traditional, older customers are slowly being overrun by younger partygoers, searching for the perfect party places.

The city’s nightlife is always in full gear on the weekends, but those in the industry who work weekends are not secluded from the night scene. Weekdays have the same great nightlife—if you just know where to go.

In a town known for being “always turned on,” here’s your guide to party every night of the week and into the early hours of the next morning. So, put on your dancing shoes and club your way through Atlantic City, seven nights a week.

Super Sunday

Sunday is known as a day to unwind in preparation for work Monday morning, but in a town that is always active, Sunday is the prime time for nightlife, especially for those in the industry. At 32 Degrees/Luxe Lounge, Sundays are business night, with free admission and half-price drinks from 11 p.m. until 1 a.m.

The thumping bass can be heard as the sound system draws patrons inside the lounge, where you are greeted by scantily clad dancing waitresses and bottle service, allowing for an elite nightlife experience. DJ Ronnie D blasts hip-hop, old-school and rock all night with special guest bartenders serving up the city’s most popular drinks.

A platform located in the center of the club allows waitresses and guests to show off their moves. The high-energy club is packed in a compact setting that amplifies the intensity of the party atmosphere.

“Thirty-two Degrees may not be the biggest club in town but we keep people coming back,” said General Manager Carrie Kauffman. “We want people to feel welcome and comfortable at 32 Degrees, and just let loose and have fun.”

Located on the second floor of The Quarter, 32 Degrees is your late night spot for Sundays. Just follow the pulse-pumping beats through the frosted windows to enjoy beats, babes and bottles until the wee hours of the morning. (See page 44 more information about bottle specials.)

Monday Madness

Everyone has seen the billboards plastered with mur.mur Mondays at Borgata, but the excitement inside the hot new club lasts well into Tuesday morning. Definitely not for the early-bird-special crowd, mur.mur packs the house with no cover charge and half-price drinks every Monday.

The crowds don’t pile in until a little after midnight, but that’s when the one-floor dance club really takes off. A dramatic entryway with an escalator down to the basement-level club sets the stage for what’s inside. Low ceilings, state-of-the-art sound and light systems, and private bottle service areas make mur.mur a powerful addition to the Atlantic City nightlife culture.

Playing familiar songs with added dance tracks, DJ Chachi blasts rock and hip-hop. Borgata Babes dawning black lace nightwear dance on lighted platforms in every corner of the club.

“There is no part of the bar that is without light or sound,” said Nightlife Director Jonathan Spadafora. “We were primarily designed for bottle services. There are lights in every section and around every inch of the bar, which makes us completely unique.”

The industry night features the latest sounds blasting in the state-of-the-art nightclub, with colored ball globes, fog and strobes transforming mur.mur into a must-go on Monday night.

Terrific Tuesday

The glitter and glam of their Atlantic Avenue sign draws customers in, but it’s the jams and drinks that keep patrons and celebrities partying week after week at the 40/40 Club. Located across from the Walk, 40/40 offers the best of hip-hop and R&B in an upscale nightclub.

The club recently celebrated an NBA season kickoff party with famous faces like Allen Iverson and Chris Webber, as well as the club’s one-year anniversary bash.

“You never know what celebrities are going to be here,” Manager Alexander Lopez explains. “That is what sets us apart from a whole lot of other clubs.”

With no cost for admission, the 40/40 Club, owned by rap mogul Jay Z, enforces a strict dress code of no boots, athletic wear or hats. Patrons enjoy plush couches, 40 televisions, private rooms and even a vast cigar selection. For that midweek pick-me-up, the club’s signature drink, 40/40 (naturally), is chocolate liqueur and vodka drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Wet Wednesday

Hump day may signify the middle of the work week, but Cuba Libre transforms the mid-week blues by transporting patrons to Havana with Latino style and flair. The Cuban décor and tropical plants bring the Spanish heritage out in everyone.

At 11 p.m. the restaurant transforms from eats to entertainment with DJ Javair, featuring Latino first-floor jams and free salsa lessons on Wednesdays, to make everyone feel like they are livin’ la vida loca.

Upstairs, the Missile Bar fills you with mojitos and sounds of pop as well as club mix until 4 a.m. A more contemporary atmosphere, patrons pass the dance floor as they make their way to the back bar complete with a 10-foot protruding missile.

As if you were walking the streets of downtown Cuba, the dress code is upscale casual after 8 p.m. with no baggy clothes, sneakers, boots, hats or sports apparel.

Wednesday nights at Cuba Libre are muy caliente y el lugar para ser.

Thirsty Thursday

Summer is over, but things are still hot at the Wave in Trump Marina.

The Wave features Jersey Shore Nights with DJs playing oldies-but-goodies, then switching to live music as the night progresses. Generally bringing in an older crowd than other nightspots, the Wave does not charge for admission to the retro nightclub.

“We have a very local crowd that has been coming here for years and they love it,” said Trump Marina Advertising Manager Kathy Krauthause. “It’s a great place to have some fun and it’s unlike the others around.”

At 5 p.m., drop-down big-screen televisions begin playing an assortment of music videos to kick off the dancing and happy hour. The Wave offers $2 beer bottles and $2 well mixed drinks from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Sounds from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and today provide a pleasant mix to until live entertainment takes over for the late night. Drinks are reasonably priced from $4 to $10. Donald Trump’s new vodka, Skyscraper, is the main ingredient for the Wave’s signature martini.

One of the city’s first nightclubs, the Wave is a great place to mix and mingle whether you are out for a few drinks or dancing the night away.

Fantastic Friday

TGIF, thank goodness it’s Friday, which means the night crowds are prepared to party well until dawn. If you are looking for a large dance floor, beautiful dancers and fast beats, Borgata’s mixx and the Casbah at Taj Mahal have everything you could wish for in a night on the town.

Mixx displays the grandeur and extravagance that is the Borgata, with a large dance floor and two upper levels for more private settings and VIP service.

The DJ is placed on main level to be more easily accessible for song requests. The club is always dress-to-impress, with no cover charge before midnight and drink specials all night long. Friday is known as a local night with $5 vodka drinks and $3 Coors Light bottles. The high ceilings are perfect for the bar-top dancers to show off their moves until the party is over.

Rock the Casbah all night as you dance on illuminated concrete tables or a huge dance floor. “It’s really a big party here,” said Manager Tommy D’Arcangelo. “We are a full-blown dance club. People are coming here to party and have a great time.”

Recently renovated, the club features psychedelic lighting, huge televisions and caged dancers. DJ Robbie Tranco spins a web mix of house, hip-hop and anything geared toward the dance floor. The Taj Mahal nightclub offers free admission, two fully stocked inside bars and a nearby outdoor smoking area which is open during warm weather as an extra place to party.

Casbah is Atlantic City’s first mega-club and the extra-large dance floor is a must for the Friday-night capacity crowds.

Saturated Saturday

Saturdays is full of fun and entertainment from the Quarter to the House of Blues.

If club-hopping is your thing, then the Quarter at Tropicana offers everything a bar patron could want without having to switch venues and bear the winter weather.

Known for its vodka, Red Square transforms as the dinner setting is replaced with a DJ, music and dancers every Saturday starting at 11:30 p.m. DJ Ryan plays music from the ’80s and disco.

As the night progresses, the music changes into dance, allowing guests to really let loose and party. Red Square houses an ice bar, as well as two giant frozen decor columns, which double as a great way to cool off after you boogie down.

For a relaxed and retro scene, Planet Rose is open for karaoke and dancing all night long with no cover charge. With comfortable seating and full bar, it is an ideal place to spend some time.

Spinning an eclectic mix until 4 a.m., patrons can party with $5 beer and $7 mixed drinks every Saturday. After some drinks, guests can hop on stage to try their talent with $2-per-song karaoke.

For a larger setting, the House of Blues at Showboat combines lounge, bar and dancing together with a three-story nightclub. Club Worship proclaims that, “If nightlife is your religion... this is your temple.”

Ladies should come early on Saturday to grab a front-row seat, and maybe even a little booty, for the Savage Men Male Revue. For the ultimate ladies’ night out, Club Worship hosts the hottest hunks from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., complete with an on-site masseuse to relax and seduce the crowd. Admission is $25 at the door, with post-show open bar from 11:30 p.m. to midnight.

Worship opens its doors to the public at 11 p.m. with DJ Vito G playing the best hip-hop and R&B. An after-hours place for those finishing up a show or just looking for a place to party, the club offers no cover with casino ID and drink prices ranging from $8 to $10.

Worship is a unique mash of ultra-New York style and nightclub,” said nightclub supervisor Jennifer Jamieson. “The room is spectacular, and it is just a great atmosphere to enjoy yourself in.”

There are plenty of places for a person to party in the city, whatever mood you are in. Atlantic City offers everything a clubber could want.

By Sharon Harris-Zlotnick   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Ingredients:

10 diced, medium-sized vine ripe tomatoes

1 cup tomato puree

8 garlic cloves (sliced)

1 cup of Chablis (white wine)

1/4 cup basil

1/4 cup parsley

1 tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning

1/2 cup of whole kalamata olives

1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

4 pieces of fresh cod (8 oz. each)

8 peeled & deveined shrimp (size 16-20)

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup of chopped scallions for garnish

To Prepare:

Saute garlic in olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes. Add wine and tomato puree. Season with salt, pepper, basil, parsley and Old Bay. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

Arrange cod and shrimp in the terracotta pot or baking dish with black olives and feta cheese. Add the stewed tomato mixture to the top of the fish and cover.

Bake at 400 degrees for approximatly 30 minutes or until the fish is tender.

Garnish with chopped scallions.

By Sharon Harris-Zlotnick   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

While the Mediterranean Sea may be thousands of miles away, Sofia Restaurant, opened last July, is a gorgeous replica of Greek architecture and dining. It is co-owned by siblings Sofia and Tom Papastamelos, plus their sister Angela Diamantis.

They have spent serious money during 18 months of reconstruction to build this new large two-story white stucco building. Only two walls remain from the former nightclub that operated in the space—the rest of the property was gutted. The new décor reflects an Old World theme that provides the warmth and hospitality of the Mediterranean islands.

Sofia’s small vestibule entrance and exterior balconies are filled with flowerpots. Fresh flowers and foliage bloom throughout the restaurant, tended by Sofia Papastamelos. Two beautiful carved wood double doors open to the reception and bar area.

The large, light-colored rattan circular Brazilian granite bar is filled with bar stools. There are several tables in the lounge area for casual dining. Behind the bar are two arched wine cellars, cut into a stone wall, displaying hundreds of bottles. Stone walls also border several areas around the room.

Six television screens surround the bar, tuned to NFL games and other sporting events. A giant sculpted tree, made of reinforced steel, mesh and plaster, looms over the entire bar. Across the room is a large raw bar setup. Scattered throughout the restaurant are authentic Mediterranean urns.

Wrought iron and white stucco, customary Greek decorating elements, appear throughout the large rooms. The dark woods and archways add to the architectural design, which simulates an enclosed piazza. Greek music plays throughout the entire restaurant, which seats 200 downstairs and another 50 upstairs. An outdoor veranda provides a lovely space for al fresco dining in warm weather. There also are private party areas available.

The unique ladies’ rooms features beautiful concrete sink urns. Water surges from the mouths of inverted decorative metallic fish. The wrought iron fixtures contain dozens of intertwined small crystals. The flooring is a color-coordinated mosaic tile.

Sofia’s menu features several dishes from old Papastamelos family recipes, plus other mainstream Greek dishes. Sofia Papastamelos says, “Greek food is healthy, but not saucy, because it uses olive oil and lemon to bring out the flavors. Our cooking does not camouflage the true tastes. We also serve meats, chops and chicken.”

The menu lists Greek appetizers, priced from $6 to $19, and two sections of dinner entrees. The oceanic specialty, whole grilled fishes, are priced in the mid-$30s. Filleting is available upon request. The Sofia entrees range from $22 to $35, and showcase traditional Mediterranean lamb, chicken and beef platters.

Sofia offers live music on weekend nights. The Sunset Menu, priced at $15.95, runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Other promotions are the Sunday and Monday NFL football specials, plus Happy Hour appetizer and drink specials from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday through Friday. Dinner is served daily from 3 p.m.; Sundays from 1 p.m. for NFL games. Reservations and major credit cards are accepted.

By Jamie Mulholland   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Harrah’s Heroes

At Harrah’s Entertainment, that strategy is part of the company’s “Code of Commitment,” with a pledge to not only support employee volunteerism, but “share our financial success by donating 1 percent of company profits to civic and charitable causes.” The pledge is crystallized through two outlets: the Harrah’s Foundation and the HERO program (Harrah’s Entertainment Reaching Out).

Through the foundation, to which Harrah’s Entertainment donated $10 million each year in 2004 and 2005, each property is allocated funds for local support, but can also defer larger requests over $25,000 back to the foundation.

Locally, support comes in a variety of forms, which include “in-kind contributions, such as silent auction prizes, sponsorships of events at the various properties, and ads in program books,” according to Alyce Parker, director of public affairs for the Harrah’s Atlantic City region. Additionally, the Community Relations Council, a group of employees drawn from various levels in the organization, makes all decisions as to who to support and what or how much to give. The council’s size depends on the size of the jurisdiction or region.

On the foundation level, the company recognizes organizations on a much larger scale. The Foundation Board meets several times annually to consider gifts consistent with the company’s goal to target organizations benefiting seniors, health care and diversity. Recent donations include $50,000 to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, $25,000 to the National Civil Rights Museum, and several donations over the years to Meals On Wheels.

 “Since 2002, we’ve donated $2 million and over 28 meal delivery trucks across the country,” says Debi Puccinelli, director of marketing communication for Harrah’s Entertainment.

However, it is not solely national organizations that benefit from the foundation’s generosity. According to Parker, $1 million was just earmarked for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, noting that the request originated from the local region’s Community Relations Council. “I participated via conference call when the foundation met to personally answer their questions,” she says, adding that this donation, in keeping with the company’s goals, “will be used specifically to target educational programs and seniors programs.”

Food for Thought

Additionally, through the HERO program, employees can take part in anything from local charity walks to clothing drives and volunteering for such local agencies as the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and Sister Jean’s Food Kitchen, where “volunteers prepare the food, deliver the food and then serve it themselves,” says Parker, stressing the company’s twofold promise of contributing both time and treasure. “It’s more than that hard dollar or that silent auction prize. It’s our corporate mission.”

And those in corporate do believe that such local involvement is one key to Harrah’s success overall.

“Just like Sister Jean’s Kitchen is important to the Atlantic City area, there are organizations like that in every community,” says Puccinelli. “We encourage participation and volunteerism throughout the year.”

One such encouragement is the prestigious annual Chairman’s Award for Community Service, where one employee in each property is recognized with a check for $2,500. But volunteerism is not only encouraged from the chairman’s office on down, it’s practiced. The résumés of Harrah’s management team are filled with mentions of volunteer work in education, medicine, and a host of local and national charities, and the work of leaders within each region also reflect that commitment, from serving on boards of charities to everyday acts of kindness. “Our vice president of food and beverage is involved with Habitat for Humanity,” says Parker. “And after they had completed a home for a local family, he delivered lunch to them on the day they moved in.”

Lion’s Share

 At MGM Mirage, the charitable spirit is equally strong, as is the desire to have employees voice—literally—where the company should provide support. Through the Voice Foundation, MGM Mirage collects employee donations for distribution throughout its various properties.

“It is totally employee-driven, employee-led and employee-funded,” says Merlinda Gallegos, MGM Mirage’s director of corporate philanthropy and president of the Voice Foundation. “It is all about choice. At the end of the day, and when we look at our employee base, we’re about building the community, so it is completely voluntary.”

By voluntary, she means that employees can make their own decisions as to whether to personally contribute to the foundation. If they do, they can direct it to a specific charity or any of several targeted areas: an Employee Emergency Relief Fund for fellow workers in emergency situations; the local United Way; the Children’s Medical Support Fund for employees’ children facing severe medical emergencies; or the Voice Community Fund, which distributes funds to nonprofits selected by a Community Voice Council made up of employees from within the region. The Voice Foundation, in its five years in existence, has given $17 million to various causes (separate from MGM Mirage’s corporate donations—over $4.5 million in 2005 alone). And, since the company covers all costs related to the program’s administration, every dollar donated goes straight to charity.

One shining moment for the foundation that left a great impression on MGM Mirage employees was how the company responded in 2005 when employees “lost their voice: for a time.

“What was so special about that year is that, now, remember, this is money that comes out of paychecks, every payday,” says Sara Miller, manager of community relations for the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. “When Katrina hit, all Voice Foundation contributions were stopped, but the company still gave all the grants we awarded that year, even though we were not giving from our checks. That was just so wonderful for me because, with all this going on, it was exciting to contact these charities after the storm and say, ‘Hey, you’re still going to receive this funding.’” (That gesture was, of course, just one of many extraordinary charitable efforts by several casinos whose generosity during Katrina’s aftermath reached across state and competitive lines.)

Additionally, employees can ensure their favorite charity is recognized financially by simply volunteering their time.

“It’s called ‘Dollars for Doers,’” explains Miller. “Employees who volunteer over 24 hours to an organization can put in a request for a $250 check for that favorite charity. For over 50 hours, the organization can get $500. Each charity can get up to $2,000 in a year, and the check is sent to the employee, so they can present it themselves. That’s anything from a baseball league to the Red Cross. Anything.”

The Voice Foundation is such an important part of the company that top executives will go to impressive—and unique—lengths for employee support. During the 2006 major fundraising campaign, some property presidents made pledges relative to reaching their campaign goals. Tom Mikulich of Treasure Island promised to jump off the mast of the Sirens’ Cove pirate ship and Mandalay Bay’s Bill Hornbuckle pledged to swim with the sharks at the casino’s Shark Reef attraction.

“We are very blessed with a CEO that is committed to our community and that giving culture prevails throughout the organization,” says Gallegos. “Feeling pride in giving is part of the culture of our company and we want everyone to feel an important part of it. It’s really powerful.”

Boyd Bonus

Boyd Gaming also has its own foundation, which donated $2.4 million companywide to charity in 2005 and also allows properties their own dispensing discretion. “They are in the best position to analyze what makes the most sense for their property,” says Gina Polovina, Boyd’s vice president of government and community affairs.

“They are on the ground and, as such, have an excellent feel for the pulse of their community.” She notes that the overall dollar amount contributed does not reflect what employees give through personal contributions or thousands of hours of volunteering.

Locally, through the Borgata’s Heart and Soul Foundation, the company has sponsored the Championships of Youth Program, which guides disadvantaged students through their high school years (with Borgata employees serving as mentors), and the Atlantic City Jobs and Opportunities Program that offers residents training and job search assistance. Additionally, Borgata employees have partnered with such agencies as the Atlantic County Welfare and Family Services Association to collect toys for children at holiday time. Such efforts are in keeping with Boyd’s overall charitable focus on the areas of community, health/human services, culture and education.

“We do have a very holistic approach,” says Polovina. “As a company, we’ve been involved in the community for such a very long time,” she says, citing the work of company founder Sam Boyd in bringing the Boys and Girls Club to Nevada and the continuing work of all employees. “The importance of giving back to the communities in which we operate is a core part of our mission statement. It is embraced throughout the corporation with our senior management setting the example to encourage employees on every level to get involved and enhance their communities.”

Industry-Wide Wisdom

When it comes to social responsibility, there is one cause casinos take very seriously: responsible gaming.

Along with their own approaches to combating the issue, casinos receive plenty of support from the American Gaming Association in Washington, D.C. In addition to facilitating several fundraising efforts each year to benefit the research of the National Center for Responsible Gaming, the AGA brings the issue home—literally—to casinos for one week each year during Responsible Gaming Education Week.

“It’s a public awareness effort conducted jointly between the AGA and dozens of casinos across the country,” explains Holly Thomsen, the AGA’s director of communications. “Responsible gaming is something we care about all year, of course, but this week is a way to shine the light on the casino’s role and the employee’s role in supporting responsible gaming at the casino.”

The campaign, now in its ninth year, involves signage and tools given to casinos to promote the cause to both employees and patrons. Last year’s campaign, themed “We’re banding together to keep it fun,” included packs of specially colored bracelets distributed to employees to publicly show their support. The wristbands were so popular that many properties requested them again this year for their employees to wear.

Which brings an important point to light: that, in the examples cited above and many more not listed here, some of the truest and most shining examples of a casino’s generosity and commitment to its community come through the employees themselves.

After all, they represent the needs and priorities of both their employer and their neighbor, and they care deeply about both. As Professor Himmelstein puts it, “The audience in part, is the employee… sometimes, the most important part.”

By Dave Bontempo   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

An alliteration frenzy describes the up-and-down 2006 Atlantic City sports season. The “B” had it. Boxing, baseball, Bally’s, Borgata, Boardwalk Hall and Bernard Hopkins defined a year of multimillion-dollar events and substantial change.

Boxing fans absorbed mixed feelings with Hopkins and Arturo Gatti departing the sport. Yes, Atlantic City provided the farewell tour, but the boxers have now gone. Casinos gained opposing perspectives. Bally’s and Borgata bankrolled major Boardwalk Hall events with the fighters, but saw a financial gravy train halt.

Golf fans enjoyed the 21st Shop Rite LPGA Classic, formerly known as the Atlantic City Classic, at Seaview Resort & Spa in Galloway Township. Then they shockingly discovered that the tournament, which has produced $12 million in charities, was cancelled for political reasons.

Baseball fans received a brushback pitch, but dusted off. The Surf, Atlantic City’s nine-year minor league baseball team, made a major move. It will switch to a summer league next year, ending most May and September games. But at least it will be here next year.

Rampant change summons a famous Vince Lombardi phrase.

“What the hell is going on here?” Call it cycles, long careers ending, economic reasoning and some bad luck. While the long-term forecast remains strong—Boardwalk Hall slates mixed martial arts events, Reality Fighting, the WWE, midget car racing and the 2007Atlantic 10 basketball tournament—this was a sad year for many fans.

Amid the mixed bag, some sub-plots were positive. Bally’s hosted a nationally televised November card featuring “Shobox: The New Generation,” and Caesars booked a December 2 world title bout card showcasing Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito at Boardwalk Hall.

Local boxers also excelled, as Pleasantville native and former world champion Virgil Hill won an Atlantic City bout at age 42. Mike Arnaoutis, based in Somers Point, utilized a local victory to obtain his first world title bout.

But the big news focused on a couple of fights, some major personalities, the laws of finance and a stunning development affecting area merchants, golf fans and charities.

Execution

Hopkins, nicknamed “The Executioner,” completed his career in electrifying fashion. His thorough dismantling of Antonio Tarver surprised the boxing world and rewarded Borgata.

The June 10 Boardwalk Hall battle over-achieved in both style and economic impact. Hopkins had lost two straight battles after holding the middleweight record for 20 successful title defenses. When he advanced two weight classes to oppose Tarver, one of the sport’s elite performers, he appeared crazy. And he wasn’t the only risk-taker.

Borgata took two chances. It bankrolled a fight that looked dull on paper given each man’s deliberate style. Borgata also uncorked an unprecedented dice roll. As a Marina property, it hosted a major midtown sporting event. The move defied prevailing logic that post-fight gamblers would only patronize nearby facilities.

Both Hopkins and Borgata prospered. Hopkins engineered a brilliant boxing clinic. Moving laterally, punching and tying Tarver up at close quarters, Hopkins turned Tarver’s energy against him. He actually toyed with one of boxing’s most prominent performers and won a lopsided decision.

Then he retired.

An excellent crowd produced strong post-fight gaming numbers and a buzz throughout Atlantic City.

The fight also showcased the relationship between the property and boxing’s newest power broker. Hopkins joined fellow champion Oscar De La Hoya in Golden Boy Promotions. Based in Philadelphia, Hopkins became the East Cost representative for the organization. Borgata hosted a number of boxing events in which Hopkins and De La Hoya appeared for promotional value. De La Hoya’s magnetic personality and impact on female fans made the fights successful.

Golden Boy has become the newest boxing force. It has signed a number of name fighters for boxing and promotional duties.

Goodbye Gatti

Bally’s, meanwhile, produced two blockbusters involving Atlantic City’s undisputed economic champion—Arturo Gatti.

The Jersey City whirlwind provided a string of Boardwalk Hall sellouts unmatched by any entertainer between 2002 and 2006. And unlike anyone else, Gatti’s future was never certain. Every fight was rumored to be his last. Each win ensured another outing, complete with multimillion-dollar implications. But a bad loss would spoil the party.

Bally’s officials also resembled gamblers. Like patrons nursing chips on every number, they breathed deeply when he fought. For four years, they avoided the dreaded seven-out. That finally happened when Carlos Baldomir knocked Gatti into retirement. Baldomir out-muscled Gatti and stopped him, producing deafening silence from a sellout crowd July 22.

Gatti had obtained the Baldomir fight following an intelligent boxing performance against Tomas Damgaard at the Hall in January. That battle, coming on the heels of a one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2005, had been billed as Gatti’s last stand. By passing that test, he gained the Baldomir fight.

How significant was Gatti’s Atlantic City run? He produced more than $15 million in gate receipts and countless additional post-fight revenues. Gatti’s impact enabled Boardwalk Hall to be named Billboard magazine’s top venue of its size, in the world. Small wonder that Gatti is in the Atlantic City Hall of Fame. Gatti was expected to retire after the Baldomir fight, but rumors persist about one more encore.

Switching Surf

An Atlantic City institution will unveil a new twist next year. The Surf will move to the Canadian-American League to obtain favorable economic conditions.

The league plays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, an ideal scenario for the local ball club that draws reasonably well during the summer months. The Surf has suffered from a heavy May and September schedule when a lack of tourists and school-night games hurt attendance. Plummeting revenues occurred despite an excellent product. Atlantic City won a championship in its first season and qualified for the postseason for the last three years.

Surf President Mark Schuster says the team will play a 92-game schedule instead of 140 from previous years. This eliminates 24 home dates from low-drawing months. It also severs the Surf from the protection of Long Island Ducks owner Frank Boulton, who has co-owned them. Boulton subsidized the Surf because it played in the same league as the Ducks, who often exceeded $4 million in operating profit. Atlantic City must prosper on its own, and probably will, with the realistic schedule.

Triple Bogey

Harry and Ruth Harrison ran the Shop Rite tournament like clockwork. It rose from being one of the LPGA’s smallest tour stops to one of its biggest. Its 2006 $225,000 top prize matched what the entire tournament paid out in its 1986 debut. The Classic became a weeklong array of championship golf, demonstrations by top-level chefs and numerous charities receiving funding.

In the past 21 years, the charities received $12 million. The economic impact on the area was far greater. That’s gone now. New LPGA leadership awarded Atlantic City’s date to a brand new tournament. It refused to honor a commitment to keep Atlantic City’s date through 2008 and offered an unacceptable alternate date in a take-it-or-leave-it proposition, according to Harrison.

Local officials essentially felt squeezed out by the new LPGA hierarchy. It is a sad development for golf fans and for the charities which depend upon this tournament for funding. Atlantic City, in general, absorbed some big hits in 2006. But the fundamental outlook remains strong.

By Winifred Anderson   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Will 2007 be the year you achieve your career goals, or will we find you next December sitting in the same chair, complaining about the same things, and wondering why you’re no closer to where you want to be? Like the old song says, “wishing and hoping” won’t work. Most of us take more time to plan a vacation than we do to plan our careers. Just as it takes time and effort to plan where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, and what you’ll do when you’ve arrived, your career certainly needs you to invest some time and effort to plan it. If you’re sick and tired of being sick and tired and you’re finally ready to take your role as CEO of You, Inc. seriously, here’s a framework for getting started.

Where You Are; Where You Want To Be

Your first step is to figure out where you want to end up. Just as you have to have a destination in mind before you can plan that trip, you’ve got to have a clear picture of where you want to be professionally before you can create the plan that will get you there. Give some consideration to organization level as well as responsibility, and area of business you’d like to work in. Once you have that target in mind, you’re ready to begin assessing where you are and how you’ll get where you want to be.

All businesses take stock of where they are before they begin to plan what they’ll do next. A common way for executives to do this is through a SWOT analysis. Here’s how to do one. Check out the chart on the top of page 32. We’ve divided the chart into four squares, and labeled the squares from left to right: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.

Start with your strengths and list all the ones you can think of. Look at past performance reviews to see what your supervisors have said about the strengths you have. Consider the abilities that come very easily to you. What soft skills (think communication skills, relationship building, service skills, etc.) and hard skills (dealing with numbers, building things, programming, etc.) are you so good at that they seem effortless to you? Write them in the spot you labeled “strengths.”

Weaknesses are the things you’re just not good at and, try as you might, can’t seem to or aren’t motivated to improve. While weaknesses need to be recognized and addressed, those who enjoy their careers most are people whose jobs use more of their strengths and less of their weaknesses.

Opportunities are things like areas of the industry or company that are expanding, or something that you could accomplish or capitalize on with little effort. Threats are areas of the industry or company that are shrinking or not doing well, skills that are needed or becoming necessary that you don’t have, or other threats to your professional success.

Once you have the page completed, compare the results of your SWOT analysis to the goals you have. Do you have the skills necessary to achieve your goals? Are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve those goals? Do you have the support system in place to get you were you want to be? How can you use this information to reach the goal you have?

Outline Plans To Reach Your Goals

Beneath the SWOT analysis, we’ve provided another chart you can fill out to outline your plans for the next three years. Your first task is to identify your target job. It may or may not be in the gaming industry, but it must be a reasonable, reachable goal if you follow your plan over the next five years. Once you identify your target job, you’ll use these spaces to lay out the one-, three- and five-year goals that will move you toward completion of the long-range goal for You, Inc.

Once you have the big goals identified, you can then list the tactics or specific actions you have to take in order to move toward the successful accomplishment of your goals. You can work the tactics into your regular calendar so you can stay on top of them and accomplish them.

It’s important to keep your plans in one place so you don’t lose them or lose sight of them. Schedule regular reviews of your plans to keep you on target and make adjustments in your plans as necessary.

Execute the Plan

 It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all of this, but if you keep focused on the end result you want and break your goals into tiny steps, it will seem much easier to achieve. For example, if you need to take some classes, the first step may be to investigate tuition reimbursement and see if you’ll qualify.

An added step to help you stay on track is to form what Napoleon Hill, in his landmark bestselling book Think and Grow Rich, calls a “Master Mind” group. This group of like-minded people works to help each other stay on target and move toward the successful achievement of their goals. Paul Lemberg, a business development and executive coach, recommends this strategy to clients because people need to “have an accountability buddy. You need some technique to hold yourself accountable and which will drive consistency.”

Without someone to help you stay on track, it becomes easy to make excuses and lose momentum. We have no problem letting ourselves down or skipping tasks on our lists; we feel terrible at the thought of letting others down.

Get Ready For Your Next Big Leap

Like all CEOs of small companies, as head of You, Inc., you’ve got to wear multiple hats. As the CMO (chief marketing officer), you’ll be taking action to effectively grow and market your brand.

Wearing your CMO hat, consider how you’ll market yourself as you move towards your end goal. How are you currently perceived in the marketplace (what’s your reputation like?)? How can you grow your reputation as a smart professional who wants to advance in your career? How will you get the positions that will be stepping stones to your ultimate goal? Let’s face it. Chances are pretty slim that you’ll wake up tomorrow and be named VP or GM or whatever title you’re ultimately hoping for, so you’ve got to decide which career stops are necessary along the way.

There will be a lot of others competing for the same positions you will be. What makes you different? Why will you be the best person for the job? Just like a business needs to distinguish itself from the competition, so do you. Identify what you would bring to the job that nobody else would.

Stumped? Start by going back to the list of strengths you have, because the beginnings of the answer is somewhere in there.

Deborah Wile Dib, a personal branding strategist and executive power coach, recommends asking yourself the following questions:

• What are my top five business and leadership skills?

• What have I done that best demonstrates each of those skills with bottom-line, strategic performance?

 • Do my accomplishments and skills have value in my target market?

Taking time now to clearly define your vision and plan how to get there are the critical first steps in leading You, Inc. to success. As Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric said, “Control your destiny or someone else will.”

By Joseph Harrison   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Horseback Riding

Most of us have ridden a horse at one time or another, but very few of us have ridden one on the beach. You can treat someone to a very unique experience by buying them a horse ride on the beach near Bally’s Atlantic City, where rides are offered 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays to April 30. It’s pretty inexpensive, too—just $25 for a half-hour and $50 for a full hour. There are not many places you can ride horses on the beach in the United States, so take advantage before Atlantic City officials change their minds on this often-controversial activity. Call 609-340-2000 for more information.

AAA Membership Card

If you know someone who doesn’t have roadside assistance, then an AAA membership will show them that you care. There’s nothing worse than running out of gas, getting a flat tire on the Atlantic City Expressway or locking your keys in the car with no one to help. AAA membership covers all of your automotive emergency needs. A basic membership will cost you $59, while a Plus membership will run you $96. The money is well worth the peace of mind. There are lot of other benefits, including reduced travel rates and map services. And, a membership for a friend may save you from getting a late-night phone call to bail them out of trouble. Go to www.aaa.com.

WaWa Gift Card

Every South Jersey resident walks into a WaWa sooner or later. You can’t drive a mile without passing one. So grab a WaWa gift card and treat someone to free gas, Shorties, coffee and other WaWalicious goodies. Available at any WaWa. Go to www.wawa.com.

Spa Gift

If there’s a person in your life who likes to be pampered, you can do no better than a spa treatment. Whether it’s a complete makeover, manicure, pedicure, massage or facial, South Jersey has an abundance of great spas. Particularly impressive are Borgata’s Spa Toccare, Tropicana’s Bluemercury, the Spa at Bally’s (at left), Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa at Seaview Resort & Spa in Galloway, and the Esthetica Salon & Spa in Northfield. Although it sounds like the ultimate chick gift, guys dig spas, too.

Travel

The greatest gift may be the gift that you can take advantage of, too. So why not splurge on a trip that you can take with your significant other? Or, if you’re feeling completely selfless, send someone else to a place you’ve always wanted to go. Preferred Travel in Northfield can set you up with a gift certificate for travel or book a vacation on the spot, whether it’s a spa getaway, a visit to Disney, the Caribbean or an international ski trip. Call Preferred Travel at 609-645-8000 or go to www.preferredtravel.com.

Beach Badges

You have to think out of the box a little when buying holiday presents. Although sunning on the beach is probably the last thing on your mind when the weather is frigid, beach badges make a great gift because, let’s face it: no one likes to spend money to do something that should be free. Cities like Sea Isle City don’t have their beach badges printed yet, but most cities let you purchase gift certificates for coveted beach privileges. And with beach badges around $10 or under, it’s a cheap but thoughtful gift.

Magazine Subscriptions

 Here’s another thing most people don’t like to buy for themselves. But when that copy of Entertainment Weekly hits the mailbox every week, it’s always a pleasant surprise. And while magazines like Playboy, Maxim and FHM suit the guys fine, don’t forget the gals’ faves like Vanity Fair, O and In Style. Of course, our most recommended subscription that suits all ages, genders and races is the one you’re holding in your hand: Casino Connection, for just $29. Go to www.casinoconnectionac.com.

Foundation Room Membership

Hands down, the classiest private club in Atlantic City is the House of Blues’ Foundation Room. With its fireside lounge, sacred prayer rooms and private dining room, the Foundation Room offers an elegant setting for entertaining or just hanging out. Membership also has its privileges, including invitations to private parties, first crack at the best seats for HOB shows, golf privileges at Atlantic City Country Club and access to all of the other HOB Foundation Rooms in the country. Annual memberships start around $2,250. Call Jim Ridgway at 609-898-1187.

Noyes Museum Membership

For someone who really loves the arts, a membership to the Noyes Museum in Oceanville is a fabulous gift. With memberships starting at $30, members receive free admission to the museum, invitations to members-only events, guest passes, discounts, a subscription to the museum’s newsletter and more. Go to www.noyesmuseum.org or call 609-652-8848.

Rides

Any parent who likes to take the kids to the Boardwalk in the summer knows how expensive it can get. So fill the kiddies’ stockings with ride tickets to save you some cash in the long run. Both Gillian’s Wonderland and Morey’s Piers offer holiday discounts on their tickets and passes. At Gillian’s, you can get 30 ride tickets for $15, all-day waterpark passes for $17, and mini-golf passes for $4. Go to www.gillians.com. At press time, Morey’s did not have details of its annual season pass deal, so go to www.moreyspiers.com for more information.

Golf

South Jersey isn’t being called Myrtle Beach North for no reason. Some of the East Coast’s finest golf courses are found right in our backyard, so treat the golf fanatic in your life to a membership or a few rounds of golf. A good place to start is the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association’s website, www.gacga.com, which always has some great deals for courses that include Harbor Pines, Sand Barrens, Shore Gate, Twisted Dune and Blue Heron. They even offer some great package deals if you’re looking to treat someone from out of town. Also, look out for the 2007 GolfPass, which offers two-for-one play coupons for GACGA courses. It’s a great deal.

Car Detailing

 All of that grimy salt and snow-splattered mud can really take a toll on your car, inside and out. So treat someone to a full car detailing by Executive Auto in Somers Point. Prices range from $125 for a car to $140 for an SUV, and include pickup, delivery, steam-cleaning of carpets, leather work, buffing, washing, waxing, etc. Your car will look like new when they get done with it. Call 609-653-1658.

Flyers Skate Zone

If you want your kids to learn how to be the next Wayne Gretzky, check out the Flyers Skate Zone, which offers gift certificates to a number of programs at the Atlantic City skating rink. Lessons include learning how to skate and learning how to play hockey from the Skate Zone pros. Learn-to-skate lessons are under $100 for a six-week session. Call 609-441-1780 or go to www.flyersskatezone.com.

Surf tickets

There’s nothing more enjoyable than a summer night at Bernie Robbins Stadium watching the Surf, and waiting for the fireworks overlooking the Atlantic City skyline at the end of the game. So treat the baseball fan in your life to tickets for a Surf game or, better yet, a season pass. Single-game tickets go for as little as five bucks, while season tickets start at $432. Or buy someone a luxury box for one game for $400, which includes 20 tickets, indoor and outdoor seating, air conditioning or heat, waitress service and a visit by Splash the mascot. Call 609-344-7873 or go to www.acsurf.com.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum

For a truly odd gift, offer the weirdo on your list admission into the strangest place in Atlantic City: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum. Located right on the Boardwalk at New York Avenue, Ripley’s features bizarre exhibits and peculiar collections from shrunken heads to a lock of George Washington’s hair. There’s even a roulette wheel made entirely of jellybeans. Admission ranges from $7.95 to $12.95. Call 609-347-2001 or go to www.ripleysatlanticcity.com.

Atlantic City Aquarium

The new and improved Atlantic City Aquarium at Gardner’s Basin (formerly the Ocean Life Center) is a fun and educational experience for the nature lover on your list. With 100 varieties of fish and marine animals, 30,000 gallons of live exhibits including sharks, sea bass, striper, flounder, sea turtles and a touch tank, the Atlantic City Aquarium is a great place to take the family. One-time admission ranges from $4 to $7, but you can also buy memberships ranging from a single, one-year membership for $35 to a lifetime family membership for $2,500. Call 609-348-2880 or go to www.oceanlifecenter.com.

Jersey Shore Children’s Museum

Other great educational and fun gift for the kiddies are tickets or a membership to the Children’s Museum. Located in the Shore Mall in Egg Harbor Township, the Children’s Museum features hands-on exhibits and activities that encourage children to role-play as meteorologists, builders and even sports figures. Admission is $6, and memberships are $65 for the family. Call 609-645-7741 or go to www.eht.com/childrensmuseum

By Felicia Lowenstein   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

The Pier Shops at Caesars

The newcomer in town, the Pier Shops at Caesars is dressed and stocked for their first holiday season. With expansive ocean views, a water show and dining at such celebrated hotspots as Buddakan and the Continental, the Pier offers a full and detailed experience that is far from the average mall. It also features some of the season’s most imaginative gifts.

Start with IT’SUGAR, a candy store described as “Willy Wonka meets Saks Fifth Avenue.” Here you’ll find gifts custom-made for candy lovers and kids at heart. Make your own chocolate bar for just $5.99. Choose from white, dark or milk chocolate and a selection of candy, and 15 minutes later, it’s uniquely yours. It makes a great gift if you can keep from eating it. For a naughtier idea, try a candy bra or breast-enhancing bubble gum. There are also candy scented t-shirts, candy company apparel and more than 5,000 varieties of candy. Put together your own unique sweets package for your sweetie.

For the technology buff, the Apple Computer Store offers a brand new iPod Shuffle, the digital music player that offers a continuous mix of a music fan’s favorite songs. The new model is nearly half the size of the original, making it the world’s smallest digital music player. It retails for $79. The iPod Nano digital player has also been updated. Now in five colors, with more storage capacity and more compact, it starts at $149. Finally, you can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card, allowing your recipients to choose from among 3.5 million songs, more than 220 TV shows and over 75 full-length feature films to download onto their players. Gift cards are available in denominations from $15 to $100.

If you like gadgets, check out Brookstone’s 5-Day Wireless Weather Forecaster, retailing for $85. It delivers up-to-the-minute forecasts for five cities. And because the holidays will put on the extra pounds, consider the OSIM iGallop, an exercise machine that simulates horseback riding. With three speeds—trot, gallop and race—it promises to work your abs, hips, thighs and core muscle groups.

Trust Fund Baby is a clothing boutique styled after the Vietnamese seaside, a tribute to owner Monica Tran’s unique background. Here you can find signature t-shirts printed with “No Shoobies,” a historic reference to Philadelphia tourists who carried their lunches to Atlantic City in shoeboxes. You’ll also find 100 percent wool Herringbone cardigans for children for $89, 100 percent cashmere snowball sweaters for children for $139, and the ultimate weekend/overnight hospital bag in embossed leather for $545. In addition to unique clothing and accessories, Tran offers oversized bowls of snack candy and juice boxes for her youngest customers as well as designer water bottles and handmade chocolates.

You might say holiday gifts are a “natural” at The Body Shop, which offers more than 600 naturally inspired skin and hair care solutions. Fresh for the holidays is the new Golden Apple fragrance, hand-picked as a favorite by customers and available in lotions, gels, bath bubbles, lip balm and more. Other popular scents include pomegranate, gingerbread and toasted marshmallow. Gift collections pair several items together in the same scent and are as reasonable as $9 for the Passion Fruit & Strawberry Bath Gift.

For the man in your life, check out The Art of Shaving, a store dedicated to men’s grooming. For $495, you can get him the Noir Shaving Set with a razor and silvertip badger shaving brush, all hand-crafted. The razor is compatible with Fusion Blades by Gillette, which offer a five-blade shave.

The Quarter at The Tropicana

One step into the Quarter at The Tropicana and you’ve entered Old Havana. The life-like three-story streetscape forms the perfect festive backdrop for your shopping expedition. If you come on the right day, you might even experience an inside snowfall!

For innovative gift ideas here, you’ll want to stop at The Spy Store, which offers professional security and surveillance products. One in particular is the MP3/Audio Recording Wrist Watch, which retails at $595. The male version is stainless steel silver with a black face and the female has a pink band, a pink face and rhinestones. Both carry a 256-megabyte memory which can record between eight and nine hours of conversation or hold 30 to 40 digital audio files. Another popular item is a pair of night vision goggles for hunters and fishermen. These start at $349, and some models are waterproof.

For the dog in your life, check out the NFL jerseys for $29.95 at Jake’s Dog House. Now even the pooches can root for your favorite team. There are matching leashes, collars, dog hats and pet ID tags, and every NFL team is available. The pet stroller, starting at $99, has been a popular item for cat owners, who can take their pet to the vet and elsewhere with a minimum amount of fuss. The stroller folds to a car carrier and comes in three sizes.

And to rid your home of unpleasant odors from pets, or tobacco or cooking, try the Lamp Berger, available at $30 and up at Tinder Box/Vino 100. The Lamp Berger uses high-temperature catalytic combustion to eliminate and destroy the molecules behind the odor. The Tinder Box/Vino 100 is also your source for hard-to-find higher-end wines such as Cake Bread Cabernet.

Don’t leave the Quarter without a glimpse into the Zephyr Gallery, which houses a collection of contemporary American crafts. Whimsical hand-crafted steel and copper wine caddies are themed by sport or profession, including golf, tennis and baseball, and lawyers, doctors and CPAs. They retail for about $90. There is also a sizeable selection of Judaica, fanciful clocks, delicate witches’ and friendship balls, handcrafted jewelry and blown studio glass.

AC Outlets,The Walk

For some of the best bargains on designer names in the city, head to the Atlantic City Outlets, The Walk. Here you can choose from among nearly 60 national-brand outlets in a pedestrian-friendly environment made for strolling.

This season, the Walk will give away weekly gift certificates for $250 as well as a pair of silver-level seats to the Atlantic10 Men’s Basketball Championship and an all-inclusive trip to Barbados. Their promotion for the giveaways, “Shop Urban to Suburban,” will tie the Walk in with merchants along Tilton Road in Northfield, including Beacon Cycling and Fitness, Hi-Tech Salon & Spa, Tilton Beauty Supply and the Tilton Fitness Center. That’s all in addition to the unique gifts the stores will be offering.

At their Holiday Central information booth, you can purchase a special animal gift package which features an “adopt a seal” from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a “Rocky the Tiger” button from the Cape May County Zoo and a CD from animal activist and renowned pianist Linda Gentille, who will also perform free concerts at the Walk during the holiday season. The cost is $39.95 with proceeds benefiting non-profit animal groups.

With $50 in receipts at any combination of stores at the Walk, you can also buy a plush musical moose that sings “I wish you a Merry Christ-moose.” The moose is $12.50. Reindeer and bears that sing “Jingle Bells” are $6.50 with $25 in purchases.

For the season’s hot seller, check out TMX Elmo, the most extreme Elmo yet, at the KB Toy Outlet. This toy has three distinct tickle spots which generate reactions from slapping knees to falling on the ground and laughing hysterically. It retails for just $39.99.

H&M will be offering a “gift of the day” through the holiday season, featuring surprise items marked down to a third of their regular prices. Items will include a gold-colored down jacket, a velour track suit for kids and ladies, cashmere, and more. “It’s a way to say thank you to our customers,” said Lisa Sandberg, communications director, U.S., for H&M.

Uniquely Atlantic City

Then there are the gifts that are uniquely Atlantic City, perfect representatives of the town’s historic past and vibrant present.

Start with Atlantic City’s signature treat, James Salt Water Taffy, found at several locations throughout town including the Pier and the Quarter. Taffy is an affordable indulgence, with a one-pound box starting at $6. The nostalgic Barrel Bank, at $9.99, also is a nice gift and a tribute to the time that Atlantic City sent its taffy in real barrels.

And if that doesn’t satisfy your sweet tooth there are several places that offer outstanding fudge which can be shipped anywhere in the country. Check out Shriver’s Salt Water Taffy & Fudge (www.shrivers.com), the Fudge Kitchen (www.fudgekitchens.com) and Steel’s Fudge Shop (www.steelsfudge.com).

The Boardwalk Peanut Shoppe, home to Mr. Peanut, specializes in premium nuts and handmade chocolate. The Executive Basket, which retails for $119, features Von Jaeger chocolates, pistachios, assorted nuts, dark cocoa dusted truffles, chocolate covered pretzels and European cookies.

Though new to town, Morton’s The Steakhouse offers gifts for gourmands, including custom-crafted steak knives and the Morton’s Steak Bible, written by co-founder Klaus Fritsch and featuring signature recipes.

The Fourth Annual Babes of Borgata calendar is out, with monthly vignettes shot by fashion photographer Richard Dean. Retailing for $16.99, it’s a sexy and unique gift for the holidays.

The Absecon Lighthouse offers lighthouse replicas as well as clothing, jewelry, toys, mugs, books, picture frames, holiday pens and holiday pillows. Prices range from $5 to $30.

The Atlantic City Art Center features jewelry, artist prints, hand-blown glass and a vast selection of Atlantic City historical books. The nearby Atlantic City Historical Museum has historical calendars, books and videos. Prices range from $10 to $50.

And that’s just the beginning. Head to Atlantic City this year for your holiday list and enjoy an experience that’s not only a great American tradition but one that is fast becoming an Atlantic City one.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Casino Connection: What was the difference that you made at the Hilton that previous owners since Steve Wynn could not make?

Rodio: I think first and foremost was the positioning of the property. The best way to describe it is that everybody in the market is trying to become more Borgata-like and rush to add all these non-gaming amenities. Given the fact that we don’t have many of those amenities and that the lion’s share of the revenue in the market still comes from the gambler, we thought that we would take an opposite approach and fill the void of a gambling position. That has really worked well for us, and Phil, more than anybody, was the architect of that.

You have been emphasizing good games and a fair chance for the players along with the great customer service that has been a signature at the Hilton all these years. How have you communicated this kind of philosophy to your employees?

Juliano: We tried to resurrect the heritage. It goes back to when the place first opened and it was a gambling hall, a gambling joint, and that’s the way it felt and we reminded them of that. The key was that we focused their attention on the value of a gaming experience.

R: Another key, from the employee’s perspective, is getting their buy-in. There was a lot of uncertainty when Colony first acquired the property. They had worked for Caesars Entertainment for a number of years, Bally’s before that, and Golden Nugget before that. And here comes this non-gaming company, in essence, so it was important that we showed some positive results quickly. We were able to do that. We immediately saw some reversals of the negative trends we had seen. It was evident from early on that the business was returning, and that allowed us to get the employees’ buy-in very quickly.

J: We also had to throw off the shackles of being a stepchild. For so long, they had been the third-rate cousin in the Caesars world. We got rid of that pretty quickly and told them we are going to compete.

Tell us about the additions and the changes that have gone on at the Hilton since you guys have been there.

R: From a physical standpoint, I think the most significant change was the capital that we spent on the property on the second level. We took what was a retail dress shop and our players club, and we created a gaming space on the second level, a poker room and an Asian gaming room. We combined them by having a joint cashiering area that joins the two together. It was critical for a number of reasons; first and foremost, if we are going to take on this gambling-centric position, you can’t do that without a poker offering—even though it isn’t the largest poker room in the city.

Secondly, we have such a rich tradition at the Hilton with our Asian gaming customer base and the bus program out of New York, it was important that we solidify that portion of our business and show how important they are to us. So we created a separate experience for them that has gone over huge.

Even more important, we are so pressed for space on the casino floor, it allowed us to take that Asian gaming pit that resided on the casino floor, move it upstairs and gave us space for 110 additional slot machines. We have the highest win-per-square-foot in the city. There is a lot of demand for the property and we just don’t have enough gaming space to meet that demand, or enough hotel rooms and parking and restaurants. But the casino space was one of the critical needs that we had, and addressing that has been a big part of our turnaround.

You recently sold some land owned by Hilton to the group led by Wally Barr and Curtis Bashaw. Why was that decision made ?

 J: As you look at all the land that we have in the area, we have some significant acreage still contiguous with the Atlantic City Hilton we can develop. We have plenty of room for a master plan and a major expansion. We are currently working on those plans, and the sale of that land puts us, from a capitalization standpoint, in a better position to expand the current property. We see nothing but upside there, so I think that it was more land than we can actually build on. If it was going to sit undeveloped for a number of years, why not monetize the land and use it for an expansion at the existing property down the road?

Do you think more casinos at the Hilton end of the Boardwalk will end up helping the Hilton by drawing more people down there?

R: No question, absolutely no question. I definitely think that it would ultimately help the Atlantic City Hilton.

Let’s talk about Resorts. You were appointed to lead Resorts earlier this year when Audrey Oswell resigned. The property never performed up to Colony expectations when it built the hotel addition. What have you done to help fulfill the potential of Resorts?

R: First of all, in terms of the hotel expansion and not meeting expectations, it’s a little misleading in a couple respects. Number one, to build the new tower we actually had to take out of service almost 400 rooms, so the net increase to the property was really only about 100 hotel rooms. So, in the grand scheme of things there wasn’t a huge increase in capacity. The expectation for the numbers to dramatically move I think was probably not fair.

Secondly, it opened in close proximity to the opening of Borgata, so while you open this additional tower you are going up against this new behemoth in the market that was stealing market share from everybody.

What we plan on doing here is not totally different from what we have done at the Hilton. Although we don’t want to occupy the same positioning, we are trying to move more towards a gambling-centric look and feel of the property in terms of our advertising, our message, and the way we speak to the customers and the public at large. We have come up with a tag line, “The Original Home of the Player,” that goes back to the fact that it was the first casino in Atlantic City. People can take a lot of positions, but there are some things that nobody else can take, and nobody else can ever be first.

Like the Hilton, there is a lot of history at Resorts, a lot of things to be proud of. How do you plan to emphasize that?

 J: You need to see us again for the first time. Some people think that this place is what it fell into during the ’80s and halfway through the ’90s. But it really has undergone a number of renovations and today it looks very good. So that idea will be carried along with the gambling-centric positioning that you should come back and see this place.

As with the Hilton, Resorts has many loyal employees who have endured many management changes. What did you do to assure them that Colony (Resorts International) is here for the long term?

R: Similar to what we did down at the Hilton, I think that the key is for them to see some positive change and see it very quickly, and we’ve been able to accomplish that. Our numbers in September were actually tied with Borgata in terms of industry growth. So the best thing we can do is just show positive change in terms of the business results, and I think we are already on our way there.

Also like the Hilton, you’ve got some valuable land adjacent to Resorts. Any plans for expansion at this point or are you just trying to get this moving in the right direction?

J: Right now, the focus is to just turn the thing around a little bit and to post some positive results. One difference between Resorts and the Hilton is at the Hilton we have to use a shoehorn to find a place to get in one more slot machine. At Resorts, with the current buildings and the new tower, we have some unfinished spaces, so we can in essence expand without having to develop that land yet. We have three floors of rooms in the new tower that are unfinished, so we could add 63 keys. We have a penthouse floor at the top that is unfinished. That could be eight to 12 amazing suites. We have space on the second level, mezzanine level, in the new building that will have an escalator right down into the casino that is over 30,000 square feet. So we have plenty of space that we can still develop here. First we want to turn the business around, grow the business, grow the profitability, finish the spaces in there and in a year or so we can look toward the land.

Another thing that people do not realize about this property and what we have in terms of future development is that we have the ability and the rights to rebuild the old Steeplechase Pier. That pier could be five acres of additional development, and given what land is going for in this city nowadays, five acres of space that can be developed contiguous to any property or to the Boardwalk is a huge asset down the road.

Phil, having been away from this market for a while, what are your impressions of Atlantic City as a destination? Do you think Atlantic City is more or less competitive than the past, or is it about the same?

J: I think it is more competitive. You just can’t deny what the Borgata did. They put a product in here that was entirely different than anything that had been here, and awakened a group of people who just did not use this town. As a result, the capital that is coming on board, and the capital that is proposed to be spent, has given the town a new face.

Atlantic City is absolutely a destination. It is a gambling spot and a destination tourist spot. However, I think it suffers from the lack of rooms. If it had more rooms, all these minor-league places putting gaming at racetracks with big tax rates are just playing into the hands of Atlantic City operators. The city is just exploding on the weekends. Five to 10 years from now, it will be typical to see a critical mass here on weekends the likes of which we have never seen.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

The skyline of Atlantic City is going to change significantly in the next few years, and not just because of the Sands giving way to a new mega-resort.

Several other developments are bound to alter the future of the city’s casino industry. For instance, each end of the Boardwalk casino district is likely to soon be anchored by a new casino resort.

At the southwest end of the Boardwalk, an investment group headed by former Caesars Entertainment CEO Wallace Barr and former Casino Reinvestment Development Authority chief Curtis Bashaw closed a land deal for an 11-acre oceanfront parcel next to the Atlantic City Hilton.

The group bought the parcel from the Hilton’s parent company, Resorts International Holdings, for a reported $85 million, but has so far made nothing public on its plans for the site.

The property includes three blocks at the foot of Albany Avenue, at the southwest end of the city’s casino-zoned district. That includes the site of the ill-fated Dunes casino hotel project, where structural steel stood for five years after the owners abandoned the project. It also includes the former Atlantic City High School site across the street from the oceanfront site.

The oceanfront parcels would be ideal for a new casino resort, although neither Barr nor Bashaw has indicated a definite plan for a casino. If the group does plan a casino hotel, the size of the parcel would restrict it to a boutique-style hotel and casino roughly the size of the Hilton, possibly including retail and residential elements.

The parcel is three blocks south of the Atlantic City Hilton, bounded by Hartford, Atlantic and Trenton Avenues and the Boardwalk.

On the other end of the Boardwalk, the gaming division of investment firm Morgan Stanley last month named a veteran gaming executive to head its $1 billion casino project on its 20-acre Southeast Inlet site, on the Boardwalk next to Showboat.

Morgan Stanley announced that Kevin DeSanctis, president and chief operating office of Penn National gaming Inc., will operate its new casino. DeSanctis, who has been instrumental in the recent growth of Penn National into a major force in gaming, announced last July that he is leaving Penn National by the end of the year to form a new gaming company called Revel Entertainment. Revel reportedly beat out several other operators, including Hard Rock International, to land the contract to run Morgan Stanley’s casino project.

The Wall Street investment firm has not yet revealed the name or theme of the casino resort that will be added to the huge parcel.

The Southeast Inlet casino project will be something of a homecoming for DeSanctis, who was an executive with the Trump organization casinos in the early 1990s, before leaving to join Sun International Hotels as chief operating officer, where he oversaw operations of Sun’s casinos in Connecticut, the Bahamas and Atlantic City (Sun owned Resorts Atlantic City at the time), and on to Penn, where he oversaw the purchase of rival riverboat operator Argosy Gaming and the growth of Penn’s casino operations in several racino jurisdictions (the latest in Maine and Pennsylvania).

Finally, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission last month gave Columbia Sussex Corporation interim approval for its acquisition of the Tropicana Casino and Resort.

The Trop’s new owners revealed a plan to refurbish and expand the casino, and to transform it from the classic “Tiffany” motif of its original Las Vegas counterpart to the Old Havana theme and décor of its successful Quarter retail complex.

Columbia President William J. Yung III told reporters he plans to add 1,000 rooms to the Trop, and to speed up a previously planned renovation of the casino floor and existing hotel towers. When all is said and done, the entire Tropicana will carry the Cuban theme of the $280 million Quarter, which has boosted the casino’s revenues substantially in its two years of operation.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Questions about the military background of Atlantic City Mayor Bob Levy hounded the city’s top executive last month when he admitted that he had exaggerated his service. For more than 20 years in the Beach Patrol and during his campaign for mayor, Levy contended that his time in Vietnam included stints as a Green Beret and Army Ranger. When asked to provide proof of that service, Levy refused to answer. The controversy was triggered when an Egg Harbor Township veterans committee wanted Levy to speak as a former veteran, but asked for proof of his record. In an investigation by former Green Beret Don Bendell, it was revealed that the Green Berets or Army Rangers had no record of service by Levy. Records released by Levy in mid-November indicated that while he did serve in Vietnam as a switchboard operator, communications instructor, and later in Atlantic City as a recruiter, there is no indication that he served in any elite regiment.

The mayor’s office also failed to respond to requests from Casino Connection to provide proof of Levy’s Army service.

The mayor has issued a public apology for misrepresenting his service record. The scandal is yet another black eye for Atlantic City government just weeks after three council members, including its president, Craig Callaway, pleaded guilty to bribery. All three will be sentenced to prison in December.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Looking for that juicy bar burger to eat in an upscale and comfortable setting?

Gallagher’s Steakhouse at Resorts has transformed its Luna Lounge into the Burger Bar, a hip new spot with all the beefy menu items you can imagine.

The lounge will be offering burgers made with dry-aged beef and a choice of bacon, onion, mushroom, or spinach toppings.

These and a host of other burger choices join Buffalo wings, jumbo crab cakes and Tuscan chicken sandwiches at the new eatery. Burger Bar does not leave out the health conscious, with a Creole-spiced turkey burger and meatless garden burger.

Located on the dining level of Resorts, the Burger Bar is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursdays and to 11 p.m. Fridays. On weekends, it is open froms noon until 10 p.m.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

Since 1915, the familiar powder-blue buses have provided a low-cost alternative to taxi cabs for shuttling visitors between hotels. The operators of those jitneys—which now accommodate around a dozen riders and go from Jackson Avenue to the Inlet for $2 a ride—are up in arms over a new shuttle service offered by Harrah’s Entertainment.

Harrah’s has initiated free shuttle service between its four Atlantic City casinos—Showboat, Bally’s, Caesars and Harrah’s Atlantic City. All you need is a Total Rewards player’s club card. The Harrah’s shuttle drops riders at each establishment while the jitney service remains strictly on the main roadways.

Last month, the Atlantic City Jitney Association announced a campaign to convince the public to ditch the Harrah’s shuttles. Posters have been placed on each bus that say, “Don't let Harrah's crush AC jitney transportation. Just say no to Harrah's shuttle.”

Harrah’s officials say they negotiated for two years to have the jitney association run the shuttles, but the drivers wanted more money than Harrah’s was willing to pay. The operator put out bids to several companies, but ultimately decided to run the shuttles internally.

The Total Express Shuttle is a direct limo service that runs every 20 minutes from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. Seating approximately 25 passengers, the shuttle features plush seats, reading lights and plasma TV.

“We absolutely want our guests to take full advantage of the Total Rewards program and our four great properties,” said Harrah's Regional President John Payne. "This shuttle provides them the convenience and quality of service that they’ve come to expect from Harrah’s Entertainment.”

\Harrah’s officials say they are still willing to contract with the association to run the shuttles for a fair price. For now, both services continue to run as scheduled.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

It may have been an unusual 70 degrees outside but inside the Quarter at Tropicana snowflakes fell on the crowd gathered for the 2nd Annual Holiday Tree Lighting on November 9.

Tropicana’s Fiesta Plaza got a head start on the holiday season with trees, lights, poinsettias and even Santa. Created from four rooftop-perched machines, the snow falls every 15 minutes on the 25-foot Christmas tree complete with 1,000 feet of garland and 15,000 strands of lights.

The snow is a mixture of soap, alcohol and water that evaporates before hitting the cobblestone streets of the plaza. In total, the holiday display took more than 1,000 hours of labor over four days to assemble.

Along with the main display in Fiesta Plaza, the Tropicana has scattered holiday displays throughout the Quarter including carolers and snowmen. A 15-foot poinsettia tree at the casino entrance consists of more than 3,000 live poinsettias. Throughout the holiday season workers will check the tree and replace flowers that may have died.

The Tropicana has also brought in the world’s largest digital organ to play music and back the holiday show, “Broadway’s Spirit of Christmas.” Running until December 15, the show features songs, festive scenery and costumes, as well as talented chorus girls singing holiday classics.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

While most people spend New Years Day nursing a hangover and watching football, several hundred citizens break out their swimsuits to wade in the winter waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

The 16th annual Polar Bear Swim will take place on January 1 at noon. As many as 500 swimmers are expected to attend the event, organized by Unsuited Entertainment. The swim check begins at 10 a.m. on the beach in front of Resorts. To take the plunge, participants donate $10, which goes to charity.

A post-plunge party which will include a DJ, prizes and food will follow. For more information, contact John Henderson at 609-412-9056 or e-mail casinojkh@yahoo.com.

Can’t see actually paying to take a dip in the icy waters of the Atlantic? The 5th Annual Ventnor New Years Day Polar Bear Plunge takes place at 1 p.m. on January 1, for those brave enough to participate.

An expected 300 men, women and children will gather at Somerset Avenue on the beach for the quick dip. Instead of a dollar amount for this dip, all swimmers are asked to bring non-perishable foods that will be donated to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. For more information, contact Charlotte Joseph at 609-823-6226 or charjos@webtv.net.

Finally, hit the New Year running with a 5K Run starting at 1 p.m. at the Music Pier on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Enjoy a day of beach activities and games along with a first dip in the ocean at 2 p.m. For more information call 609-525-9300.

By Casino Connection Staff   Wed, Nov 22, 2006

"America’s Greatest Family Resort" brings in the New Year with fun and entertainment in the form of the 15th Annual First Night in Ocean City event. The activities kick off at 4 p.m. with inflatables, face painting, amusement rides and entertainment for all ages.

The night consists of over 30 performances in 15 locations including jugglers, poetry, magicians, ballet, jazz and comedy. Each show lasts 40 minutes with ample time to walk or take the free shuttle between performance sites.

A First Night Ocean City 2007 button admits patrons to nearly all events for $14. The only shows not included are the Pops Orchestra with shows at 8:30 p.m. (children’s performance), 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., and the Drifters’ performances at 9 p.m., 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. The Pops Orchestra is only $1, and the Drifters are $3.

The evening concludes with a fireworks spectacular at midnight. Nearly 8,000 are predicted to attend. To learn more about the festivities or to order a button, visit www.firstnightocnj.com.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Nov 21, 2006

As 2007 rolls in, everyone will need a new calendar. Why not one with extremely beautiful women? The fourth annual “Babes of Borgata” calendar has arrived just in time to be the perfect stocking stuffer.

The 2007 calendar features 10 Borgata associates (chosen from more than 130) in 13 enticing photographs. New York City fashion photographer Richard Dean returned to shoot an encore calendar with assistance from artists Dale Chihuly, Tony Chi and David Rockwell, who designed backgrounds to capture the superiority and style of the new Borgata amenities in the resort’s expansion.

To celebrate the big occasion, mur.mur hosted the annual Borgata Babes calendar party on November 6 with all of the year’s calendar beauties, who posed for pictures and signed calendars.

The babe-licious 2007 calendar, showcasing Borgata Babes in captivating clothing and poses in hotel, casino, restaurant and spa hot spots, is now on sale for $16.99 at the retail store or online at www.shopborgata.com.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Nov 21, 2006

In yet another episode of masticating meatball mayhem, Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas returns to defend her championship at the Third Annual Tropicana World Meatball Eating Championship on December 2. Carmine’s Restaurant will host the bulge battle at 1 p.m. in conjunction with the International Federation of Competitive Eating.

Defending champ Thomas, weighing in at 105 pounds with over a dozen world eating titles, looks to trump her last year’s meatball consumption of 10 pounds, 3 ounces in 12 minutes.

In addition to a full stomach, participants compete for the first-place prize of $2,500; $1,000 for the first runner-up; $750 for third place; $500 for fourth place; and $250 for fifth place.

The annual gastric orgy is one of more than 75 annual competitive eating events, and is a perfect chance to see gorging in all its glory.

Bring the antacid. And maybe a drop cloth.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Nov 21, 2006

In the end, the Sands went quietly. After a wild day in which all remaining progressive jackpots were gathered into a $200,000 lump and given away to eight random Friday afternoon and evening patrons, the casino was roped off at 6 a.m. on Saturday, November 11. By noon, the last of the hotel guests trickled out, ending the 26-year history of the casino Frank Sinatra once made his Atlantic City home.

The spot where Sinatra gave his last performances in the early 1990s, the Copa Room, had closed out its 26-year run a week earlier on November 4, fittingly, with a Las Vegas-style show from Tony Award-winner Ben Vereen paying tribute to late Rat Pack legend Sammy Davis, Jr. A parade of songs and dance numbers followed Vereen’s introduction by Davis’ widow, Altovise Davis.

Three days later, the Sands held a party for all of its employees, setting up refreshments from early afternoon through 10 p.m. so all three shifts could attend. As a farewell present, employees were each given a commemorative plate featuring the Sands and Brighton logos.

Employees were stoic concerning their fate, choosing to reflect on what the Sands had given them over more than two decades. “I’ve worked with Sinatra, Cher and others over the years,” said Nada Punosecic, a day-one employee who worked in the costume department. “I am sad to see it go.”

While many share Punosecic’s sentiments, the industry got its first glimpse last month at what will stand in the Sands’ place in a few years. Dan Lee, chairman of new owner Pinnacle Entertainment, used a conference call for analysts to give the first details of what will be a $1.5 billion mega-resort on the space now occupied by the Sands and the adjacent lot that was once site of the legendary Traymore Hotel.

“The thought here really is to build a Borgata-like facility on the Boardwalk,” Lee said. “The Borgata was kind of a second-generation facility for Atlantic City… Had the Borgata been on the Boardwalk, I think it would have made a dormitory of some of the casinos on the Boardwalk. It would actually be doing better than it is doing now. .”

Lee says the new Pinnacle Boardwalk property will be aimed at the same younger demographic the Borgata has drawn, and that he hopes to mirror the success of the groundbreaking Marina resort. Lee also addressed some of the animosity surrounding the closing of the Sands. “We're taking a lot of heat about it closing,” he said, “but this is a casino that went through bankruptcy a couple of times, was barely profitable and was trending down. It was almost certainly going to close in the near future irrespective of whether we bought it or not. But in buying it, we didn't see any economic way to keep the existing casino open and build the new one around it.”

Sands union employees did get a bit of good news on November 10, when Local 54 of UNITE HERE announced that the union had reached a deal with Pinnacle to create a severance package of nearly $2 million, to be split among nearly 600 employees. This is in addition to approximately $5 million in backup severance pay contributed by the Sands over the years under the collective bargaining agreement.

Pinnacle and Atlantic Coast Entertainment Holdings, Carl Icahn’s holding company that has owned the Sands for the past several years, had initially contended that no severance was due union employees beyond what ACE had contributed under the agreement, while offering non-union employees a week’s pay for each year of service. Local 54 leaders argued that those funds are pegged for retirement, and withdrawing them early would result in a tax penalty. In the end, the union was able to negotiate the better deal.

Of the Sands’ more than 2,000 employees, about 125 will remain on staff to guard the building until its demolition in late 2007.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Nov 21, 2006

People will now be able to live where the Diving Horse once dove.

Atlantic City’s famed Steel Pier, once one of the nation’s most star-studded entertainment venues, will soon begin yet another life, as the site of the Boardwalk’s latest high-end residential development.

Trump Entertainment Resorts, which acquired the pier across the Boardwalk from its Trump Taj Mahal casino in 1993, revealed in October that it will soon transform the 108-year-old structure into a luxury condo-hotel linked to the Taj.

The operator will spend an estimated $300 million to create a condo/hotel with units highlighting spectacular ocean views, considering they will be built on a structure that extends 1,000 feet into the water—what Donald Trump described in a conference call as “condos hovering over the ocean.”

Trump had leased the pier to an amusement park operator until the last rides shut down October 15. It was originally speculated that the company would create a new retail attraction to compete with the Pier at Caesars, but Trump officials said last month that, while there may be a retail component in the new condo development, slower-than-anticipated business for the upscale Pier shops convinced Trump officials to downplay the retail aspect.

Plans for the Pier will be formulated as part of the overall rejuvenation of Trump’s Atlantic City casino empire, which includes renovation and additions to all three Trump casinos.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Nov 21, 2006

If not for his incredible developments, Steve Wynn would be known for his rivalries. His current dispute with Sheldon Adelson, chairman of Las Vegas Sands, has become quite heated. Neighbors in both Las Vegas and Macau, Adelson and Wynn don’t even try to hide their dislike and disrespect for each other.

But that rivalry pales in comparison to the one Wynn had with Donald Trump in the 1980s, when Trump arrived in Atlantic City trying to dethrone Wynn as king of the Boardwalk. But all that is behind them, now that reports have surfaced that the two are working together on a possible $3 billion casino resort complex in Atlantic City on the site of the current Trump Plaza and adjacent land.

The buzz started in October when Wynn and Trump were spotted sitting together at Game 7 of baseball’s National League Championship Series in New York. Trump confirmed that talks were ongoing. He said, however, that the discussions were complicated and there was no guarantee that they would come to fruition. Wynn has had no response.

Wynn visited Atlantic City in October reportedly to see the recent developments in the city and scout out potential locations. It was assumed that he was eyeing the 150-acre site of the city’s former airport, Bader Field, which closed in September. He met with New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine and state Senator Bill Gormley, who represents Atlantic City. Both said Wynn wanted to return but wanted assurances that the business climate currently in place would not change.

Trump Plaza is located on just 11 acres, and sources say discussions are ongoing to add more properties to the plan, including the Historic Boardwalk Hall, built as Atlantic City’s original convention center in 1929. (No word on whether it would be demolished or incorporated into the development.) Other properties being considered include the former site of Trump World’s Fair, which Trump tried, but failed, to personally buy last year.

The two blocks west of the Boardwalk Hall are a collection of mostly run-down small row homes. In the early 1980s, a company tried to acquire all the properties, but a few holdouts caused the deal to collapse.

 Another hurdle continues to be the property owned by Vera Coking, next to Trump Plaza on Columbia Place. Coking became infamous in the late 1970s and early 1980s by rejecting millions of dollars for her tiny property. Trump recently bought the only two remaining properties on that square block, Santini’s restaurant and a pawn shop, leaving Coking the sole holdout, once again.

If reports are true that the development will move as far as Texas Avenue, Coking may find herself on the short end once again, as Trump and Wynn will try to buy out multiple property owners for reasonable (at least to them) prices.

But most reservations about the deal have to do with the cooperation of the two former rivals. Their previous relationship was, at the very least, confrontational, and few believe they can work effectively together.

But Trump’s role in his casino company has changed markedly since Trump Hotels and Casino Resorts emerged from bankruptcy in 2005. While he is still chairman of the board, he is just one vote, and all decisions must be approved by the entire board. Nonetheless, he holds a tremendous power as the company’s largest shareholder.

James Perry, president and CEO of the new company, Trump Entertainment Resorts, said an outright sale of any of Trump’s three Atlantic City properties was unlikely.

“I don’t see that happening any time in the near future,” he told Global Gaming Business in a podcast interview in September. “I think there is plenty of potential in these three properties. Generally speaking, people don’t understand the economics of a sale because of the tax consequences of a sale, to the company as well as to Mr. Trump personally. That would make it very difficult to sell the property and be able to reinvest a significant amount of the residual capital in a new casino or an expansion. So the sale of any one of the three properties anytime in the foreseeable future is highly unlikely.”

Which might explain why the former adversaries are talking joint venture.

Tue, Nov 21, 2006

The New Jersey casino industry had an eventful year in 2006. This article reflects upon the events of 2006 in connection with our industry as a means of establishing the groundwork for 2007, which, too, promises to be an eventful year.

There is no question that the most significant and unfortunate story of the year was the State closure of the casinos in July due to the budget impasse between Governor Corzine and the Legislature. The disappointment and inconvenience of our patrons, the $10 million in lost employees wages and tips, and the financial impact of $50 million in lost revenue on our industry were only part of the story. The rest of the story is unwritten, as our industry continues to press for legislation that would foreclose the possibility of future closures and the negative ramifications that would result even from the possibility of another closure.

CANJ was able to take advantage of the media attention garnered by the shutdown to tell the success story of our industry in the context of the shutdown—that we pay over $1 billion in taxes annually, employ 45,000 employees directly and thousands of more indirectly, spend billions in capital investment and approximately $2 billion annually with vendors throughout New Jersey.

New Jersey's smoking ban was also a big story. The ban prohibits smoking inside public places except for casino floors (and cigar bars, etc) and 20 percent of hotel rooms. The law was passed on January 15, 2006 and took effect on April 15, 2006. However, on January 26, 2006 a new law was proposed that would eliminate the smoking ban exemption for casinos and simulcasting facilities.

As an industry, we have great concerns over this proposed legislation. First, this is a competitive issue as casinos in other states, notably Nevada, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, are not subject to smoking bans. Also, based upon a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers it is anticipated that our industry’s revenues would drop significantly, as they did in Delaware after a smoking ban was instituted, which would result in a loss of $93 million in state tax revenue in two years. That loss of business would translate into a reduction of approximately 3,400 jobs in our industry. For these reasons, Local 54, which represents the welfare of the largest group of represented employees in our industry, has joined CANJ’s opposition to this proposed legislation.

The year also had some positive developments. First, with Trump Entertainment’s membership, CANJ is unified and fully representative of all Atlantic City Casinos. Also positive were the additions to the industry with the opening of The Pier at Caesars, the Borgata expansion, and the announcements of new projects including a new hotel tower at the Taj, a new hotel tower at Borgata, Harrah's expansion that also includes a hotel tower, and a possible new tower at the Trop.

Another big story that was bittersweet was the closing of the Sands. While this development is sad from the perspective of the end of an icon in Atlantic City as well for the many employees who lost their jobs (only temporarily we hope), it is a positive development moving forward given that Pinnacle Gaming is planning an upscale “Borgata-like” resort on this site that it recently acquired. This will help Atlantic City continue it current impressive growth trend.

On a related note, the recent successes of our market have created great interest by other prospective new entrants into the market. These include Morgan Stanley, which is making plans to develop a casino resort on the 20-acre site north of Showboat Casino. In addition, the city closed Bader Field airport and is in the process of determining the best use for that land, which possibly includes up to three casino resorts. There is also reported interest in development opportunities by other casino operators as well.

From an entertainment standpoint, Atlantic City continues to attract the best touring acts. This past year there were many milestone events including Madonna, Elton John, Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, and the Rolling Stones. 2006 was an eventful year. 2007 too should prove to be likewise eventful, with the continuation of certain of the 2006 stories, particularly the arrival of possible new entrants into the AC market. There will also be some other very significant issues to address such as VLTs at the Meadowlands, whether the smoking ban extends onto the casino floor and whether our industry is subject to another closedown next July. As we have in the past, CANJ will endeavor to keep you abreast of these issues as they unfold.

Tue, Nov 21, 2006

The season of giving is upon us. The air is cooler… the stores are busier… and between running to work, shopping and tending to your daily responsibilities, your stress level is rising. Don’t let your spirits get low. Atlantic City promises some terrific gift ideas and wonderful holiday attractions that your family and friends will love.

Nothing says Atlantic City more than salt water taffy, James Salt Water Taffy that is. Dating back to the 1800s, James Candy Company has everything from salt water taffy to chocolate and macaroons. Easy-to-find locations in Atlantic City— including the new Pier Shops at Caesars—Wildwood and Stone Harbor, not to mention a mail order catalog, make shopping a breeze. You can also visit their online store at www.jamescandy.com.

Promising fun for the whole family, Mr. and Mrs. Claus arrive at Story Book Land and light thousands of holiday lights at dusk for the park’s “Fantasy with Lights.” It runs through December 30. And, Mr. and Mrs. Claus will also be in their chalet to visit with children through December 23. Story Book Land is located on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. For more information, call 609-646-0103 ext. 5 or visit the website www.storybookland.com.

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s Performing Arts Center is home to several holiday shows in December that the whole family can enjoy. An annual classic, The Nutcracker, performed by the Atlantic Contemporary Ballet Theater, takes place on Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, December 2 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. The story, told to Tchaikovsky’s score, is about Clara, a young girl who receives the nutcracker as a gift, and her enchanted dreams that follow.

Also at Stockton, a production of A Christmas Carol geared toward children grades 1 to 5 will take place at 10:30 a.m. and noon on Wednesday, December 13. Tickets are $9. For tickets or information on both shows call 609-652-9000 or visit www.stockton.edu/pac/.

A tradition for many is the 33rd Annual Christmas Candlelight House Tours in Cape May. Scheduled for Saturday, December 2, 9 and 16, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., more than a dozen bed-and-breakfast inns, guesthouses, hotels and churches open their festively decorated doors each night to reveal the charm, holiday cheer and Victorian interiors that make Christmas in Cape May truly special. For more information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit www.capemaymac.org.

Atlantic City turns into a Winter Wonderland from Monday, December 4 through Wednesday, December 13, at Center City Park at Atlantic and North Carolina Avenues. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. visitors can enjoy hot chocolate and candy canes and take pictures with Santa Claus himself, with a $10 receipt from any Atlantic City business. Children ages 12 and under can also mail their letters to the North Pole in the Santa mailbox. For more information, call 609-344-8338.

The Absecon Lighthouse is a great place to find a unique gift for that hard-to-buy-for person. Visit the gift shop and choose from a variety of lighthouse merchandise including lighthouse replicas, clothing, jewelry, mugs, books, picture frames and prints, both matted and framed. Or, climb the 228 steps to the top of the lighthouse and give yourself an “I saw the light” badge of honor card as a gift.

The Absecon Lighthouse also presents a Victorian Holiday Event on Friday, December 8, a party filled with song, holiday treats and the spirit of friendship. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 609-449-1360 or visit www.abseconlighthouse.org. Sure to make their own winter wonderland, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra returns to Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall on Thursday, December 28 at 8 p.m. The performance combines an orchestral string section, a full rock band, multiple vocalists and extensive pyrotechnics. For show and ticket information see Entertainment on page 54.

Not only can you find great performances at Boardwalk Hall, but you can also find the perfect gift that doesn’t even have to be wrapped. Boardwalk Hall Gift Certificates can be purchased at the box office, and can be used toward the purchase of tickets for any of the Hall’s events.

And for true Atlantic City merchandise, stop at either of the Visitor Welcome Centers, located on the Atlantic City Expressway at mile marker 3.5 and on the Boardwalk at the Mississippi Avenue side of Boardwalk Hall. You’ll find an abundance of Atlantic City logo merchandise including baseball caps, shirts, jackets, carry-all bags, duffel bags, glasses, spoons, tank tops, rain slickers, playing cards, stocking stuffers, youth-sized sweatshirts and t-shirts, and more.

Whatever your religious affiliation, this year, give a gift that says Atlantic City.

Tue, Nov 21, 2006

We can all be happy now. We can all go out together and have a meal. Hey, we can go out and have a Happy Meal.

 That’s because the latest magnet for tourism in Atlantic City is also the latest addition to our world-class lineup of restaurants. That’s right. It’s a newly expanded McDonald’s restaurant at the foot of the Expressway.

People coming down the Atlantic City Expressway will hereafter be awed by more than just the breathtaking skyline of hotel casino resorts. Those magnificent hotel lights will now frame something even more desirable—the Golden Arches, beckoning road-weary travelers to stop in and have a Big Mac Attack.

Our mayor, Bob Levy, actually took time out from his busy schedule last month to christen this new temple of gastric delights. I actually received a “Media Alert” about the event, on McDonald’s stationery that bore the familiar yellow-arches logo along with the venerable company’s eloquent and inspiring corporate slogan, “I’m Lovin’ It.”

The headline on the press release was:

“Mayor Drives-Thru To The Future Of Atlantic City.”

Hizzonner was among the first guests to experience the modern, improved and renovated drive-thru at the city’s premier McDonald’s. It says here that the mayor “believes the new and contemporary McDonald’s restaurant is a great example of how Atlantic City continues to move forward and offer the exciting attractions for residents and tourists.”

Just call him Mayor McCheese. He’s going to super-size our city, and transform it into the shining drive-thru on the hill, a city worth of not one, but two all-beef patties.

And, just in case you didn’t know, I support Mayor McCheese heartily in all his endeavors, particularly his drive to rid the city of the Hamburglar. (By the way, I may be wrong, but I think I saw Craig Callaway working the French-frier.)

Speaking of gastric delights, if you turn to our “Tides” section, you will see that the city is ready to hold another meatball-eating championship, hosted by Carmine’s Restaurant and my favorite sports organization, the International Federation of Competitive Eating.

Yes, the IFCE.

Believe it or not, many of these eating events are now televised. We now have IFCE on ESPN. And why not? Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas is a 105-pound waif who, at last year’s event, scarfed down more than 10 pounds of Carmine’s meatballs in 12 minutes. It was an inspiring feat of athleticism, an unlikely thrashing of many much more portly competitors. And, as you can imagine, it was quite a grisly spectacle. As ESPN has realized, this stuff is better than Jerry Springer!

Turning from food to entertainment news, you may have noticed that the Rolling Stones did not actually appear in the city on October 27 like we said they would. That’s because Mick Jagger, the “Great Grandfather of Rock and Roll,” came down with laryngitis. The Stones played their Atlantic City gig at Boardwalk Hall on November 17. That was after we went to press, but I’m sure it was probably a gas, gas, gas.

That’s not good enough for Rosalie Druyan of Brooklyn, who is suing the band for $51 million for canceling the first show. She’s accusing Jagger and the Stones of fraud and acting in bad faith for canceling the October 27 gig without enough notice for fans like her to cancel travel arrangements and hotel bookings. She was stuck for $575 in tickets and $300 in hotel reservations at the Trump Taj Mahal.

So, yeah, $51 million should cover it. Come on, Rosalie. The gig was just postponed, and all Uncle Mick had was swollen pipes. At this point, you should be thankful that a Stones show isn’t canceled because of one or more band members being dead. I think their entourage now includes a coroner.

Oh, well, on to the holiday season. You’ll find lots of gift ideas in our dual cover stories. You’ll find a lot of unconventional ideas, like gift certificates for horseback riding, Surf tickets, restaurants or other fun stuff.

Personally, I’m picturing Christmas morning unwrapping a gift certificate to the new McDonald’s. I’m lovin’ it!

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Feb 02, 2010

Convention Center:  Feb 3-7 is the International Power Boat Show. Feb. 20 Spirit Unlimited Cheerleading Competition. February 26th to 28th is the Atlantic City Classic Car Show & Auction.

Boardwalk Hall: February 27 Show of Shows, featuring the Philadelphia Mummers String Band Association, 12:00 noon and 5:00 p.m. in Boardwalk Halls arena. 

February 25 9th Annual Men R Cookin at Atlantic City Boys & Girls Club to benefit Boys & Girls Club

It's the Second Annual Atlantic City Restaurant Week from February 28th to March 6th.  70 restaurants with prefix menu's at prefix prices... mark your calendar NOW!

For more information go to http://www.acrestaurantweek.com/

January 30 2010 Casino Connection Magazine update with Lisa Johnson on NBC 40

By NBC 40 WMGM   Fri, Jan 29, 2010

By NBC 40 WMGM   Sat, Jan 23, 2010

By NBC 40 WMGM   Thu, Jan 21, 2010

Late last month the founder  of Beal Bank, who is also known as a high-stakes poker player, made a surprise move by joining billionaire Carl Icahn in a new bid for Trump Entertainment. Beal hopes to convert his multimillion-dollar loan into equity in the company.

“Trump jumped ship at the last minute,” Icahn attorney Edward Weisfelner said in court, “and left Mr. Beal standing at the altar.”

see entire article here:  http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/january-2010/article/games-the-same-but-players-have-changed

By NBC 40 WMGM   Wed, Dec 02, 2009

http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/november-2009/article/ac-outlets-the-walk-your-holiday-headquarters

By NBC 40 WMGM   Wed, Sep 30, 2009

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

FAREWELL TO A LEGEND

Atlantic City bids goodbye to a favorite adopted son, the late Arturo Gatti, September 19 at Bally’s. A professional card has been established, with fights being sandwiched around highlight presentations, speeches and tributes to the most prolific fighter in Atlantic City history.

Gatti, based first in Montreal and then in Jersey City, became the only sure thing in a town known for gambling. Twice a year, he’d fill up Boardwalk Hall against any opponent, and his loyal fan base substantially spiked the drop in nearby casinos. Gatti was responsible for nine consecutive sellouts here, including the second and third bout of his famed trilogy against Micky Ward, and a matchup with Floyd Mayweather that established a non-heavyweight record for gross sales receipts in Atlantic City.

Gatti’s appearance was the brainchild of Bally’s then-President Ken Condon.

“We should have a special day for Arturo,” Condon said while Gatti was still alive. “I’d be the first to put that together.”

The tribute is appropriate. While earning about $20 million for himself, Gatti performed some other memorable deeds. He stayed with one promoter, Main Events, for his entire 16-year career. That’s now unheard of. He waged several Fights of the Year in boxing and created high paydays for Ward, Ivan Robinson, Mayweather, the gaming industry and HBO.

Gatti died under mysterious circumstances July 11 in Brazil (authorities first believed he was murdered by his wife, then changed the determination to suicide, which the boxing community does not believe).

He is sorely missed, not only for the exciting boxing, but for his effervescent, approachable personality. Gatti could laugh at himself, display respect for his opponent and make good copy for the media. He reminded those around him why they loved boxing.

Casino Connection salutes the athlete who symbolized the boxing-gaming marriage and carried a presence we may never see again.

By NBC 40 WMGM   Tue, Sep 22, 2009

By NBC 40 WMGM   Mon, Sep 21, 2009

Here is a link to the written article "Colony's Atlantic City Headache" on casinoconnectionac.com.

By NBC 40 WMGM   Sat, Sep 12, 2009

Don Marrandino named president of Harrah's Eastern Division Tides Story