By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Private jets, helicopters, limos, tricked-out SUVs. When it comes to bringing high rollers to town, Atlantic City uses any means necessary—the more lavish, the better. Casinos spend millions of dollars each year to lure big spenders to Atlantic City. High-end players don’t just demand luxe transportation—they expect it. If they don’t get it, most simply won’t come. In other words, a major transportation program is essential to attracting mega-players.

Trump Entertainment has its own helicopter. Harrah’s and Borgata have their own private jets. The other casinos charter high-flying carriers to get the biggest and best players to the resort. With air travel into the city inconvenient at best, “The idea that we can take care of it is very appealing to players,” says Trump Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Mark Juliano.

“The security is done in private terminals when you want it done. You leave when you want to leave, get picked up when you want to get picked up, and if you’re late, you don’t worry about it. There are no lines. The convenience is so much greater than commercial travel, there’s no comparison.”

Borgata President and Chief Operating Officer Larry Mullin says his casino’s private jet has contributed to the company’s stature as the No. 1 casino in town.

“With our customers’ busy schedules, you can’t even imagine how important it is,” Mullin says. “In the world today, time is everything. The ability to have a plane positioned in a couple of hours and have them on your property quickly is very important to business. Our program is a big success.”

According to Tropicana President and Chief Operating Officer Mark Giannantonio, whose casino is rebuilding a crucial junket system, it’s impossible to underestimate the value of convenient travel.

“It’s huge,” he says. “For me, I view it as incremental business. We wouldn’t have (the business) unless they got on that plane that we have for them. They could take a car, but it would be a very long drive that they are unlikely to make. Junkets are very profitable.”

Of course, limousines play an enormous role in transporting high-end players to and from the resorts. Most casinos have contracts with third-party limousine companies with predetermined costs based on the length of the trips and destinations. The casinos guarantee a specific number of trips per year in return to guaranteed service whenever it is requested.

Most casinos only supply the regular stretch and occasionally super-stretch limos for their customers.

“We have some people request dark and white colors or vice versa,” says Juliano. “But we don’t normally get requests for special cars. We may, once in a great while, make special arrangements for a specialty limousine—like a Hummer—for a bachelor party or something. But that’s very rare. Players are generally happy with traditional limousines.”

Caesars Atlantic City Senior Vice President and General Manager Dan Nita says competition and the hassle of commercial travel make VIP travel for customers more important than ever.

“The proliferation of casinos throughout North America has gotten more folks to accept gaming as a leisure pastime, which is a great thing,” Nita says. “But it also means more competition. And in order to get guests to come to Atlantic City, you have to make it easy for players to get to you. Avoiding the troubles of commercial travel is extremely important.

“Transportation for all of our properties is a major issue,” he adds. “Some of our other properties, it’s even more difficult. For example, Harrah’s Laughlin (in Laughlin, Nevada) uses air service for the majority of its business. We are blessed in (Atlantic City) because 25 percent of America’s population is within a three-hour drive. Now, with competition from outer markets, we have to be even more aggressive attracting customers outside of that three-hour radius.”

Here’s the rundown on each casino and the kinds of transportation they offer for high rollers.

Atlantic City Hilton and Resorts Atlantic City

For the Hilton and Resorts, junkets and chartered planes are key to bringing top players from the outer market. But Hilton Executive Vice President Phil Juliano says owning helicopters and private jets isn’t essential to a successful travel program.

“I can charter a plane in an hour,” says Juliano, adding that the Hilton and Resorts charter a handful of planes every month as far south as Florida and mostly east of the Mississippi. “Having your own isn’t a tremendous advantage. But to get these planes—not here, but everywhere—you have to be one great customer. These planes cost at least $5,000 on the very low end, plus you have the comps for your players when they come in and everything else. So you’re talking about big players. You’re not chartering a plane for a player under $100,000.”

The Hilton, through its Resorts Destination Club and programs with casino hosts, also pre-approves ticket purchases for commercial airlines and allows them to play for a refund. As far as junkets, Juliano says they really try to focus on weekday trips instead of weekends.

“We can fill our hotels without getting involved in junkets and planes on weekends. That’s not the problem. But we are always looking for additional weekday business.”

Resorts and Hilton also own their own fleet of limos that they use in combination with an outside limo service. “They are well-kept and well-run,” says Juliano. “I think it’s an advantage having your own cars, because the drivers get to build relationships with customers. They do an excellent job.” Juliano would like to change the mentality that limousines are the best way to travel.

“Personally, I can’t stand them. I would prefer to use town cars. That’s what we did when I was in Chicago. We use limousines here because there was always this myth that limos are better. Even though they fishtail all over the road and are low to the ground. But we’ll keep doing what the players want,” he says.

“But you have to look at it, as a significant percentage of really good players—maybe 80 percent—won’t drive any real distance themselves. They know they qualify for a limo, and they want it. They want to relax in the car and come play. And they will go where they can get one. And if you won’t, they will go to someone else who will or won’t come at all.”

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

Borgata believes in private jets so much, they have two of them. The Borgata owns two twin-engine Hawker 800 mid-size corporate jets. The eight-passenger jets hit as much as 600 mph and are the epitome of luxury with plush leather seating, attendant service and food and beverage program.

“We use them every day,” says Mullin. “The fact that we have two of them shows how important it is for us and our customers.”

Borgata leases its own hangar at the Atlantic City International Airport and has a staff of five pilots and attendants, when necessary.

“The convenience is unparalleled,” says Mullin. “We have absolutely attracted major players because of the planes. It gives us flexibility. Plus, when someone knows it’s your own plane and own pilots, they feel safe with us. The customer service and interaction with our pilots and crew are great assets.”

The jets have also been used to bring in some big-time celebrities, including Billy Crystal, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, the Black-Eyed Peas and Carmen Electra.

When necessary, Borgata occasionally charters helicopters. As far as ground service, Borgata owns a fleet of “decked out” SUVs with tinted windows, DVD systems and all the extras. But they farm out their limousine service.

“We go pretty far with our limo service,” Mullin says. “If the customer is big enough, why not?”

Harrah’s Entertainment

While the parent company of Harrah’s owns a fleet of private jets that the Atlantic City properties use regularly, Nita says the local Harrah’s properties rely mostly on a “robust junket program” that flies customers in on commercial aircraft from 40 to 50 cities across America.

“We take great advantage of the close proximity of the Atlantic City airport,” says Nita, adding that junkets arrive daily for the Harrah’s Entertainment casinos. “Usually, we do runs for each individual property. So if we are flying out of Cleveland, for example, the first week might go to Harrah’s, the second week might go to Caesars and so on. But, of course, Harrah’s customers can pick and choose where they want to go.”

Harrah’s patrons can use Total Rewards points for travel, while the really big players receive air travel on a total comp basis. Harrah’s also offers package rates that include air travel.

When junkets don’t fulfill Atlantic City’s needs, the company’s fleet of private planes—most are eight to 15 seats and stationed out of Las Vegas and Memphis—are used. Nita says Atlantic City properties use those private planes on a weekly basis.

“These are $40 million to $50 million airplanes. They’re very posh. The private planes are driven by relationships with casino hosts, mostly. A lot of the flights are in conjunction with some of the major events—concerts, boxing, VIP events—and we reach out and say, ‘Hey, would you be interested in coming to Caesars?’ And they usually respond with, ‘Can you get me there?’ And we try to make that happen.”

For limousine service, Harrah’s Entertainment uses a combination of its own fleet with third-party limo operators.

“We have a great relationship with our outside limo operators, but having our own limos and employees is important,” Nita says. “They establish relationships with guests and are well received. For example, if a guest lives in Brooklyn and has the same limo driver every week, that establishes a relationship that goes hand in hand with the casino host.”

Tropicana Casino and Resort

If there’s a casino in town that knows the value of a good travel program, it’s the Tropicana. Last year, the casino actually eliminated its junket program to cut costs. It ended up hurting the casino’s bottom line.

“You have to have a junket program,” Giannantonio says. “It was always a no-brainer for me. We were able to bring it back in November and are building it up again. It has been very successful, and it is needed to drive higher-end business.”

The Tropicana runs several junkets every weekend with occasional weekday trips, too. “It’s a very costly thing to do, but it’s worth it,” says Giannantonio, adding that the Tropicana will also charter helicopters for the right players. “It is essentially a way of tapping the middle and outer markets, and it’s something you’re going to see more and more of. We’re able to bring people in from somewhere like South Carolina, a place where most people don’t want to drive from, not even in a limo.”

The Tropicana also eliminated its own limo fleet but is having great success with a third-party company.

“I don’t think most customers really know the difference,” he says. “We send limos to some pretty far-away destinations if our customers want that. We do whatever we can to help make it easier for them to get here.”

Trump Entertainment Resorts

The Trump properties are the only casinos in Atlantic City with their own helicopter. It’s the same luxury black helicopter you see Donald Trump flying around in on his hit NBC series The Apprentice. But the helicopter doesn’t belong to Donald Trump himself; it’s owned by the casino conglomerate. The Donald leases it when he needs it.

“We are the only casino in town to own a helicopter; we are also the only casinos in town that have the ability to land a helicopter on the roof,” says Juliano. “We have helipads on top of Trump Marina and the Taj Mahal. If the others charter helicopters, they have to go to Pomona.”

The Trump helicopter is an eight-seat (including pilots) Sikorsky that features leather seats and more room than your average whirlybird.

“It’s like being in the back of a spacious limousine,” says Juliano. “It’s very comfortable. But the real luxury of the helicopter is the ability to get to and from New York in 38 minutes. You can’t have all of the deluxe liquor and food service, but the convenience of it is just unbelievable. That outweighs everything else.”

Trump uses its helicopter for six or eight trips every weekend and occasionally during weekdays. But you have to be a whale to experience it. Typically, the helicopter flies to and from New York, but Juliano says other trips, to locations like Philadelphia and the Hamptons, do happen occasionally.

“You would have to be a legitimate $200,000 to $250,000 player” to rate a chopper, he says. “It is a big incentive. When you stay in one of the penthouses and ride the helicopter, it’s luxurious, but more importantly, convenient. For some people, important isn’t the word. There are some who only have a short period of time that they have and don’t want to spend the whole night. For them to be able to come down and gamble for the day and go right back and not miss a meeting the next day is really important to them. They don’t have the six hours out of the day it would take to travel by car.”

Of course, owning a helicopter is a huge expense. Aside from the cost of the copter, Trump retains its own crew, which is responsible for flying and maintaining it. Donald Trump isn’t the only celebrity to ride in it, of course. Juliano says some of Trump’s big performers, like Mariah Carey, will ask for the helicopter as part of the fee for performing.

“Whether they don’t want to drive, or for privacy or security purposes would prefer not to stay over in the casino, they like to use the helicopter,” Juliano says. “Even someone like Jerry Seinfeld, who was at Resorts, used his own helicopter but called because we’re friends and asked to use our helipad, which of course we were happy to do.”

On occasion, Trump Entertainment will also use the Trump private jet. That, however, is owned by Donald Trump, and the casino pays him for the use of it. continued on page 37 The beautiful plane, which has also been featured on The Apprentice, seats approximately 30 people and is adorned with marble, leather and an overall classy, rich décor.

“It’s set up like a living room, but there’s also a dining area and a kitchen,” Juliano says. “It’s very classy.”

The Trump casinos use it just a few times a year for major events like the Super Bowl or for over-the-top trips to reward really big players. “We might take our better customers to (Donald Trump’s) Mar-A-Lago (in Palm Beach, Florida) for a couple of days or somewhere if we can get enough people so it’s worth it for us,” Juliano says. “People love flying in the plane and staying at a place like Mar-A-Lago or a Trump Taj Mahal suite… that whole environment of the extremely luxurious lifestyle. But it’s not something we just give to celebrities or something to fly across the country. Some might hop a ride here and there with Mr. Trump, but when we do use it, it’s for major players. ”

Trump also offers junkets two or three times a week using regular commercial charters from cities that include Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, North Carolina, and Jacksonville, Florida.

“Generally, they’re the places that are not too far away but too far for people to use a limo,” Juliano says. “We fly them right to Pomona, so it’s much easier than having to land in Philly.”

Of course, Trump also sends limousines for its best players. Trump only uses an outside company to furnish limousine services.

“We use hundreds of limos on a weekly basis,” says Juliano. He adds that most trips are within four hours and are usually available for players who gamble at least $15,000 per trip. “But we do go farther, if need be. The convenience of not having to drive is so important to most people.”

Let It Ride

Want to arrive in style? Why not slip into something more comfortable, like a chauffeur-driven, champagne-stocked Lincoln?

Not all limousines are created equal. Just ask John Groff Jr., general manager of Torgro Limousine Service of Atlantic City. With his father, John Sr., he manages a fleet of 40 Lincolns, three luxury limo buses, two luxury mini-buses and three limo Hummers. “It’s important to have the best—and we do,” says Groff Jr., whose company contracts for Harrah’s, the Hilton and Resorts. “But what separates us from other limo companies is our service. We don’t have drivers—we have chauffeurs.”

With revenues declining at nearly every Atlantic City casino, Groff Jr. believes limousine service is more important than ever as casinos try to impress players. Thanks to industry consultant Tom Mazza, Torgro’s chauffeurs look the part.

“It’s about the way they’re dressed—not just in stunning tuxedos, but the chauffeur caps. That’s something you don’t see anymore. It’s about the way they are postured and present themselves,” says Groff, adding Mazza didn’t want to come to Atlantic City because the level of service was substandard.

“I was able to convince him to take the challenge, and it’s paid off. He now uses our company and our chauffeurs as examples of a company that went from zero to 60 in two months. We’re not a glorified taxi… We are a luxury transportation company.”

But finding good chauffeurs is not always easy. “Out of 10 applicants, maybe one makes it,” says Groff.

Torgro has offices in Fort Lauderdale and Philadelphia. The company stresses the importance of relationships with clients.

“Our chauffeurs sign confidentiality agreements; they are not allowed to discuss anything that happens inside a limousine,” says Groff. “But it’s even more than that. It’s calling people by their names. It’s asking if there is an alternative route they would like to take to avoid tunnels or bridges if people have phobias. It’s about making people feel comfortable… like they’re in their own home.”

Torgro specializes in bachelor/bachelorette parties and weddings. “We have two restored 1948 Packards,” Groff says. “We’ve taken every bolt of those vehicles and replaced them, spending $30,000 to restore each car. With our tuxedoed chauffeurs with caps, plus a complimentary bottle of champagne and red carpet, it’s a great service.”

Everyone can expect the high-roller treatment. “My father is old-school,” says Groff. “If he sees a chauffeur without a cap or without the red carpet, he’ll suspend him immediately. When we make a promise, we deliver.”

Groff says limousines are not as expensive as some think. “Let’s say you’re taking 10 people from Resorts to Hilton. By cab, that’s three cars; it would cost $12 a car or you can do it by limo for $40. For four more dollars, you get a stretch.”

Torgro attributes much of its success to its Executive Coach-built fleet of cars. Though Executive Coach might be pricey (the average limo is around $70,000, the Hummer costs $140,000 and the luxury bus is $200,000) Groff says it’s worth it. Founded in 1976, Executive Coach is the largest custom coach-builder in the United States, and second largest in the industry.

At first glance, you might not notice the difference between an Executive Coach limo and another, says Tom Zachery, East Coast general manager of Executive Coach.

“But when you look closer, you see the difference. We put a lot of wood in our cars. We don’t press out a piece of Plexiglass. Our bars are handmade. They have a classy and distinguished look.

“We also have developed touch-screen technology that’s proprietary to us. You can change the radio, the DVD player, hit another screen for the lights, get to another screen for air and heat. It’s pretty neat.”

Lincolns remain the most popular limousine, and some get pretty tricked-out, he says. “The casinos, in particular, stick to the base cars because they don’t want to turn off certain clientele with something that’s too flashy,” says Zachery.

“But we do a lot of Hummers. You can pretty much do whatever you have the money to do. I’ve seen some with a hot tub in the back, but that’s ridiculous. You can’t wait to get home to use the hot tub? “But there are big TVs, laser light shows, fog. You can have regular leather or Rolls Royce leather. Whatever you can afford.” Still, he adds, “My motto is ‘Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should.’”

By Patrick Roberts   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Muchos de nosotros estamos rodeados por los juegos de azar. Lo último que algunos de nosotros queremos hacer cuando terminamos de trabajar, es volver al casino a jugar por "relajación." Pero hay un gran número de personas en el negocio de casinos, que gozan de sus puestos de trabajo, exactamente porque disfrutan de los juegos de azar. Es una fascinación para algunos, una forma de vida para otros.

Ver a otras personas jugar nos hace a algunos de nosotros pensar que sabemos los juegos mejor que nuestros clientes. Nosotros los vemos cometer errores que sabemos que nosotros no los haríamos. Los vemos utilizar estrategias que sabemos por experiencia que no son buenas. Y estamos seguros de que lo haríamos mejor, especialmente si nosotros golpeamos una de las "vetas" que muchos de nuestros clientes parecen perder.

Pero también vemos jugadores que parecen estar poseídos cuando ellos apuestan. Sudan el dinero, se decepcionan mucho cuando pierden, se quedan callados o murmuran a ellos mismos.

Ahora, ninguno de estos comportamientos es una clara indicación de que cualquier jugador tiene problemas con el juego, pero sabemos que nosotros nunca dejaríamos que nos afecte de esa forma.

Pero cuando nosotros apostamos, es importante que recordemos que las cosas están claras mientras estemos en el otro lado de la mesa. La experiencia del juego puede darte la amnesia momentánea o permanente si no estas consiente de lo que esta pasando. Así que a continuación te doy cinco sugerencias para asegurar que tu juego sea una experiencia agradable—que se centra en el entretenimiento y no te convierte en uno de esos zombis quienes parecen no tener clara tu área de trabajo.

1. Planea tu experiencia de juego. Existen muchos libros que te enseñan acerca de cada juego, incluso si sabes como tratar a cada juego, no significa que le entiendes. Hay una gran cantidad de secretos del oficio que puedes descubrir mediante la lectura de los expertos. Conozca sus limites. Comprenda los juegos que disfruta. Permanezca racional y evite emocionarse. Tenga cuidado con el alcohol cuando juegue, por lo que puede afectar su juicio.

2. Administre su dinero. Normalmente tienes una idea que cuanto tiempo vas a jugar. Si quieres que el presupuesto del juego te dure toda la noche, calcula cuanto mas puedes gastar cada hora. Por ejemplo: si tienes un presupuesto de $100 y vas a jugar por 5 horas, divide esos $100 dólares en cinco billetes de $20 dólares. Toma el primer Jackson y no cambies el segundo hasta dentro de una hora, sin importar que hayas perdido los primeros $20 dólares en 10 minutos. Presupuesta $20 dólares por hora y estarás en acción toda la noche. No dejes la administración de dinero que hiciste porque te podría llevar a perder todo lo que tienes.

3. Establezca una meta a ganar y permanezca en ella. Y bien, de vuelta a los $100 dólares. Si después de todo lo que esta dicho y hecho, deberías de estar muy contento si doblas tu dinero (Buena Suerte!), usa eso como una meta. Tan pronto lo logres, retírate! Aun cuando lo hayas logrado en los primeros 10 minutos. Pon esos $100 dólares extra en tus bolsillos. Te puedes ir a casa siendo un ganador y decirle a todo el mundo al siguiente día que ganaste. Incluso trata de ser un poco mas realista – retírate cuando hayas ganado $50 dólares. Ya has obtenido lo mejor de todo esto. Toma eso a casa y di a tus colegas que ganaste en el casino.

4. No apuestes más de lo que puedas gastar. Todos nosotros hemos visto esto antes: los jugadores que golpean el cajero automático con sus dedos pensando cuanto sacar; o cuando piden un par de cientos (miles?) a su conyugue para continuar perdiendo. O peor aún, pedir otro marcador cuando quieres gritar que pare, para poner fin a las apuestas. Recuerda, el juego es un entretenimiento y solo continua siendo entretenimiento tanto como uses el dinero que puedas perder y divertirte haciendo esto. Una vez que empieces a escarbar en el dinero de la renta o de las compras del mercado, estas jugando con fuego.

5. Conoce tu juego. Claro, todo el mundo puede tener suerte. Hay lotería de los jugadores quienes se sacan el jackpot en los decimos de millones de dólares. Alguien tiene que ganárselo, porque no podrías ser tu? esa es la lógica que muchas personas usan; esto, a pesar de las probabilidades astronómicas en contra de ganar, así como las extremadas bajas de pagos, asociadas con todas las loterías. Debido a que no hay lotería en Nevada, existen muchos casinos que tienen probabilidades muy malas. Keno, bingo, maquinas tragamonedas, "bonus bets"e inclusive ruleta, bacarat y craps son juegos que en la mayoría de los casos se deben de evitar. Blacjack, video poker, carreras y apuestas de deportes y poker son los únicos juegos donde el jugador puede realmente lograr una ventaja en circunstancias especiales. Si elige uno de los otros juegos que son divertidos de jugar pero tiene una ventaja intrínseca a la casa, entiende como la ventaja que tiene la casa funciona en contra de ti y evalúa si estas listo para pelear contra esa ventaja (o simplemente te sientes con mucha suerte). No es pecado ir en contra de la casa, pero se necesita habilidad, y sobre todo, suerte. Recuerda que el juego es divertido. Cuando se vuelve difícil, cuando se vuelve estresante o cuando ya no estas pasando un buen tiempo, es hora de retirarse.

By Patrick Roberts   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Many of us are around gambling all day. The last thing some of us want to do when we get off work is to head back to a casino to gamble for “relaxation.” But there is a large contingent of folks in the casino business who enjoy their jobs exactly because they enjoy gambling. It’s a fascination for some, a way of life for others.

Watching other people gamble makes some of us believe that we know the games better than our customers. We see them make mistakes we know we wouldn’t make. We see them use strategy that we know from experience cannot succeed. And we’re sure we can do better, especially if we hit one of the “streaks” that so many of our customers seem to miss.

But we also see players who seem to be possessed when they gamble. They sweat the money. They get ultra-upset when they lose. Or they get quiet and seem to mutter to themselves.

Now none of these behaviors is a clear indication that any given player is a problem gambler, but we know that we would never let it affect us that way.

But when you gamble, you must remember the things that are so clear to us when we’re on the other side of the table, slot or video poker machine. The experience of gambling can give you momentary or permanent amnesia if you aren’t aware of what’s going on. So here are five suggestions to ensure that your gambling experience is a pleasant one, one that focuses on entertainment and doesn’t turn you into one of those zombies who never seem to clear your work area.

1. Plan your gaming experience. There are plenty of books that will teach you about each game. Even if you know how to deal each game, that doesn’t mean you understand it. There are plenty of tricks of the trade you can discover by reading the experts. Know your limits. Understand the games you enjoy. Remain rational and avoid getting emotional. Ease up on the alcohol when you gamble as that could impair your judgment.

2. Use money management. You normally have a good idea how long you’re going to be gambling. If you want your gambling budget to last as long as your night, figure out how much you can afford to lose every hour. For example, if you’ve got a $100 gambling budget and you’ll be playing for five hours, break that $100 into five $20 bills. Take the first Jackson and don’t cash the second until at least one hour has passed, even if you lost the first $20 in 10 minutes. Budget $20 per hour and you’ll still be in action as the night winds down. Don’t let your money management system entail playing until you lose everything you have.

3. Set a win goal and stick to it. OK, back to that original $100. If, after all is said and done, you’d be very happy doubling your money (good luck!), use that as a goal. As soon as you hit it, quit! Even if you hit it in the first 10 minutes, put the extra $100 in your pocket. You can walk home a winner and tell everybody on the floor tomorrow you beat the casino. Try to be even more realistic; quit when you win $50. You’ve still gotten the best of it. Take that home and brag to your colleagues in the morning that you beat the house.

4. Don’t gamble more than you can afford. We’ve all seen this one before: the players who tap the ATM when they go through their original bankroll. Or they bum an extra couple of hundred (thousand?) from their spouse to continue their losing streak. Or even worse, ask for yet another marker when you want to scream at them to stop chasing their loses. Remember, gambling is entertainment and remains entertainment as long as you use the money you can afford to lose and have fun doing it. Once you start to dig into the rent money or the grocery money, you’re playing with fire.

5. Know your game. Sure, everyone can get lucky. There are lottery players who scoop up jackpots in the tens of millions of dollars. Someone’s got to win it, why shouldn’t it be you? That’s the flawed logic most people use. This, despite the astronomical odds against winning, included with extremely low payouts associated with all lotteries.

There are plenty of casino games that have almost as bad odds. Keno, bingo, slot machines, “bonus bets,” and even roulette, baccarat and craps are games that in most instances should be avoided. Blackjack, video poker, race and sports betting and poker are the only games where the player can actually achieve an edge over the casino in special circumstances. If you choose one of the other games that are fun to play but have an intrinsic house edge, understand how the house edge works against you and evaluate if you’re ready to battle that edge (or you simply feel lucky!). It’s not a sin to buck the house edge, but it takes skill, and most of all, luck.

Remember, gambling is fun. When it becomes stressful, it’s time to quit.

By   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Like conversation hearts, Valentine’s Day gifts send a specific message, from “Just Friends” to “You’re Hot” to “Let’s Make It Legal.” So tread with care. If you send the wrong message on Valentine’s Day, you could spend the most romantic night of the year sharing Fido’s doghouse.

Before you buy, consider carefully the object of your affection—her personality, temperament, sense of humor. Ask yourself: Will she love or loathe a sheer negligee? Swoon or swear at a stuffed teddy bear? Enjoy that chilled bottle of Andre champagne (still a bargain at five bucks a pop), or discover you’re the biggest cheapskate since Scrooge?

Here are a few suggestions for Valentine’s Day giving—some sweet, some saucy. Choose correctly, and on February 14 you and your special someone will be making love, not war.

Sugar, Sugar

Nothing says lovin’ like chocolates, and this month, Americans will spend an estimated $1 billion on the sweet stuff (candy is the second most popular gift, after flowers).

For salacious variations on the heart-shaped box, visit It’Sugar (at the Pier at Caesars). Here you’ll find couples-only confections including (gasp) chocolate thongs and pasties, candy garters and G-strings, and a variety of chocolate bars from Bloomsberry & Co. (“3.5 ounces of impure thoughts”). There’s also a “Great Sex Weekend” kit, complete with a paintbrush and body frosting. Yum.

“It’s a risqué selection, and a bit controversial,” says store supervisor Holly Vanderski. But if you’re a prisoner of love, here’s the place to get those gummy handcuffs.

It’Sugar has make-your-own candy bars (you can spell out your sweetie’s name in M&Ms), and a fun section of vintage candy that should delight baby boomers (Nikl-Nips, Dots, Teaberry gum, Sky Bars).

The First Fruit

They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple, and the fruit has been synonymous ever since with enticement. At the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, you’ll find some of the most seductive gourmet apples east of Eden.

Owner Dave Fiene recommends the Apple Pie Apple, a fat Granny Smith dipped in white ribbon (a variety of chocolate), then rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon. The apples are so luscious, says Fiene, brides often use them as reception favors or centerpieces. The Cheesecake Apple is just as delectable, dipped in white ribbon and rolled in crushed graham crackers.

Rocky Mountain also features dried chocolate-dipped fruits—pear, pineapple—for the sensuous gourmand. And of course, fresh chocolate-dipped strawberries are always a nice (and very romantic) treat.

Love Is Blue

The Jersey Shore is justly renowned for its saltwater taffy and Boardwalk fudge. But travel less than an hour to the west, and you’ll find Jersey treats that surpass both for healthful goodness. The Blueberry Factory offers blueberry coffees, blueberry fudge, Batona (Back to Nature) blueberry trail mix, and for Valentine’s Day, exquisite chocolate-dipped fresh blueberry clusters.

“Bite in, and they just burst in your mouth,” promises owner Jim Austin, a former Atlantic City slot tech who opened the store last spring in the blueberry capital of the world—Hammonton, New Jersey. “Put chocolate and blueberries together, and you always have a big hit,” says Austin. “And it really says ‘New Jersey.’”

Your Best Bud

When it comes to Valentine’s Day flowers, one size does not fit all—far from it. Any woman past puberty has received at least several traditional (read: boring!) bouquets. You know the kind: 12 red roses, a spray of baby’s breath, a few ferns. It’s the kind of bouquet that says, “Honey, I didn’t put any thought into this whole Valentine’s Day thing.”

Do your lady a favor, and find out—through subterfuge, or by asking outright—what kind of flowers she truly loves. If it’s roses, amaze her with several dozen in spectacular colors: peach, yellow, crimson, pink. Or try something completely different: bunches of colorful asters or Gerbera daisies, pots of violets, sprays of lilies of the valley or stargazers, or orchids (no corsages, please, unless you’re giving to your granny).

Word of caution: Remember the Sex and the City episode where Carrie is dismayed by a gift of carnations? Take heed, men everywhere! Carnations are a no-no—on Valentine’s Day and any other day ending in y. They’re considered generic, cheap and uninteresting.

Silk flowers—also known as dust catchers—are also out.

AIN’T LOVE GRAND?

Weird and wacky facts about our most romantic holiday

• In 1537, Henry VIII declared Valentine’s Day a national holiday in England. The incurable romantic wooed and won six wives, and sent two to the executioner.

• In the Middle Ages, people pinned the name of their sweetheart to their sleeve on Valentine’s Day and kept it there for a week, thus “wearing their heart on their sleeve.”

• To prompt dreams of her future husband, a maid of the 17th century would eat a hard-boiled egg and pin five bay leaves to her pillow before going to sleep on Valentine's eve.

• Despite the Victorian era’s supposed stodginess, men and women of the period sent Valentine’s cards so racy, one Chicago post office refused to deliver them.

• Three percent of Americans send a Valentine’s Day card to their pet; 15 percent of American women send themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day.

• Teachers receive the most Valentine's Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then sweethearts. • Each Valentine’s Day, the Italian city of Verona, where Shakespeare’s lovers Romeo and Juliet lived, receives about 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet.

• Since its featured role in the movie Sleepless In Seattle, the 80th floor of the Empire State Building has become the site of many Valentine’s Day weddings.

By Felicia Lowenstein   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Steamy. Sizzling. Hot. Your Valentine’s Day celebration should be all these, and more. And whether those words describe your meal or your feelings toward your partner, the area’s restaurants are here to help.

Below are a few suggestions for intimate dining on this most romantic of holidays.

BUDDAKAN

Yes, you may be at the Pier at Caesars, but it looks like you’re in an ancient Chinese village, complete with rock gardens, thatched roofs and a dramatic twilight sky. At Buddakan, the menu is an innovative interpretation of modern Asian cuisine.

For Valentine’s Day, Buddakan offers a special menu: a three-course dinner with a glass of champagne for $65 per person. The dinner starts with sashimi, followed by a first course of lobster dumpling with red curry sauce or roasted quail salad with mizuna, baby leeks, shitake and cider reduction.

The second course is a choice of date-and-hoisin-crusted lamb loin with coconut cauliflower puree and saba jus or roasted black bass with lobster truffle ragu and wok-fried pea greens.

For dessert, there’s sake sorbet and champagne, gold-dusted chocolate peanut butter tartlet and banana red bean ice cream. For romantic seating, request a table in the Buddakan Opium Den, which typically seats five to six guests but when available will seat parties of two.

INN AT SUGAR HILL

Overlooking the Great Egg Harbor River in Mays Landing, the Inn at Sugar Hill offers one of the most scenic places to dine in the area. The historic site dates back to 1846 when it was a mansion owned by state Senator William Moore. The grassy knoll on which it sits was known for the sugar, molasses and rum that came by tall ships.

In 1986, the mansion was restored by the Boylan family and opened as a restaurant and bed and breakfast. General Manager John Martin says the inn’s two dining rooms (both with fireplaces) and two porches overlooking an “incredible view” are the ideal romantic setting for any day—but especially Valentine’s.

For the holiday, the restaurant will offer a fig-smeared rack of lamb, New York sirloin, surf and turf and a seafood pesto. The house dessert is a classic, according to Martin: “A pastry heart filled with vanilla mousse, fresh strawberries and bananas, served on a bed of strawberry puree and topped with caramel—big enough, of course, for two.”

The menu is a la carte and entrees range in price from $17 to $33. There is an extensive wine list, and wine flights—or tastings—can be done right at the table. Rooms are available to extend your Valentine’s Day celebration and include a continental breakfast.

KNIFE & FORK

The Knife & Fork offers a distinctive history as well as a reputation for fine food. Established as an exclusive men’s club in 1912, the restaurant is housed in a four-story Flemish building. Since opening to the public, it has been a favorite of locals and celebrities alike (Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster). Recently, the Knife & Fork was renovated “to wow a whole new generation of diners,” says owner Frank Dougherty.

“I think the history is what makes it the most romantic. So many people have gotten engaged here and celebrated different milestones in life. We had 15 to 20 proposals this last year alone.”

Dougherty has put together a romantic Valentine’s Day menu that starts with tomato and roasted pepper bisque and tarragon crème fraîche. It’s followed by roasted raspberry Point oysters with champagne cream and paddlefish caviar.

One main course selection is Chateaubriand for two accompanied by goat cheese au gratin potatoes, grilled asparagus and lobster Hollandaise. Another is rack of venison for two, pepperoncino spinach, herb-roasted Yukon gold potatoes and dried cherry compote.

For dessert, there’s chocolate fondue for two, seasonal fruit, house-made marshmallows and sponge cake. And if you’re planning to propose, simply call ahead. The staff has ample practice in hiding rings in desserts, or presenting them any way you’d like.

MAD BATTER

The New York Times has called Cape May “the culinary capital of New Jersey,” and among the town’s signature restaurants is the Mad Batter at the Carroll Villa. Owner Mark Kulkowitz says it’s one of the most romantic spots in town.

“For 130 years, this unique, beautiful building has always been a hotel,” he says. “We have 21 Victorian rooms, all individually designed with period antiques. We’re right in the historic district, just a half block from the Atlantic Ocean. You can stay here; you can dine here. We make it very special.”

On February 14 and 15, the Batter offers a Valentine’s Package with a two-night stay, two breakfasts, a Valentine’s dinner, a bottle of champagne, a rose in a memory vase and chocolate-covered strawberries. The package is priced at $325-$425 plus tax.

For Valentine’s Day, the special menu includes the traditional aphrodisiac, oysters on the half shell, as an appetizer (the Mad Batter offers the variety known as Cape May Salts).

Entrée choices include roasted half duck and baby new potato hash and dried cherry merlot glaze; grilled salmon with shrimp on jasmine rice with a red Thai curry sauce and mango lemongrass slaw; an eight-ounce filet with crabmeat, asparagus and béarnaise sauce with garlic mashed potatoes; seared jumbo scallops with lobster ravioli, sage and pecan brown butter; and braised beef short ribs in a dark ale sauce with root vegetables. Guests can also enjoy a romantic dessert for two.

The Mad Batter restaurant is also known for its clam chowder, which has been on the menu for 30 years, and for its crab cakes.

MELTING POT

Newly opened at the Atlantic City Walk, the Melting Pot offers one of the more unique dining experiences for Valentine’s Day.

“It’s interactive,” says owner Charlie Haney. “By cooking your own food, it invites conversation. And it’s very romantic. It’s not unusual for our couples to feed each other off long fondue forks.”

The Melting Pot has been voted one of the most romantic places to dine, according to Haney. “The overall environment, ambience and décor is very romantic. Then there’s Lover’s Lane, which are private tables for couples. Plus, we have seven VIP rooms with private doors. They seat up to four guests but are also used just by couples.”

The Melting Pot will offer a special menu for Valentine’s Day. The five courses include a melted cheese, salad, an appetizer, main entrée and of course, dessert. (For more on Melting Pot desserts, see the Hot Eats section.)

One of the most popular menu options is called Fondue Fusion. It features a center cut filet mignon, lobster tail, marinated balsamic sirloin, garlic and herb chicken, shrimp, an array of veggies, cheese, salads, and dessert.

THE PALM

Typically bustling with Atlantic City's movers and shakers, The Palm takes a romantic approach on Valentine's Day.

“Whether you’re coming in on Valentine’s Day or any Thursday night, every visit to The Palm is special,” says General Manager Paul Sandler. “We’re helping couples celebrate on February 14 by including champagne in our Land & Sea dinner for two.”

Start by toasting a fabulous Valentine’s dinner with two glasses of Mumms champagne. Then enjoy two mouth-watering nine-ounce filet mignons and a choice of jumbo shrimp scampi, four-ounce cold water lobster tail or jumbo lump crab cake. Lobsters are live, not frozen, and can be chosen tableside. Fish is all sushi-grade and arrives at the table within 48 hours of the catch. Caesar salads and a family-style side complete the meal. The Palm’s Land & Sea dinner for two is only $120 as a Valentine’s special.

Enjoy your intimate dinner cuddled up in a Palm booth, or dine in a private room for a quieter setting. A Valentine’s dinner at The Palm would not be complete without sharing a slice of sinfully delicious chocolate cake.

PETER SHIELDS INN

With five dining rooms, two fireplaces, a cappuccino bar and a wonderful view of the Atlantic Ocean, the Peter Shields Inn has established itself as one of the most romantic places to dine in Cape May.

Valentine’s Day patrons can choose from the winter menu just put in place. Signature dishes include lobster tail and rack of lamb. On February 14, there will also be a featured fish and special dessert. Couples will receive a long-stemmed rose in honor of the day.

The Victorian-style inn, which is also a bed and breakfast, also offers a Romantic Retreat package that includes $70 toward dinner, a complimentary bottle of champagne and a one-night getaway. The package ranges from $250 to $300.

RAM’S HEAD INN

The Ram’s Head Inn has been the go-to place for special occasions for the last 32 years, according to General Manager Dan Anderson.

“The wood-burning fireplaces, the candlelight and the intimate setting all set the tone for romance,” he says.

The menu features traditional American specialties prepared with a gourmet touch. Beef Wellington and rack of lamb are two classics, according to Anderson, who changes the menu four times a year. For Valentine’s Day, the Ram’s Head will sell “more Caesar salads prepared tableside than you can ever imagine,” he says. There will also be a special item for two.

In addition, the Ram’s Head offers more than 30 wines by the glass and over 100 half-bottle selections, ideal if one person prefers white and the other red. For the holiday, there is also pink champagne, a popular choice on the 14th. (See page 40 to learn more about the Ram’s Head desserts.)

RED SQUARE

The elegance of Imperial Russia can be experienced at Red Square at the Quarter at Tropicana. Regional Manager Joe Massari believes it’s one of the most romantic spots in the city.

“We have these very sexy areas, private booths closed off with curtains,” he says. “We always knock before entering. Those who have experienced them always request them on return visits. The food itself is also very sensual.”

The menu features chicken Kiev, black truffle with lobster fettuccine, flame-grilled certified Angus rib-eye steak and hazelnut-crusted Australian lamb. Red Square is known for its extensive caviar selection as well as its steaks.

But perhaps the most unusual factor is its vodka. The restaurant stocks 169 to 171 bottles of vodka. Guests ordering a bottle are invited into the vodka locker after first donning fur coats or Russian Army jackets.

Red Square also offers a signature dessert that includes a caviar setup, two authentic Faberge eggs, a bottle of vodka and access to the vodka locker for six months. The cost is $1,000.

RENAULT WINERY

At Renault Winery, you can choose from romantic dining in two distinctive restaurants. The Renault Gourmet Restaurant offers a six-course prix fixe dinner with wine tastings during the first and third courses. Menus are presented in picture frames at tables or booths. The booths, constructed from oak casks, offer a particularly intimate dining experience and are popular for Valentine’s Day.

“You’re in a historic winery, dining in the room where they made the champagne,” says Kevin McCarty, director of sales and marketing. “We have a new hardwood dance floor and welcome people to dance in between courses. There’s wonderful romantic lighting. It’s a very romantic place to come for Valentine’s Day.”

Also on the property, the Tuscany House Hotel features Joseph’s, which offers a la carte Mediterranean cuisine. “The hotel looks like it’s set in Tuscany, which really sets the mood for a romantic experience,” McCarty says.

At the Casinos

THE BACCHANAL  Caesars Atlantic City

The Bacchanal recreates the indulgent feast of Bacchanalia in ancient Rome. The restaurant serves up your meal complete with strolling musicians, “royal maids” to fill your wine glass and a masseur/masseuse to massage your back and neck.

For Valentine’s Day, the restaurant will feature a five-course gourmet meal for two for $130. The menu includes a selection of chilled antipasti served with dramatic flair on an illuminated Lucite pedestal, lobster bisque, Caesar salad and a choice of seven entrees.

Entrees include pan-roasted Chilean sea bass, mustard-crusted rack of lamb, jumbo lump crab cakes, pepper-crusted salmon and filet, stuffed shrimp and others. There is also a choice of dessert, including Bananas Foster flambéed tableside. Complimentary wine and a grand champagne cocktail accompany the dinner.

CAPRICCIO Resorts Atlantic City

No passport is needed for Capriccio, but you might swear you’re dining in Italy.

“The room itself is just incredible,” says Chuck Belanger, executive director of food and beverage for Resorts. “The walls feature Italian murals. There are big chandeliers. And the view of the ocean is amazing. It’s just a classically beautiful place to dine.”

For Valentine’s Day, Capriccio has put together a menu designed for romance. Entrées include filet of tenderloin with wild mushrooms and basil polenta; chicken and lobster with grilled asparagus, Boursin cheese sauce, fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato risotto and toasted pine nuts; oven-baked Chilean sea bass; and a lobster scallop, shrimp and crab dish.

Dessert will be Tiramisu Amore dusted with chocolate and topped with a chocolate strawberry. Ladies will receive a long-stemmed rose.

PEREGRINES’ Atlantic City Hilton

Named for the peregrine falcons that make their home on the penthouse ledge, this gourmet restaurant has been awarded a Five-Star rating by the American Academy of Restaurant & Hospitality Sciences. It is the only restaurant in Atlantic City to receive this honor. With an intimate atmosphere and signature seafood dishes, Peregrines’ consistently serves up a memorable experience.

ROBERTO’S RISTORANTE Trump Plaza

There’s nothing more romantic than Roberto’s, says Tony Sanza, director of food and beverage at Trump Plaza. Patrons dine in a two-tiered restaurant overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

“Being Valentine’s Day, we didn’t want to get too exotic,” Sanza says. “We wanted to give people items that they’re comfortable with. They may be nervous enough about the evening.”

Roberto’s changes menus seasonally and offers such popular classics as Chateau-briand and Trofie Bolognese, a signature pasta dish. There is a Lover’s Morsel dinner that comes with a bottle of champagne.

“We have some very nice entrées, made for sharing,” he said. “Our Caesar salad is excellent. Customers rave about it. It’s all about providing the right setting and food for a romantic evening. At Roberto’s, we provide the tools to do the job.”

Return after Valentine’s Day and the chef will prepare a tasting menu specifically for you. Just call ahead.

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

Wed, Jan 30, 2008

Woods at Blue Heron Pines: close to everything, away from it all

The clubhouse at The Woods at Blue Heron Pines is a study in comfort. The look is pure Arts and Crafts, with a wide-open great room, wooden floors and cabinets, a two-story barrel ceiling and big banks of windows that let the sunlight pour in. Oversized leather sofas, caramel-colored walls, simple polished tables and fat pottery lamps complete the cozy Craftsman look.

Residents clamor to book private parties at the clubhouse, which also features a billiard room, fitness center and business center. Outside, there are two pools (one with a fountain) and a cabana house for summer.

But of all the benefits of living at this six-year-old, 330-unit Galloway apartment community, the most important is—you guessed it—location, location, location.

The Woods at Blue Heron Pines is tucked between the rolling Blue Heron Pines Golf Course and a wooded preserve. For residents, that means utter peace and quiet just minutes from the hurly burly of the White Horse and Black Horse Pikes, the Expressway and Atlantic City. Hamilton Mall is close by. Cherry Hill and Philadelphia are an easy commute away.

The community’s website touts its “luxury, lifestyle and convenience.” It lives up to those claims, says property manager Norma Meyer, who lives on the premises.

“You definitely feel like you’re living in your own home,” says Meyer. “From my patio overlooking the woods I watch the birds. It’s just spectacular, and very serene. I have a family above me, and I rarely hear them.” Each apartment has a private entrance and garage with direct access.

“We are considered low-density, with just six units to the acre,” says director of property management Anne Macy, who adds that the apartments are “beautifully contemporary, with free-flowing floor plans, nine-foot ceilings, electric fireplaces.”

Kitchens feature pristine white-on-white appliances, 42-inch cabinets for maximum storage and a dove-grey breakfast bar.

Says Meyer, “The bathrooms are so large, you could comfortably put a large piece of furniture (armoire, sideboard, vanity) in there—it’s like having an extra room.” Bathrooms also include garden soaking tubs for luxurious lolling.

The one-to-three-bedroom apartments rent from $1,295 and are up to 2,226 square feet. Short-term leases are available.

“We have all the amenities with none of the maintenance,” says Macy. “Best of all, we have these unique surroundings. There is no other community in South Jersey so convenient to everything, but with the luxury of overlooking a golf course.”

By David Schwartz   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Anyone who’s flown in or out of Atlantic City International Airport has seen the sign for the William J. Hughes Technical Center. But few locals and even fewer visitors have any idea what workers there do, or how long the center has been a part of Atlantic County. In fact, it has been an integral part of the area for decades, and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center opened in 1958 on the site of the Pomona Naval Air Station. The station, which was constructed in 1942, served to train air combat groups including fighter, bomber, and torpedo squadrons. A year later, the facility’s emphasis shifted and it was used only to train fighters.

After World War II, the Navy continued to train fliers at the Pomona station. In 1958, the site was transferred to the Airways Modernization Board, a division of the Civil Aeronautics Administration that coordinated aviation research. By the end of that year, the CAA had become the Federal Aviation Agency, and NAFEC became the technical arm of its Bureau of Research and Development.

Just as NAFEC opened, the CAA was closing its technical development center in Indianapolis. Many of those engineers, pilots, and technicians transferred to Pomona. Once the center was fully staffed, it employed more than 2,000 people.

According to a 1960 New York Times profile, the most important job for the NAFEC experts was cutting congestion near major airports. Specific projects included testing new landing strip lights, improving air and ground radar, and developing better ways to process air traffic control data.

In its early years, NAFEC was composed of 184 separate buildings, many of them dating to the war years, spread out over 5,000 acres. The very vastness of the facility proved problematic; one study found that the center was losing more than 100 man-years of labor time a year because of the time workers spent trekking from one building to another. In addition, the facilities were outdated and unsuited to technical innovation. So in 1964 the center began a three-phase building program that would significantly modernize its physical plant.

But the FAA only finished the first phase, and in 1973 FAA administrator Alexander Butterfield proposed closing the facility entirely and moving most of its functions to Oklahoma City.

In the pre-casino 1970s, NAFEC was the largest employer in Atlantic County. A shutdown would have been disastrous. So the “Save NAFEC Committee,” assisted by freshman Congressman William J. Hughes, began lobbying for a construction/lease program that would let the county build new facilities, thus keeping the center open.

In May 1975, those efforts paid off. Secretary of Transportation William Coleman announced that NAFEC would remain open, and three years later, construction started on a $50 million headquarters building. When it opened in 1980, the name changed to the FAA Technical Center. During the 1980s, the Technical Center was the linchpin of the FAA’s efforts to modernize air traffic control. Researchers added a human-factors laboratory to tested operators’ reactions to various situations, and an Air Traffic Simulation Facility that allowed technicians to recreate the air traffic patterns of any airport in the world—an early example of virtual reality.

In 1996, the name changed yet again. On May 6, in recognition of his passionate advocacy for the center, the facility was officially re-dedicated the William J. Hughes Technical Center. Since then, the center has weathered yet another threatened closure. As it begins its second half-century, it continues to lead the way in research for safer, more secure, and more efficient aviation.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Break out the Hollywood script. Make Tom Rubino the lead actor in a movie called Gaming and Greatness.

All right, the concept may be tongue-in-cheek, but Rubino has lived a life like something off the big screen. The Caesars dual-rate pit manager has spent nearly three decade spelling G-R-E-A-T.

G is for gritty. Tom Rubino is a day-one Caesars veteran, a rare commodity amid numerous managerial changes.

R is for rare. Rubino met his wife Maryann, also day-one as a Caesars cocktail waitress, at the casino. They have been married 25 years and both remain in the industry.

E is for empathetic. The couple has not only raised three children, but became foster parents, and is in the process of adopting a 5-year-old.

A is for accomplished. Rubino twice won the Service Excellence Award, the equivalent of gaining two Employee of the Year awards.

T is for timely assistant. He was recently commended for helping a beleaguered comrade combat an obnoxious customer.

“I happened to be walking to the dealers lounge and the security guard is in the process of escorting a customer out,” Rubino says. “The guy broke away and started to pound the officer in the face. I could not just stand there and watch somebody get assaulted. It took eight of us to restrain the guy; it was really crazy. But I remember thinking I was too old for this!”

The Bristol, Pennsylvania native, once a starving bank manager, actually got into gaming to humor a friend. At his buddy’s urging, they drove to Atlantic City and applied for new careers in casinos. Rubino was hired; his friend was not.

Caesars quickly enhanced his personal balance sheet. Rubino began as a dealer and within a year became a supervisor. He was responsible for watching dealers, overseeing the pits and making comp decisions for customers.

“The biggest changes over the years have been the growth of amenities,” Rubino says. “With the competition all around from other states, I’m real happy that we have added not only rooms, but the shopping, the spas and the pools—all the things that customers really want. In the past, you had to turn down people who wanted rooms, and it was a real hard thing to do. You ended up losing business. Now you don’t.”

Rubino enjoys the reciprocal nature of customer interaction. Patrons have gone so far as to take him out to dinner.

“What makes this business better than most, to me, is how you can interact with the customers,” he says. “You talk to them about special interests you have while they’re gaming. You talk to people from different countries, enjoy the exchanges about different culture. You get an idea how to read people, how to find out what they want, and then give that to them.”

He also applies the concept at home. The Rubinos wanted to show their three children that some people are less fortunate. They became foster parents and will soon make young Demitry an official member of the family.

“It’s all about giving back,” Rubino says. “If God has been good to you, you must reciprocate. And it really does come back to you. Our children see it. They are very close to this little boy. Some day they will thank me, too.”

“Thanks.” It’s a phrase Rubino’s spent a lifetime hearing.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

By Joe Legato   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Who knew console controllers had enough buttons to successfully adapt to a game originally designed for the PC?

Epic Games shows it can be done with the latest installation of the Unreal series, Unreal Tournament 3. The basic plot of this first-person shooter revolves around the continuous battle between the Ronin, a team of professional soldiers, and the Necris, an undead race created by the enigmatic Phayder Corporation. The protagonist of Unreal Tournament 3 is a Ronin member named Reaper. He is out for revenge against a leader of the Necris who helped attack his home colony.

Players will be excited to go out on their own or join with a group as they jump back into the Unreal universe of battling corporations and alien races.

Unreal Tournament 3 comes with all the options you’d expect from a great first-person shooter: a selection of characters, powerful vehicles and lots of cool weapons. Where else can a player wield a bio-rifle that shoots toxic sludge while riding a hoverboard across the map?

The standout feature of Unreal Tournament 3 is the Unreal Engine 3 toolset. Gamers are free to create new items, characters and, well, basically anything they want to put into the game. While the plot of

Unreal Tournament 3 is entertaining, this game was definitely designed for online play. You should find some friends (online or in real life) who have the game, because you will most likely rather play in giant group battles. Plus, it’s always more fun to make fun of a friend you just blasted off the level than to mock some AI chip inside of your Playstation.

By Chris Borino   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

The offbeat odyssey of a spunky high school girl and her uterus, Juno is this winter's biggest box office surprise.

The film is decidedly pro-choice, confirming that supporting a woman’s sovereignty over her body does not exclude embracing motherhood.

The soundtrack features a collection of chirpy hipster/indie rock tunes largely assembled by star Ellen Page. They provide a refreshingly light tone for a film that, in the hands of anyone but director Jason Reitman, could have been very dark.

The opening credits begin with “All I Want Is You” by Barry Louis Polisar, a folksy, country, innocent little ditty with the lyrics, “If you were a wink, I’d be a nod/If you were a pea, well, I’d be a pod/If you were the floor, I’d wanna be the rug/And if you were a kiss, I know I’d be a hug.”

The film’s theme is “Anyone Else But You” by the Moldy Peaches, a New York indie rock band founded by Adam Green and Kimya Dawson (the tune is later reprised by Page and costar Michael Cera).

Six of Dawson's songs are also featured here, and thanks to the soundtrack—number 8 on the Billboard 100 at press time—she has vaulted from obscurity to the national spotlight. Credit Dawson for much of the film’s success, as her music is used throughout to set an intriguing mood. Composer Mateo Messina also based his score on Dawson's songs.

In addition to Kimya Dawson's fantastic contribution, the soundtrack features Cat Power, Mott the Hoople, Belle & Sebastian, Buddy Holly, the Kinks, and Lou Reed's legendary band, the Velvet Underground.

The movie is great and the soundtrack is a true companion piece, much like the Garden State soundtrack a few years back. Watch the movie first, then go buy or download this mellow collection of anti-folk and rock songs.

By   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

This funny, affecting memoir from a comedian once known for wearing an arrow through his head has a certain caution about it. Steve Martin acknowledges a detachment from his wild-and-crazy career roots, and even says that writing this book was like writing about someone else.

Yet Born Standing Up has a rigorous honesty that makes it a gratifying, occasionally touching read, as well as a great primer for anyone considering a life in show business.

Martin grew up in Southern California, a bike ride away from Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm, where he got his start as a teen magician and entertainer. He spent more than a decade on the comedy club circuit, living out of hotels rooms (and keeping a safe distance from his family, including a cold, disapproving father.)

Then lightning struck. The Tonight show with Johnny Carson led to Saturday Night Live. Suddenly, the comedian who had played to empty and half-empty rooms found himself in arenas before crowds of 45,000. His first album, Let’s Get Small, sold more than a million copies; he made the covers of Rolling Stone and Newsweek. His father remained unimpressed.

Martin found fame limiting. In giant stadiums, it was almost impossible to interact personally with his audience, and his act grew static. Offstage, he was unnerved by the attention of strangers, who expected this rather serious man to be the same zany they saw on TV. After four years, he quit standup and never looked back. As an actor, author and playwright, he at last earned his father’s approval; their final rapprochement is heartbreakingly tender.

Jerry Seinfeld calls this book “one of the best books about comedy and being a comedian ever written.” More than that, it’s a portrait of the artist as a son, as a thoughtful man, and as a deft chronicler of his own, very human condition.

By Joe Legato   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

This is a compelling remake of the 1957 film with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin. Reprising Ford’s role as the evil-but-charming outlaw is Russell Crowe, and taking on Heflin’s role as the good guy who brings him to justice is Christian Bale.

The story begins with the capture of notorious killer Ben Wade (Crowe), and the offer of $200 to anyone who will transport him on a several-days’ journey to the nearest railroad station. From there Wade and his keeper will board the next train to Yuma prison, where the killer faces certain hanging.

Bale’s character, a rancher and former Union Army sharpshooter named Dan Evans, is facing foreclosure on his property in post-Civil War Arizona. He must convince his wife that it’s the right thing to do to take Wade to justice and preserve his family’s future. Wade, meanwhile, has a ruthless gang that pursues the party throughout the film.

Like all good Westerns, 3:10 to Yuma is a study of the psychology of its characters. Crowe’s character is the obviously evil man who is nevertheless a smooth charmer, and tries unsuccessfully to hide the fact he retains a grain of good in his character. His temporary captor is a tragic figure, unable to gain the respect of his son or make a life for his family, driven to use his sharpshooting skills on a dangerous mission with an uncertain outcome.

The best part of this film, though, lies in the performances of the main characters. New Zealander Crowe nails the mystique of the American West and the ruthless-yet-gentle nature of his character. Bale, a Briton, is just as good in his role, and director Mangold does a fine job of building suspense to the climax of the film. It lives up to its billing as one of the best Westerns of the decade.

Granted, there aren’t enough Westerns around to substantiate that claim, but any fan of the genre will still like this one.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

February 2

Dancing With the Stars Tour, Boardwalk Hall

Chippendales Live, Harrah’s

Mitch Fatel, Pete Correale, Lynn Koplitz, Trump Marina

February 3-8

The Lettermen, Resorts

February 3-23

Clint Holmes, Harrah’s

February 8

Gilberto Santa Rosa, House of Blues

Soulive, House of Blues

Hell Yeah!, House of Blues

February 8-9

Aaron Lewis, Borgata

February 9

Queensryche, Tropicana

New Breed Fighters, House of Blues

Jon Heep, Bil Dwyer, Trump Plaza

February 13

Avant & Carl Thomas, House of Blues

February 14

Citizen Cope, Borgata

February 15

Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Boardwalk Hall

Matchbox twenty, Alanis Morissette, Borgata

Jerry Blavat’s Sweethearts Dance Party, Hilton

February 15-16

The Commodores, Trump Plaza

February 15-17

Franki Valli, Borgata

Pat Cooper, Trump Marina

February 16

The Village People, Resorts

Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Seether, Taj Mahal

Gino Vannelli, Hilton

Artie Lange, Borgata

The Machine: Pink Floyd Experience, Trump Marina

February 16-17

Little Anthony & the Imperials, Tropicana

February 17-18; February 21-22

Mickey Rooney, Resorts

February 23

Mummers 2008, Boardwalk Hall

Gypsy Kings, Caesars

Puddle of Mudd, House of Blues

The Wailers, Trump Marina

February 29

Babyface, Borgata

Flogging Molly, House of Blues

Henry Rollins, House of Blues

March 1

Babyface, Borgata

B.B. King, House of Blues

Martina McBride, Caesars

Trisha Yearwood, Hilton

Patrizio Buanne, Taj Mahal

March 4-7

Ricci Martin, Hilton

March 8

Mike Birbiglia, Trump Plaza

Paul Potts, Borgata

March 9-10; March 12-14

Gary Puckett, Resorts

March 14-15

Lewis Black, Borgata

Jackie Mason, Tropicana

March 15

Antonis Remos and Sakis Rouvis, Taj Mahal

Robin Trower, House of Blues

America, Resorts

March 16-17; March 19-21

Sheena Easton, Resorts

March 21-22

Michael Buble, Borgata

March 22

Wanda Sykes, Borgata

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Talk about a sure bet. The biggest show this month belongs to country superstars Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood, who perform on one bill at Boardwalk Hall February 15.

Headlining on the big night is Urban, the superstar country performer who’s come a long way since the Country Music Association honored him with its Horizon Award in 2001, the same year the Academy of Country Music named him Top New Male Vocalist.

Nearly seven years and more than 10 million albums sold later, Urban has garnered many more accolades, being the only Horizon winner to win the CMA’s Entertainer of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year (he captured the latter three times).

Urban is on the road to plug Keith Urban Greatest Hits: 18 Kids, a compilation that features seven No. 1 smashes and seven other Top 5 hits. Expect Urban to play the huge songs that earned him the right to headline arenas around the country, along with two new ones written for the package: a remake of “Got It Right This Time (The Celebration)” and his take on Steve Forbert’s 1979 gem “Romeo’s Tune.”

Urban’s popularity seems to have no bounds. He’s one of the few country stars to ever appear on Saturday Night Live, and he is extremely involved in charitable endeavors.

As for Underwood, she seems to be on a path to greatness that could rival Urban’s. The former American Idol winner is easily the most successful graduate from the Fox reality series, fulfilling Idol judge Simon Cowell’s prediction that she would not only win, but outsell all of the show’s previous winners.

Underwood’s debut album Some Hearts was the best-selling female country album of 2005, 2006 and 2007, hitting No. 1 with every single she released, a remarkable achievement. She also won two Grammy awards among a slew of other accolades. Her latest release, Carnival Ride, is anything but a sophomore slump as she shows her increasing strength as a vocalist and newfound maturity in her lyrics. She actually co-wrote four of the songs on the new CD, including “All-American Girl,” “Crazy Dreams” and the first single, “So Small.”

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Trump Entertainment’s 2008 comedy series will showcase up-and-comers and comic headliners during several Saturday night performances at Trump Marina, Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza.

“This series will give our customers the opportunity to see hilarious comics in a variety of venues at all three properties,” says Steve Gietka, vice president of entertainment for Trump Entertainment Resorts.

The first show features three comedians who are certainly on the brink of success: Mitch

Fatel, Pete Correale and Lynne Koplitz, at Trump Marina. Fatel is the best known of the three, appearing on his own Comedy Central special and also The Bob & Tom Show, a popular syndicated radio show. Correale has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, while Koplitz routinely performs at Caroline’s on Broadway in New York City.

The second show features Last Comic Standing 2007 winner Jon Reep with fellow alumnus Bill Dwyer at Trump Plaza February 9. Future shows include Greg Giraldo, Nick DiPaulo, Jim Florentine and Robert Klein.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Henry Rollins may be best known for his intense post-punk music, be it his solo work or his time with Black Flag. But when he comes to the House of Blues February 29, Rollins will be showing off the spoken word poetry that’s helped him transcend his music career.

Anyone who knows Rollins shouldn’t be surprised. He has written poetry for years, performed spoken word tours and recorded spoken word albums. He even appeared in several movies. The spoken word shows have received lots of praise because Rollins is, ironically, more relaxed performing spoken word than he is as a musician, and shows off a very humorous side that often pokes fun at himself.

The Washington, D.C., native is definitely not your typical spoken word artist. Don’t expect nonsensical rhymes or clichés. Rollins is a master at telling stories about everyday life with a keen sense of observation. It’s impossible to walk out of a performance and not think about life a little bit differently.

Rollins’ tour certainly shows that the musician/poet/speaker is full of opinions. Some of his recent shows have stretched to three hours as he rants and goes off on tangents about his difficulties with women, his music career, the war in Iraq—pretty much anything that pushes his buttons. But his energetic personality and great sense of humor make the night fly by, and anyone who attends will learn a thing or two.

By Joseph Harrison   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Two of the biggest acts of the 1990s join forces for what should be an unforgettable night at Borgata February 15, as matchbox twenty and Alanis Morrisette form a killer twin bill.

Although matchbox twenty’s star has fallen over the years—the band has only put out three albums in its 12 years of existence—matchbox was absolutely huge when it debuted in 1996, selling more than 12 million copies of its debut album, Yourself or Someone Like You.

Lead singer Rob Thomas has managed to eclipse the band, winning three Grammys for his collaboration on Carlos Santana’s “Smooth” while making a name for himself with his own solo record.

Expect a greatest-hits kind of night, as well as some of the six new songs released on an EP accompanying the band’s greatest hits package, Exile On Mainstream.

Unless Morissette surprises the crowd with some new unreleased songs—an unlikely scenario—it will also be a greatest-hits affair for the Canadian-American singer/songwriter. While Morissette has been very busy putting the finishing touches on her new CD Flavors of Entanglement, the record will not be released until April.

The tour and CD constitute a coming-out party for the onetime megastar, who practically spent the last four years in hibernation. According to Morissette, she had an abundance of tracks to choose from for the new CD, which combine world and folk music with experimental pop featuring male backup singers.

The album is a follow-up to 2004’s So-Called Chaos, which was her least-successful album commercially. Morissette is also involved in some other projects. She will star in the film adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel, Radio Free Albemuth, and she is in the process of hiring an editor for a book she is writing.

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

The nationwide real estate slump that’s caused a decline in prices has also presented a real opportunity for buyers.

Is the time right to buy? If it is, what’s the right price?

House Hunting

Let’s start with the fun part: looking for a house. While you might fall in love with one place, it’s essential to shop around, because it gives you leverage with sellers.

Take notes (location, neighborhood, square footage, lot size and amenities, and, oh yes—price). Look at “comps,” or comparable homes in the area, to discover whether a home is reasonably priced for the neighborhood; if it’s higher, what amenities set it apart? If it’s lower, find out why. Sometimes there’s something wrong with the house; other times the owner will price low to sell quickly.

Price Points

Information is ammunition. Study the pros and cons, and find out if you have a motivated buyer. If you really like a house, make a reasonable first offer. It’s rare that someone would accept an offer more than 20 percent below asking price. If you low-ball, the seller might not counter-offer, which is your goal. If you have to re-bid without a counter, your leverage has significantly decreased.

Add two important contingencies: the house must pass inspection by an independent professional inspector, and (unless you’re paying cash) you get adequate financing from your lender. If the inspector finds something seriously wrong and the owner won’t fix it, submit a new counter-offer and discuss the situation with your lender. Haggle if you must. In some instances, your lender may not approve a mortgage on a home with serious deficiencies.

Even if your offer is accepted and you’re headed toward closing, you’re not out of the woods. No deal is final until your lender actually commits to your loan. Meantime, someone else can come in with an offer to trump yours.

You can then re-bid up, but don’t be afraid to walk. There’s always another house out there.

Negotiating Tactics for Homebuyers

• Don’t accept the first offer. The owner may worry he’s priced it too low and re-price higher.

• Don’t be calm. Flinch when you first hear the price. Appear shocked and dismayed. Staying calm can work against you when you want the best price.

• Put the squeeze on. Tell the seller, “You’re going to have to do better than that,” then shut up. A better price could be forthcoming.

• Never offer to split the difference in any negotiation. Let the seller do it, then split the difference after splitting the difference. That way, you win.

• You really want the house? Save one small concession for the end to give everyone the feeling they won.

BY DESIGN

To make a small bathroom seem larger, use a light-colored paint on the walls to better reflect existing natural light, then add colorful accessories—towels, a throw rug, framed art, flowers—to introduce deeper or more vibrant tones. You can also add mirrors for an illusion of spaciousness, but don’t overdo it. Wall-to-wall mirrors that reflect back the entire room just confuse the eye (and besides, few of us are prepared for a full-length view each time we step out of the bath!). Finally, choose a clear-glass shower door or tie-back shower curtains for more openness.

REAL ESTATE 101

Q&A with Shari Tomasini, Sellstate Innovative Realty LLC

1) How do you determine if it's a buyer's market or a seller's market?

It’s simple supply and demand. If there are more houses for sale than buyers, it’s a buyer’s market. If there are more buyers and fewer houses, it’s a seller’s market. A seller must be more flexible about price in a buyer’s market.

2) How do you make the initial offer on a house?

Approach your initial offer by doing your homework on the value. Determine real market value based on comparable sales of similar houses in the same general location within the last 60 days. Then make an offer. A realtor with great negotiating ability is essential. Personally, I’d offer below-list price right now, to allow room for further market correction.

3) How important is the home inspection? How do you find a good inspector?

A home inspection is extremely important and strongly recommended! The best resource is your realtor or referral, but shop around and compare before hiring to determine services and guarantees. To eliminate any problems, sellers can also have the home inspected before selling.

OPEN HOUSE

Woods at Blue Heron Pines: close to everything, away from it all

The clubhouse at The Woods at Blue Heron Pines is a study in comfort. The look is pure Arts and Crafts, with a wide-open great room, wooden floors and cabinets, a two-story barrel ceiling and big banks of windows that let the sunlight pour in. Oversized leather sofas, caramel-colored walls, simple polished tables and fat pottery lamps complete the cozy Craftsman look.

Residents clamor to book private parties at the clubhouse, which also features a billiard room, fitness center and business center. Outside, there are two pools (one with a fountain) and a cabana house for summer.

But of all the benefits of living at this six-year-old, 330-unit Galloway apartment community, the most important is—you guessed it—location, location, location.

The Woods at Blue Heron Pines is tucked between the rolling Blue Heron Pines Golf Course and a wooded preserve. For residents, that means utter peace and quiet just minutes from the hurly burly of the White Horse and Black Horse Pikes, the Expressway and Atlantic City. Hamilton Mall is close by. Cherry Hill and Philadelphia are an easy commute away.

The community’s website touts its “luxury, lifestyle and convenience.” It lives up to those claims, says property manager Norma Meyer, who lives on the premises.

“You definitely feel like you’re living in your own home,” says Meyer. “From my patio overlooking the woods I watch the birds. It’s just spectacular, and very serene. I have a family above me, and I rarely hear them.” Each apartment has a private entrance and garage with direct access.

“We are considered low-density, with just six units to the acre,” says director of property management Anne Macy, who adds that the apartments are “beautifully contemporary, with free-flowing floor plans, nine-foot ceilings, electric fireplaces.”

Kitchens feature pristine white-on-white appliances, 42-inch cabinets for maximum storage and a dove-grey breakfast bar.

Says Meyer, “The bathrooms are so large, you could comfortably put a large piece of furniture (armoire, sideboard, vanity) in there—it’s like having an extra room.” Bathrooms also include garden soaking tubs for luxurious lolling.

The one-to-three-bedroom apartments rent from $1,295 and are up to 2,226 square feet. Short-term leases are available.

“We have all the amenities with none of the maintenance,” says Macy. “Best of all, we have these unique surroundings. There is no other community in South Jersey so convenient to everything, but with the luxury of overlooking a golf course.”

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

The month of February means different things to different people. For some, it’s the month of romance; for others, a time to connect with their heritage.

On Valentine’s Day, the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority will celebrate in a big way with a Group Wedding, Vow Renewal and Civil Union Ceremony. The ceremony takes place at 2 p.m. in the Adrian Phillips Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall on Thursday, February 14. The ceremony is free for all couples and their guests. Jean Muchanic, executive director of the Absecon Lighthouse, will officiate.

Couples can pre-register by visiting the ACCVA’s website, www.atlanticcitynj.com/ visitors.weddings.asp. The website also features up-to-date event information. Hotel packages for couples and their guests are currently available from the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel, Quality Hotel Bayside Resort, Quality Inn Casino City and Wyndham Skyline Tower.

All couples-to-be must obtain a marriage or civil union license. Call local vital statistics departments for complete details. For additional information, e-mail ACWedding@accva.com or call 609-449-7126.

The Atlantic City Free Public Library invites you to celebrate with a host of events for Black History Month. First, the library’s meeting room will be transformed into a Jet Black, Brown and Tan magazine exhibit. Ralph Hunter, the founder and president of the African-American Heritage Museum of South Jersey, will present the exhibit of magazines featuring 125 pieces including copies of Negro Digest, Ebony, Ebony Jr., Jet and EM magazines. The magazines, published from 1942 through 1999, feature many prominent African-Americans including Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jackson.

The following events honoring Black History Month at the library will be held in the library’s second-floor meeting room and are free of charge. They include:

• On Saturday, February 9 at 11 a.m., a Roundtable Discussion led by Atlantic City Weekly’s Raymond Tyler will focuse on the moments and icons that have been important to African-Americans.

• Friday, February 15 at 2:30 p.m. check out Write Your Blues Tune from the International House of Blues. Discussed will be the evolution of the blues from its roots in West African drumming to its influence on contemporary musical forms.

• Saturday, February 16 at 1 p.m., the four-piece Tony Day Orchestra will perform a 90-minute concert with a wide range of jazz music.

• Last but not least, Cineplay Productions will present Lorraine Hansberry’s classic play A Raisin in the Sun on Sunday, February 17 at 1 p.m. Following the performance, the audience can meet the cast for a discussion of the play. A Raisin in the Sun stars former library employee Leonard Dozier, who is also the producer. The performance is free.

All library events will take place at the Main Library, 1 North Tennessee Avenue in Atlantic City. For information, call 609-345-2269, ext. 3119, or visit www.acfpl.org.

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey’s Performing Arts Center presents Frederick Douglass: In the Shadow of Slavery, a one-man theatrical journey about one of the most important African-American activists. Broadway star Mel Johnson Jr. plays Douglass. The show is Saturday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 for orchestra and $25 for mezzanine. For more information or to purchase tickets to any event at the Stockton Performing Arts Center, contact the box office at 609-652-9000, or visit www.stockton.edu/pac.

Also in celebration of Black History Month, the Atlantic City Art Center will feature A Tribute to the Late Link Soundra Usry Hollingsworth—Original Art Works. The exhibit is sponsored by the Atlantic City Chapter of The Links Inc., and the African-American Heritage Museum of Southern Jersey. Also featured are artists Betty Anne Bembry, Anne Glapion and Rosalyn W. Wooding. The Art Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. For more information, call 609- 347-5837 or visit www.acartcenter.org.

Finally, though it doesn’t take place until March 8 and 9, it may take a month for you to prepare yourself for The Atlantic City Beer Festival at the Atlantic City Convention Center. This “celebration of the suds” will feature more than 75 breweries pouring at least 250 different beers and ales from the United States and around the world. The popular Celtic band Birnam Wood will return to keep the place jumping. Chefs from area restaurants will demonstrate how to cook with beer.

The Beer Festival is Saturday, March 8, with Session 1 from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. and Session 2 from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. On Sunday, March 9, there is one session from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Advance order tickets are $35 each until March 1 or you can purchase them at the door for $45. Designated driver price is $5. You must be 21 years of age and present photo ID to enter.

By Dave Bontempo   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Steve Arcana likes having sand in his shoes. He even launched a career based on his love of the Jersey Shore. “When I got an internship,” he says, “I wanted it to be in a casino—so I could stay at the beach.”

The plan worked. Then it led Arcana to even sunnier climes. A Pennsylvanian who spent summers in Ocean City, Arcana got an excellent baptism here from 1985 to 1995, at the Sands. His food and beverage department helped the casino overcome substantial obstacles, like the lack of a big showroom and no connection to the Boardwalk. That mattered when career expansion dawned.

“I was flattered at the interest in my Atlantic City experience,” says Arcana, now vice president of operations for Vegas-based Golden Gaming Inc. “Those days provided a sound foundation for me.”

The early days, he says, were “an exciting time to be in Atlantic City. We catered to a high-end customer. With our amenities, clubs and world-class restaurants, we competed with Trump Plaza for all the high-end business. Every weekend in Atlantic City gave you something to look forward to.

“With food and beverage, we were in the middle of it all.” His department was a crucial crossover point for aspiring general managers and chief operating officers.

“Food and beverage offers the best training ground,” says Arcana. “You are dealing 24/7 with the demands of the players. It teaches you to know how to take care of the customers; it definitely prepared me for upper management. It provided the lesson that the business boils down just to pleasing your guest. From the slots to the hotel stay to the restaurant end, the aspects to be sure of are that your product is superior and your service is superior.”

For Arcana, the crossover occurred in Las Vegas, during the slot revolution that changed the face of gaming. As a food and beverage executive, he had already been part of the rise of Station casinos. Then Golden Gaming—founded by Stations’ executive Blake Sartini—enticed him to the gaming side.

Arcana now directs more than 2,000 employees of the Golden juggernaut, which operates three Colorado casinos in Black Hawk, near Denver. The company also serves as a management arm at Hard Rock, operates a Nevada tavern operation with 45 locations, and is a large slot-route operator in Nevada. It manages more than 2,500 machines in convenience stores, restaurants, bars and taverns.

The jump to Golden Gaming was a big one for Arcana, but he cleared the risk-reward hurdle, swinging into a management training program, then into a post as assistant general manager at Boulder Station. After that came a GM position at the Santa Fe and Texas Station properties.

“The most important education I received in Las Vegas came through slots,” he says. “You come to understand what the consumers want and what the best themes are. That means spending a lot of time with the manufacturers to understand what they have in store for the future, then analyzing the floor on a regular basis. You go over the themes, the denominations, the layout and the comfort of the different areas. You break down the video reels for poker, what works the best, where it will be the most profitable.”

At Golden Gaming, Arcana displayed instant versatility. He added new property development, marketing and human resource duties to his expertise in slots, hotel management and food and beverage.

The job provides a unique view of Nevada’s “tavern casinos.” The restricted gaming often limits a tavern to 15 machines, offering video poker, keno and blackjack. Smaller machine numbers provide an informal setting, where food and beverage plays prominently.

“It’s a whole different thing than you would see most other places,” Arcana says. “The gaming crowd comes in, they want to talk to the bar host, relax, have a couple drinks. The taverns have become so fun and diverse. There is a lot of energy and warmth. Everybody loves their favorite bar.

“We have a designated driver program and taxi programs, so we are very conscious of the alcohol. Players love the idea that it’s in-and-out, no valet, no garage.”

Arcana thrives on the energy of gaming, the thrill of assembling teams, and the variety of challenge. He remains an energized, focused and dynamic executive.

Steve’s “Golden” Pointers

• “Don’t be focused on salary at the beginning. Earning potential will grow with experience. Never walk in and demand money, just give them 110 percent. Show companies you want to learn. Vary your experience and those paydays will come. It burns me up when somebody says they need x, y, and z to make a job work. You’ll get your x, y and z, but you’ve got to prove it.”

• Show stability. Arcana’s extensive career has been spent only with three companies: the Sands, Station and Golden Gaming. “If I look at a resumé and someone has jumped around on a regular basis, I don’t like that,” he says. “Stay committed. Stay loyal. When people stay at least five or six years, they will take on a lot of jobs to help them grow.”

By   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

The traditional afternoon tea typically consists of light sandwiches, assorted scones and tiny cakes or pastries served with lots of hearty tea. But the ritual of “taking tea” is less about the meal, and more about the mood.

Done right, afternoon tea recalls a bygone era of graciousness, good manners, and simple, old-fashioned elegance. Diners craving a change (not just from fast food but from the fast pace of modern life) will love the refined experience of a tea room luncheon, says Gail Chiovari, owner of the Vintage Rose Tea Room in the Millville arts district.

“People come through the door, and it’s like they just walked into their grandmother’s parlor,” Chiovari says. “It’s comfortable, relaxed, and for those of an older generation, very reminiscent of their youth. They walk in and say, ‘Ahhh.’”

Chiovari’s tea starts with “savories” (tiny sandwiches like chicken salad on a mini-croissant, egg salad on a pumpernickel round with fresh spinach, or smoked salmon mousse on heart-shaped wheat bread).

Accompanying these are fresh-baked scones with lemon curd and clotted cream and individual pots of tea (one for each person). Her loose-leaf teas are from Harney & Sons of New York; guests can choose among dozens of brews, from chocolate strawberry to Chinese Flower, from pomegranate oolong to a coveted variety known as Lapsang Souchong.

Desserts change with the seasons but usually include Chiovari’s signature rose-shaped chocolate cake, orange cheesecake topped with apricot glaze, teapot cookies and fresh-baked muffins.

Chiovari’s ultimate tea is an upscale version of the norm, with salad and tropical green tea spritzer in a champagne flute.

Of course, a tea room isn’t a tea room without crisp linen tablecloths and napkins, china place settings (often antique, often mismatched) and bright ranks of silver. But for all their style, these services are not referred to “high tea,” as many believe.

“That’s a discrepancy—some people think ‘high tea’ means a fancier tea,” says Chiovari. “In fact, high tea is a heartier meal served later in the day, much more substantial than an afternoon tea.”

To add to the confusion, a genuine afternoon tea can also rightly be called “low tea,” because it was once served in a sitting room around a low table.

For a genuine high tea, visit the new Butterfly Tea Room, on the way to the Cape May Lighthouse.

As classical music plays, your host Peg Wolfe serves a complete tea of warm scones and pastries with lemon curd, Devonshire cream and jam, plus fresh fruit, finger sandwiches, soups and quiches.

“Nothing is processed; everything is homemade,” says Wolfe, who recommends the quiche Lorraine, the seafood quiche, and an array of hearty soups including butternut squash and chicken corn noodle.

Twenty varieties of fresh leaf tea include peppermint and plum; each tea is brewed on order. “It takes eight to 10 minutes, but it’s well worth the wait,” says Wolfe. “I have a collection of almost 60 teapots, and our guests are invited to select their own. They love that.”

A classic tea room luncheon is also available at the Carriage House Tea Room and Café in Cape May.

Located on the regal grounds of the 1879 Physick Estate, the Carriage House under Chef Denis Bellanger offers fresh tea breads (pistachio, carrot raisin, cranberry nut), assorted scones, soup or salad, and sandwiches: roasted vegetables with hummus, smoked turkey with roasted asparagus and truffle mayonnaise, egg salad (with chives picked from the Physick Estate garden), and a tea-time favorite: cucumber sandwiches with herbal mint tea cream cheese.

Sound too frou-frou and feminine? Last year Bellanger beefed up his menu—literally—to appeal to the guys.

“Sometimes we have three generations of women in the tea room, and men just come along as a courtesy,” says Bellanger. “So we broadened our menu for the heartier eater, with big wraps, bigger salads with steak and cheddar or seared ahi tuna. It’s now more than your typical tea room fare.”

For a savory sandwich that will fill you, try Bellanger’s jerk chicken wrap, “a taste of the islands” with spicy jerk-seasoned chicken, Jamaican slaw and pepper Jack cheese.

The Carriage House, which also offers a complete luncheon menu, serves Harney & Sons teas.

Lemon Curd

This traditional British spread is great on scones or toast. Takes some patience to make, but it’s worth it!

INGREDIENTS

5 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

4 lemons, zested and juiced

1 stick butter, cut into pats and chilled

Add an inch of water to a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a metal bowl and whisk until smooth.

Measure citrus juice and if needed, add enough cold water to make 1/3 cup. Add juice and zest to egg mixture and mix until smooth.

Once water reaches a simmer, reduce to low heat and place bowl on top of saucepan. (Bowl should be large enough to fit on top of saucepan without touching the water.)

Whisk until thickened, approximately eight minutes, or until mixture is light yellow and coats the back of a spoon. Remove promptly from heat and stir in butter a piece at a time, allowing each addition to melt before adding the next.

Remove to a clean container and cover by laying a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd. Refrigerate for up to two weeks.

By Sharon Harris-Zlotnick   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

For lovers, Valentine’s Day is the most important day of the year. How better to fulfill romantic fantasies than by savoring decadent sweet treats? For scrumptious desserts served with flair, consider these local restaurants.

THE MELTING POT 2112 Atlantic Avenue, Atlantic City, NJ • 609-441-1100

Open since December, the Melting Pot will appeal chiefly to chocolate lovers. Owner Charlie Haney serves nine sweet specialties with a dark, milk or white chocolate base. They can be served with separate “dippers:” fresh fruit, cheesecake, marshmallows, pound cake and brownies.

Haney calls fondue the ultimate romantic dessert. “Couples love the long fondue forks, because they can lean over and feed each other,” he says.

His favorites are the original milk chocolate fondue with a swirl of crunchy peanut butter and the Flaming Turtle (milk chocolate, caramel and chopped pecans, all flambéed tableside). Desserts are available in two sizes (serving two for $17, or four for $34). Desserts may also be ordered a la carte at the bar, which has its own cooking burners.

TRE FIGLIO 500 West White Horse Pike, Galloway Twp., NJ • 609-965-3303

Since opening in 1989, Jack and Toni Cordivari’s Tre Figlio has been a family affair. Their son, Chef Jim, does most of the baking, and specializes in some delicious desserts.

“After each meal, we offer a sample tray of our homemade desserts,” says Toni. Among the favorites is tartuffo, a blend of vanilla and chocolate ice cream with a macaroon and cherry center covered with a chocolate shell. Spumoni, which layers ice cream and fruits, also is popular.

Almond biscotti and ricotta cheese pie are staples on Tre Figlio’s La Dolce Vita dessert tray. Other choices for Valentine’s Day include cannolis, peanut butter cheese pie and rich banana cream or Chambord cream pie, both served partially frozen in a graham cracker and chocolate crust. Specialty coffees with whipped cream also tempt the palate. Tre Figlio desserts are typically priced at $7.

KAREN & REI’S 1882 Route 9 North, Clermont, NJ • 609-624-8205

Rei Prabhakar calls dessert an “important finish” to a fine meal. The menu at Karen & Rei’s includes an “Encyclopedia of Desserts” with four sections: The Land of Chocolate, Karen’s Classic Cheesecakes, Other Desserts and Unbelievable Tortes.

Karen Nelson prepares dessert in small batches daily, so they occasionally run out. However, diners will always have 16 to 18 choices under $7.75, from fresh apple pie and fruit tarts to homemade ice cream, peanut butter and toffee delicacies, and the popular Coeur au Chocolate, created for Valentine’s Day 1999 and kept on the menu.

Karen & Rei’s will offer a separate Valentine’s Day menu, with a new sweetheart dessert for two. Rei says it’s a secret, but guests can be sure it will be freshly made and feature plenty of chocolate.

RAM’S HEAD INN 9 West White Horse Pike, Absecon, NJ • 609-652-1700

The venerable restaurant makes dessert specials every day. Servers wheel a three-tiered dessert cart to each table, filled with a tempting assortment of cakes, pies, crème brulee in different flavors, fresh fruits and berries. All dessert items are $7.

A theatrical treat is Bananas Foster, flambéed tableside. Fresh Grand Marnier-flavored whipped cream is always available as a garnish for any sweet treat. The Ram’s Head also offers a variety of homemade cookies.

Pastry chef Rich Keen is developing special Valentine’s Day desserts, some for sharing, with chocolate as a key ingredient. And General Manager Dan Anderson says Keen has perfected the art of the cheesecake.

“The many flavors are moist, rich and taste great,” he says. “Rich has his cheesecake preparation down to a science.”

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

All too easily, the gray days of winter can tempt you to crawl into your cave, flip on the TV and hibernate all winter, venturing out only for food and the occasional paycheck.

What about your exercise plan? Not motivated, you say? You’re not alone. But think about it. Why do bears hibernate? To conserve their fat stores so they can survive through the winter. You are not a bear. And if you’re like most Americans, the last thing you want is to hang on to layers of excess avoirdupois.

Though motivation can’t be manufactured, like enthusiasm it can be “caught” from other people. Sign up for a group exercise class and drag a pal with you. Group exercise classes mix movement and motivation (and hey, you might even have some fun).

Personally, I’ve avoided aerobics since the 1980s, when my watch got caught in my hair barrette during a simple step routine (lucky I was wearing leg warmers, or I may have been injured!).

It was a bit intimidating to go back. But during the warm-up, I quickly became one with my classmates. Together we did what so few of us can do on our own—finish an invigorating class, burn fat and calories, tone and stretch, and thoroughly enjoy it.

The upbeat music, the instructor’s encouragement and the group’s camaraderie made me almost forget I was exercising. The energy in the room added to the fun, and you could almost feel a shared release of stress as we worked out.

The time flew and soon I was glowing, energized and in a great mood (almost in spite of myself).

Exercise Class Etiquette

• Choose the class that best matches your fitness goals

• Walk in and smile at your teammates

• Follow the leader’s instructions (but listen to your body, and modify the routine when necessary)

• Let out a whoop when you feel you’ve earned it

• Try additional classes for new challenges and workout variation

Fast Fit Tips

• Do your cardio work after you lift weights, not before, or do it on a separate day. Performing aerobic-type exercise fatigues you for weight training, and exhaustion or inattention during weight training can lead to injury.

• Stretch to increase your flexibility. Because inactive muscles grow shorter, their range of motion becomes progressively limited. Reverse that process by doing gentle but thorough stretching exercises before and after workouts and at other times during the week.

• With any kind of exercise, concentrate on doing the movement correctly, with intention. Exercising mindlessly without focusing on proper form and muscle movement will give you negligible results.

By Dave Bontempo   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Crank up the crazy bets. Devise the most outrageous propositions. The decadent, giddy glory of the Super Bowl is back on February 3.

The multibillion-dollar event has become nothing less than a national holiday, with a bevy of advertising, a prestigious halftime concert, parties, Super Bowl boxes, and side bets far beyond the legal boundaries of Las Vegas. Last year, the game was televised to 232 countries and an audience approaching 150 million people.

Who would have envisioned this day in 1967, when the first Super Bowl (then called a championship game) kicked off with the Packers and Chiefs? Tickets (which cost thousands now, if you can get them) were just $8.

Watching the game has become a cottage industry. Super Bowl parties abound, most with irresistible wagers. People don’t need to be football-savvy to win. Most pools, especially those sprinkled with funny prop bets, resemble a sports-edition true-false exam.

The game this year will probably drag out for four hours. That won’t matter in the age of prop-bet utopia. Jay Kornegay, director of the Las Vegas Hilton sports book, indicates that nearly 300 different bets existed at his property for the 2007 game between Chicago and Indianapolis.

That’s mind-boggling. You can adopt the Vegas perpetual-action theory to create any pool. For casino employees, it’s a perpetual horn high yo (for the uninitiated, that’s a classic craps gambit). This is nothing but action, with selections falling into distinct categories. Dig in.

Entry-level Insanity

The mild fanatics know simple prop-bets. Start before the game. Some team will win the coin toss, so make that worth a point. Will the first play from scrimmage be a run or pass? Which team makes the initial first down? Who gets penalized first? Which team scores first? Will it be a touchdown, field goal or safety? Points, points, points.

Fortunes fluctuate constantly. One point can be awarded for correctly picking whether the last scoring play of the half is a touchdown, field goal or safety. Throw in a point for whether it happened by run or pass. That changes with each update, and a late-scoring play can throw the pool standings upside down. Add basics like the outright Super Bowl winner and the spread, and you have a basic pool, attractive to the casual player.

Medium Insanity

Recent upgrades entice the more sophisticated hunch players. Yes, you can select which team will offer the first challenge. Over-unders fit well in this grouping. There can be five selections along this line—one for each quarter and another for the final game total. The number of field goals is interesting. So is the amount of turnovers. Passing and rushing yardage fit the same mold. Try picking which team will attain more rushing and passing yardage.

The process is not entirely arbitrary, however. Thinking counts a little, because if a team leads comfortably, it may run the ball more in the fourth quarter. These props take the pool to another level. If added to the original selections, they can push the number of selections into the neighborhood of 30.

High-Octane Insanity

Ah yes, now for the hard core. What fun would the game be without it? Last year, Vegas offered sliding odds from 500-1 to 20-1 to guess the exact amount of points scored by both teams. The odds changed in seven-point increments. That can be placed in a pool context by awarding different point values for, say, a 43-49 total, a 50-56 total, and so forth.

Punts are boring, right? Not on Super Bowl Sunday. Prop bets indicated whether the longest punt of the game would be more than 44.5 yards. The same applied for a field goal.

In Las Vegas, the first play of last year’s game meant huge financial implications. When Devin Hester returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, it rewarded the Bears as 2-1 underdogs for ever having the lead. It later paid 9-2 for the prop, stating that the Bears would score first and lose the game. And Hester, being a return man, provided a huge return, 25-1, as the first player to score in the game.

Twilight Zone

It gets wackier. These bets actually existed last year: Penguins star Sidney Crosby’s point total in a game versus Manning’s touchdown passes. The shots on goal in an Islanders-Capitals game compared to Reggie Wayne’s receiving yardage. Think it can’t get any more insane? Try Ernie Els’ golf score versus the rushing yardage of Dominic Rhodes, a platoon player with the Colts.

There’s no limit to the craziness. Ready to enjoy the game?

Super Bowl Quiz

1. Which teams have won the most Super Bowls?

2. Which teams have lost the most Super Bowls?

3. Which six teams have never been to the Super Bowl?

4. How many players have won the game both as a player and as a coach? a. 1 b. 3 c. 5

5. How many wild-card teams have captured a Super Bowl championship? a. 4 b. 0 c. 1

6. How many overtime games has the Super Bowl produced? a. 3 b. 2 c. 0

7. What’s the biggest margin of victory by a Super Bowl winner? a. 27 b. 24 c. 45

8. And the closest margin of victory? a. 2 b. 1 c. 3

9. Which quarterback guaranteed a Super Bowl victory, despite his team being the 19-point underdogs?

10. What is the Eagles’ record in the big game?

ANSWERS

1. Dallas, San Francisco and Pittsburgh, each with five.

2. Minnesota, Buffalo and Denver, four each. Buffalo lost four straight Super Bowls.

3. Arizona, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, New Orleans.

4. Three. Mike Ditka, Tom Flores and Tony Dungy.

5. Four. Oakland in 1980, Denver in 1997, Baltimore in 2000 and Pittsburgh in 2005.

6. Zero. There have been two game-winning field goals on the final play and a runner stopped at the one on the final play. Had he scored, OT would most likely have occurred.

7. Forty-five points. Yowza! The 49ers spanked the Broncos 55-10 in 1990.

8. One skinny point. The Giants beat the Bills 20-19 in 1991 and survived a potential game-winning field goal on the final play.

9. Joe Namath, of the Jets, before Super Bowl III. The Jets won 16-7.

10. 0-2. Philly lost to Oakland in 1980 and New England in 2005.

By Roger Gros   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Last November, 42-year-old firefighter Scott Evans was appointed mayor of Atlantic City by a 6-2 City Council vote.

Many continue to be skeptical about the choice. Others hope the Atlantic City Fire Company battalion chief, honored for his service in the aftermath of September 11, is earnest in his desire to provide tax relief and transparency in city government.

Though he declared he would only serve out the one-year term of former Mayor Bob Levy, Evans will almost certainly be a contender in the June primary. He spoke with Casino Connection Publisher Roger Gros and Managing Editor Marjorie Preston at his City Hall office last month.

Casino Connection: How do you respond to criticism that you essentially elected yourself?

Evans: I was put in this position through the democratic process. I wasn’t elected through a public election, but it is what it is, and I’m here. I’ve decided to take the job, and I’m going to do the job to the best of my ability for the taxpayers.

On the school board, you were identified with former City Council President Craig Callaway, convicted of taking bribes and now serving time in jail. How do you prove you’re not connected with him anymore?

In the beginning, everybody in this city was aligned with Callaway—everybody. Senators. Council people. And let’s face it, Craig, when he first started, was doing a great job. He was. But it’s time to turn the page on that. Everybody wants to keep talking about the negative things, you know: “You were in with this guy.” I’m not here to talk about that. I’m here to talk about the positive things. Where do we want to be a year from now, and two, three, four years from now? Let’s take this city forward.

That’s an admirable stance, but by hiring Callaway’s sister, doesn’t it make you look like you’re still beholden to him?

If you bring me somebody who applies for a job, they’re qualified, they’re educated, they have a resumé that supports what the position is for, we’re not going to discriminate just because they have a certain name or political affiliation. Atlantic City residents get the job… What it comes down to is I don’t owe anybody anything. I’m independent.

You’re taking a pay cut to be mayor. Are you on a leave of absence from the fire department? How has the transition been?

I took a leave of absence immediately upon being sworn in. Yes, it was a pay cut. And the transition has been overwhelming. What an enormous amount of activity hits you: the Donald Trump tax, tax revaluation, the Revel agreement, Bader Field. Then you’re looking at MGM, the AC Gateway project, A.C. Beach with Curtis Bashaw and Wally Barr, Pinnacle... I’ve probably learned in six weeks what most politicians learn in four years. You have naysayers taking shots at you, so a little bit of bad comes with it. But there’s so much good that can be done here, so much development we can facilitate. I don’t even want the credit, I just want to see that everyone comes to the table. When my political career is over, I’ll go back to the fire department. But I want to see this city be the best that it can be. I want to see the best for the taxpayers.

Let’s put it on the table. Are you going to run for election?

Well, I’m glad you’re getting all of the hard questions out first.

After this, we’re easy.

This is an incredible position, and I don’t mean that from an ego standpoint. Now that I’m in the seat, I get a little upset about what’s been done here in the last couple of years. You look at what should have been done, then you look at what you can do. It’s absolutely something I think I have to consider for the constituency out here… It’s a huge personal sacrifice for me, but being a community guy, being a public service guy, that’s what I do. When I run into a burning building, I’m coming in there to save somebody’s life, save somebody’s property.

You have to make a decision by the June primary.

Over the next several weeks, maybe within a month or two, the decision will be made.

If you run, what message would make the community come out for you?

Number one is tax relief. It’s my goal to set a trust fund in place that is part and parcel of any new major development project and dedicate it for tax relief. That’s the most important thing, along with the five-year phase-in for the tax reevaluation. The next thing is crime. We need to reduce crime, get officers walking the beat out there. We’re putting cameras in the two highest-crime areas and on the Boardwalk; we’re hoping to get them up and running by June… Education (is) one-third the school, one-third the parent, one-third the student. The city can try to help and put that package together. Those are some of the major issues.

Should casino employees and operators be allowed to run for public office?

When you get to management and above, then you cut them out. But I would say that your Local 54 employees, your waiters and waitresses, your dealers… You’ve got some great quality people. So yes, I would probably support that.

What’s your position on the partial smoking ban?

I’m not fully convinced of the 100 percent smoking thing, but if they want to have smoking areas, it has to be done correctly. I know about ventilation systems. I know that if you want to ventilate a room, you can ventilate a room. We could put a barrier right here, and have these long, thin HVAC ducts come down to probably a little above head-height and they could suck the air up around a given cubicle area. But it’s real expensive to do that. Or you could have the glass barriers. But I don’t support smoking in the common areas where it is now… If (the casinos) are not willing to do it the right way, then you’re going to have to take the right away from them.

How will you work with the casinos to expedite their projects?

Customer service is number one here. We work for them. They pay for the permits. They’re paying the tax bills. So we really need to look at the way we’re doing business to make sure that we don’t hold projects up. Even the mom-and-pop that’s building the duplex or building two duplexes… That guy ought to be able to come in the morning and submit his application, and within a day or a reasonable time, get it back. Not have him come back a week later to hear, “We lost your application.” I’m not going to stand for that. I’ve already talked to Kevin DeSanctis from Revel, which is going to have the largest construction project Atlantic City’s ever seen. We’re looking at how we can best serve their project every day, at each facet of development— from concrete to steel to infrastructure to the utilities and as the building goes up.

Give us your philosophy on the development of Bader Field.

Bader Field is just an incredible jewel—it’s almost like the golden goose. I think something will be built there that’s going to mirror, or be better than MGM West. It’s got the potential to be Atlantic City’s last chance to get it right for taxpayers. If we do Bader Field right, you will see taxpayers’ tax bills be reduced.

Do you want your tax abatement program done quickly?

This tax re-evaluation is going to cripple Atlantic City. It’s going to cripple the small mom-and-pop homeowners, the senior citizens. I don’t want anybody to leave Atlantic City. Nobody. When they get their tax bill, it’s going to be like the ship’s sinking and all the rats and mice and people are jumping off. We need to get relief in place now so that ship can keep sailing. Take our self-interest aside, our special interests aside, our political ambitions aside, and say, “This is what’s right for taxpayers.” It needs to be done now, because tax bills will be coming out in July, and it will reflect a new rate.

Are you opposed to eminent domain to redevelop the city?

In my heart I’m against eminent domain. Who does it benefit, big business or the residents? And if it does benefit big business, what does the resident get in return? You know, I don’t think it’s done right. They don’t use future projections: “This is what it’s worth now, but you know what? I want to live here for 20 years. So pay me what its going to be worth in 20 years. Then it’s worth my while.”… There needs to be a compromise.

What should the master plan look like?

I’m not sure all our needs are being met in the current master plan. We need to address the zoning. We only have six parcels left. Why not have them all casino-zoned? That’s more ratables. Transport-ation is also part of the master plan. Does it meet the needs of the expansion with Bader, MGM, Revel, Pinnacle? You’re talking 20,000 more cars a day in this city. We really need a loop system that works. These are some things we need to look at.

Is there a politician, living or dead, you’d like to model your career after?

Wow. I’m a Democrat, but Ronald Reagan, I really love Ronald. GW (Bush), I like some of the stuff he does, but some of his philosophies aren’t for the people, it’s for the big business. Clinton, I kind of like the way he operated the government. I can’t say there’s any one individual that jumps out at me, but Governor Corzine, he’s one. A politician that’s really impressed me the most so far is Congressman (Rob) Andrews. So If I want to try to aim to be like somebody, I’ll aim to be Congressman Andrews, at this point.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

After a court victory appeared to clear the way for construction of Philadelphia’s SugarHouse Casino, a group of Pennsylvania state representatives filed yet another lawsuit to block construction of the slot casino and resort on the city’s waterfront.

The lawmakers, whose legislative districts include land on the Delaware River waterfront that is the future site of SugarHouse, claim that its license to build on submerged land beyond the river’s edge is illegal. The lawsuit is actually against the city, which granted riparian water rights to casino owner HSP Gaming to accomplish the underwater development. The lawsuit came shortly after the beleaguered development seemed to have finally won the right to break ground for the project, which received a license from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board more than a year ago. In December, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ordered Philadelphia to issue the required permits for construction, holding that the city, led by anti-gaming Councilman Frank DiCicco, had been “obstructionist” in withholding the required permits.

It was thought to be the last major hurdle cleared in a year marked by legal challenges and citizen protests against the planned casino. However, the plaintiffs in the latest lawsuit say the city lacks the legal status to grant the water rights. The lawmakers’ lawyers say the decision to grant water rights was based on a 1907 state law that was canceled out by a 1978 state law.

State Reps. William Keller, John Taylor and Michael O’Brien say the case is about “sovereignty,” and preventing what they call the city’s “end run” to usurp state authority. The lawsuit asserts that submerged land on navigable waters is state-owned and the casino developers must go through the proper channels to gain rights to build on that land.

Casino supporters call it one more effort by anti-casino lawmakers to stop a project that has been approved legally by the state.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

If legislators won’t repeal the $500 loss limit at Missouri casinos, the casino industry want voters to decide if they aprrove of the measure, which was enacted in the 1990s to save compulsive gamblers from themselves.

Casino interests have filed papers for a statewide referendum on the limit, which critics say has driven high rollers from the state and invaded every gambler’s privacy by tracking their play.

According to the Missouri Gaming Commission, the limit hasn’t effectively curbed problem gambling. The commission estimates that only 2 percent of gamblers hit the limit (a $500 buy every two hours), and adds that a determined gambler can easily get around the restrictions.

The issue is a critical one right now in the Show Me State, because competition is springing up all around. Next door in Kansas, new casino resorts without wagering limits are being built. A new tribal casino will open this month. And the Woodlands racetrack is expected to add 1,000 slot machines this year.

Besides Kansas, an effort is under way to build a new casino in Sugar Creek just off Missouri 291. But how many casino operations can the region sustain? Gaming Commission Director Gene McNary refuses to rule out more expansion in the state.

“It is not our job to protect anybody,” said McNary in a recent interview. “These are big boys and they’re in competition. Our job is to regulate and make sure there’s integrity in the games and that the various casino companies are economically viable. After that it’s the marketplace.

“If we can create a marketplace situation that is better for the state of Missouri than we currently have, then I think that’s the direction to go.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

A few delays pushed back the debut, but Las Vegas Sands Corp. officials celebrated a soft opening of the $1.8 billion Palazzo casino on December 31. The timing couldn’t have been better.

The next morning, a float depicting the property was featured in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The casino and lobby areas have opened, but the more than 3,000 hotel rooms remained offline at the soft opening. An official “grand opening” was held on January 17, when the Shoppes at Palazzo opened.

The combination of the Venetian and Palazzo complex represents the world’s largest integrated destination resort, with 7,128 hotel rooms and 2.3 million square feet of meeting, convention and exhibition space.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

A task force appointed by Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon issued a report last month promoting casinos as one of the best ways to reduce the city’s property tax, which is the highest in the state.

The study calls for full-blown casinos—tables and slots, not the slot-only casinos being promoted by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, who is Baltimore’s former mayor—with revenue dedicated to lowering the property tax.

Dixon convened a group of 26 business and civic community leaders to study ways to reduce the property tax. In its report, the panel said casinos could knock 17 cents off the property tax rate and bring in additional tourists, presumably to the city’s Inner Harbor area.

Jody Landers III, executive vice president of the Greater Baltimore Board of Realtors and co-chairman of the task force, defended the proposal for full-scale casino gaming in an interview with the Associated Press.

“We really felt in the overall scheme of things (and) from the city’s perspective that full casino gambling would be much better for the city,” Landers said. “The city needs to have a strategy, and part of that strategy is to apply part of the gains that would come from either casino gambling or slots to meaningful property tax reduction.”

Some state officials disagree. A spokeswoman for state Comptroller Peter Franchot, who has been a persistent opponent of any legalization of slots in Maryland, gave the standard anti-gaming argument concerning the social costs of gambling.

“Slots and casinos are the wrong direction for Baltimore, and the wrong direction for Maryland,” the spokeswoman said in a statement. “Any revenue that may be generated by this predatory industry will be more than offset by increases in crime, addiction and the destruction of entire communities.”

Landers said that full casino gambling is actually a better idea than the slot casinos that will be voted upon in the November general election. “Full casino gambling draws on a population that has a wider spectrum of income levels,” he said. “Slots tend to draw more low- to moderate-income levels.”

Dixon says she will get feedback from the public on the proposal before examining all of Baltimore’s options.

By Jesse Kurtz   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

The state of New Jersey has indicated its desire to assist with (read: “take over”) Atlantic City government operations in response to systematic corruption. Three of nine city councilmen have been convicted of crimes and tossed from office. There have been four mayors (Bob Levy, Dominic Cappella, William Marsh and Scott Evans) in the last year. We need help, but state government assistance is a case of the blind leading the blind.

Regardless of how it plays out, one thing is for sure. It is time to clean up Atlantic City corruption and improve the quality of life. Here are the Top 10 political priorities to improve Atlantic City:

1. Cut the budget. Last year’s adopted budget was $193,167,083. That’s a ridiculous amount to spend governing a city of fewer than 50,000 people. The city budget is higher than the county budget (approximately $169,000,000). Everything is in the city budget—except good administrators.

2. Encourage personnel efficiency. Some city departments do not have time cards. Hours need to be calculated more objectively than in sign-in books.

3. End the free buffet. The city should learn a concept: fiscal responsibility. Eliminate the free cell phone extravaganza, do away with the free vehicle bonanza, say goodbye to paid conferences (read: “vacations”) and shut off the free-flowing city gas.

4. Enforce all laws. A good city respects the rule of law. Destroy the sanctuary city, clear the drug haven and clean the streets of dirt and litter.

5. Lift City Hall’s contribution to casino smoking restrictions. If non-smoking is good for business, let casinos make the decision. Smoking restrictions diminish profits while alienating a significant contingent of slot customers. What about employee job security? If it’s a safety issue, are there not more pressing safety issues—for example, shootings on Maryland Avenue?

6. Improve infrastructure. The perpetual flood at West End and Albany Avenues next to Bader Field must end. Add a bulkhead and elevate the road. The anticipated Water Club at Borgata and the Harrah’s expansion will bring increased traffic to the Marina District. Why not anticipate traffic problems rather than sloppily respond to them?

7. Deregulate public transportation. Allow casinos to respond to customer demand and offer free shuttles. Everyone should be subject to the ups and downs of the market economy. It is unjust that city ordinances ensure a Jitney-driven monopoly.

8. Eliminate the needle exchange program. As if myriad pawn shops, massage parlors and prostitutes are not enough, now we give drug users free needles? The new city slogan: “Why buy your own needle, when you can hop on a bus and get one for free in A.C.?”

9. Tackle recidivism. When a man is released from jail, we want to encourage him to stay out of jail.

10. Establish oversight and input. Establish two observing, non-voting representatives of casino gaming on City Council. The gaming industry pays the largest share of City Council’s spending spree. It would be nice for them to see how everyone’s friend gets a job.

By Lisa Johnson   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

• Until recently, even though state law mandates recycling, there were no recycling receptacles on the Boardwalk. By summer, new recycling bins should line the entire span. It not only finally meets state law, but will save money on tipping fees, as less garbage is sent to a landfill.

• In conjunction with the Department of Neighborhood Services, the city will soon erect 28 security cameras from New Jersey to Albany avenues. Director Tim Mooney says the goal is 24-hour surveillance that will document activity and deter crime. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has been asked to help provide the light poles, and SID may pitch in with maintenance.

• Shops located in front of the historic Dennis Hotel are in the process of being closed. Harrah’s Entertainment paid more than $38 million last year for the shops, once owned by the Schiff brothers. Plans for the property have not yet been finalized.

• Finally, new facades are currently being erected in the 1400 block and 3000 block of the Boardwalk. Expect them to be complete by summer, says CRDA’s Tom Meehan.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

As New Jersey’s horse tracks face flat revenues, slashed purses and increased out-of-state competition, Governor Jon Corzine may pony up more state and casino revenue to boost the flagging industry.

Racing officials want to make money with video lottery terminals at horse tracks. Corzine wants to subsidize the tracks by extending a 2004 agreement that funneled more than $20 million per year—half of it from Atlantic City casinos—to the racing sector. That agreement will expire this year.

Freehold Raceway cut its purse money by 7 percent last month, and more cuts are looming. The Meadowlands drew $440 million in bets last year, down $65 million from 2006, and started trimming its race schedule. Monmouth Park saw attendance drop (but posted higher daily averages) in 2007.

And when the Breeders’ Cup came to Monmouth last October, more than 41,000 race fans showed up. Breeders’ Cup statistics are not counted in the track’s business summary for 2007.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

For more than 20 years, the Zagat Survey has hailed Il Mulino as New York’s finest Italian restaurant.

Now Trump Taj Mahal is bringing the Il Mulino experience—times two—to Atlantic City. At Il Mulino New York, diners can enjoy time-honored specialties of the Abruzzi region in an elegant setting, complete with tuxedo-clad waiters and an extensive wine list. Trattoria Il Mulino will offer a more casual atmosphere with lighter fare including pizza and pasta dishes.

“The new Taj Mahal is the perfect location for our restaurant,” says Brian Galligan, president of Il Mulino USA. “Now guests will be able to enjoy the country’s best Italian cuisine right in Atlantic City's Taj Mahal, steps away from the newly renovated casino floor.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Atlantic City’s Housing Authority has backed down on its threat to enforce a so-called “reverter clause” in the city’s agreement with Revel Entertainment, now constructing a $2 billion casino on the sparsely developed north end of the Boardwalk.

The clause, included in authority agreements to ensure that developers move ahead with scheduled projects on time, would have jeopardized $53 million in financing for the project.

Revel attorney Lloyd Levenson accused authority officials of demanding money in exchange for the clause’s removal. On January 16, when City Council threatened to pull the Housing Authority’s jurisdiction over redevelopment matters, the clause was cut.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Key Atlantic City investor MGM Mirage has filed for permission to develop 72 acres of coastal land in the city’s Marina District. Last month, the company applied with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for a Coastal Area Facility Review Act permit.

The application process, which can take several months, puts MGM one step closer to breaking ground for MGM Grand Atlantic City, a proposed $5 billion, 3,000-room casino resort slated to open in 2012. The ambitious plan calls for 5,000 slots, 200 table games and a poker room, along with a 1,500-seat theater, 500,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, nightclubs, a spa and a convention center.

If the plan gets the go-ahead, Atlantic City’s MGM Grand will be comprised of three towers situated on 60 acres next to the Borgata, MGM’s joint venture with Boyd Gaming.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Celebrate the Asian New Year at “mini Chinatowns” at Caesars, Bally’s and Showboat on Saturday, February 9.

“We’re bringing the vibrant sights, sounds, flavors and spectacle of the Far East to Atlantic City,” says Steve Hann, vice president of casino marketing. Usher in the Year of the Rat with the colorful lion and dragon dances of ancient China along with kung fu monks, Chinese calligraphers, face painters, stilt walkers, acrobats and more.

Celebrations begin at 4 p.m. each day and last throughout the evening. Admission is free.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Winsome Kendra Wilkinson, co-star of the E! network reality series The Girls Next Door, will make a personal appearance at The Pool at Harrah’s on Saturday, February 16.

One of three bodacious blonde girlfriends of octogenarian Playboy Hugh Hefner, Kendra is the athletic member of the trio. DJ Klutch will provide the music. Doors open at 10 p.m.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Take 70 pounds of sugar, 70 pounds of butter, 400 pounds of flour and dozens of eggs, and what do you get? A king-sized cake, just in time for Fat Tuesday.

On February 5, Showboat Atlantic City caps its five-day Mardi Gras party by baking a 200-foot round, 1,000-pound King Cake, the traditional dessert of the pre-Lenten holiday.

Chef Deb Pellegrino and her pastry team will spend days preparing the confection, which will be big enough to feed 6,000 people. They will get an able assist from Duff Goldman (above) of the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes.

After the unveiling Tuesday at noon, Goldman will emcee Showboat’s $20,000 King Cake Sweepstakes. Later, cake will be served at Sister Jean’s Kitchen in downtown Atlantic City.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Twenty-six-year-old Ivanka Trump, daughter of casino mogul Donald Trump, passed muster last month with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

On January 16, following an investigation of her finances and background, Trump got final CCC approval to serve as a member of the board of directors of Trump Entertainment Resorts, which operates three Atlantic City casinos.

Trump had been a temporary board member for several months. “I'm very excited,” she told The Associated Press. “I bring a voice of a different generation, and also a female voice to the debate.” A graduate of the prestigious Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Trump is vice president of development and acquisitions of the Trump Organization LLC. She is also co-star of her father’s TV show, The Apprentice.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Audrey Oswell, former president and CEO of Resorts Atlantic City, has been named as president and chief operating officer of Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

Oswell will oversee all operational aspects of the new $2.9 billion, 3,812-room resort currently being built on the Las Vegas Strip by Fontainebleau Resorts LLC, which also owns the legendary Fontainebleau in Miami Beach.

Oswell is a 25-year veteran of the Atlantic City casino industry. Prior to Resorts, she was president and chief operator of Caesars Atlantic City, where she began her casino career in 1979. After taking the top job at Resorts in 2000, she oversaw the construction and opening of the hotel’s Rennaisance Tower and the re-design of the entire casino.

She also served as president of the Casino Association of New Jersey.

Oswell most recently served as chief operating officer of the Cosmopolitan Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where she established the start-up company’s organizational structure, assembled a senior management team and developed a marketing strategy.

“Audrey is one of the casino resort industry’s most accomplished executives,” said Howard Karawan, chief operating officer of Fontainebleau Resorts. “We're confident her vision and leadership will help drive Fontainebleau Las Vegas to become one of the world’s most spectacular destinations.” The Fontainebleau is slated to open in fall of 2009.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Harrah’s Entertainment announced that Ken Condon, who recently retired as senior vice president and general manager of the operator’s Bally’s Atlantic City property, will serve as sports and entertainment consultant for the company’s four Atlantic City properties.

Condon is credited with reviving boxing as a major draw for Atlantic City, arranging boxing events as well as superstar concerts at Boardwalk Hall that contributed to the venue’s rebirth as one of the top-grossing arenas in the country.

Condon has been a key executive in Atlantic City since casinos began in 1978. As chief at Bally’s, he oversaw a succession of key developments, including the opening of the Wild Wild West annex, the merger of Park Place Entertainment with Caesars, and the merger of the Claridge into Bally’s.

“Ken Condon is a true visionary in the gaming industry and a well-respected negotiator of complex contracts related to the sports and entertainment industries,” said Carlos Tolosa, Eastern Division president of Harrah’s Entertainment.

Condon looks poised to bring all of Harrah’s properties into the boxing-casino equation. He has begun fielding offers from officials in the boxing industry. “I think you will see Showboat, for one, entering the boxing mix sometime in the spring,” Condon says. “I’m excited to remain in the boxing business. I’ve been in it so long; I just could not walk away.”

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Last month, Atlantic City partnered with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority to plan for development of Bader Field, the region’s most coveted tract of land.

Bader Field, a onetime municipal airport, is 148 acres of prime bayfront real estate with an estimated value of $1 billion; casino operators including Wynn Resorts, Mohegan Sun, Las Vegas Sands and Boyd Gaming have expressed interest in the site.

Now Atlantic City has agreed to join CRDA to determine the “highest and best” use of the property; in return, CRDA will lend the city $25 million for tax relief.

The involvement of CRDA, a state agency, has been viewed by some as punishment for Atlantic City, whose local government has a history of corruption, including a scheme by three city councilmen, since convicted, who took bribes to award the rights to Bader Field (that plan was uncovered in a Justice Department sting).

But CRDA Executive Director Tom Carver says the agency’s participation is not payback. “This is something that we are good at,” Carver said. “We are going to be working hand in glove with the city to see that the Bader Field project takes Atlantic City to the next level in making it a world-class destination.”

CRDA and the city promised “a complete and transparent examination of all development options” at Bader Field, which was also suggested as a good spot for affordable housing in the city.

The development of Bader Field may also impact the construction of two new casino resorts on the Boardwalk. Revel Entertainment has already made an agreement that requires a $60 million payment to the city should Bader be developed without a comprehensive transportation plan, and Pinnacle Entertainment may back out of its commitment to build at the old Sands site if a similar arrangement with the city is not reached.

By Casino Connection Staff   Tue, Jan 29, 2008

In the aftermath of last year’s public relations pounding, Tropicana Casino & Resort has launched a major campaign to revamp its reputation. In an ironic move, the Casino Control Commission has hired former Trop president Pamela Popielarski to help run the property until it is sold, probably by April.

Under former parent company Columbia Sussex, which reigned a scant 11 months in Atlantic City, the Tropicana suffered massive layoffs followed by customer complaints about unsanitary conditions at the property.

Those conditions became embarrassingly public at Casino Control Commission hearings last fall and contributed to the loss of Columbia Sussex’s operating license. Just as important, the headline-grabbing reports sullied the Tropicana’s reputation among patrons and the public at large.

Current Tropicana President Mark Giannantonio is pledging a new day for customers of the casino resort, which includes the state’s largest hotel. “We want to get away from a period of time when it was tumultuous, and say to our customers, ‘When you come to Tropicana, you’re going to have a great time,’” said Giannantonio in an interview with the Associated Press.

“We are fighting back now, and we’re going to be fierce in winning back our customers.”

The new $1 million ad campaign—which includes images of a smiling room attendant hard at work in a sparkling suite—includes print, direct mail, billboards and TV spots in major markets like Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York. Its theme: “Experience the Difference.”

The image overhaul includes the rehiring of 150 employees laid off under Columbia Sussex (the total number of people let go last year was close to 900). The casino has also increased its cash-back and other promotional programs, including comps for gamblers, to bring in the crowds.

Popielarski, a Tropicana employee for 27 years and president for 13, got the boot when Columbia Sussex took over in January 2007. She filed a lawsuit alleging the company did not pay her full severance package; the suit also alleged age and sex discrimination. Columbia Sussex was ousted in December, and in January, Popielarski let the suit drop.

The CCC has also hired G. Michael Brown, former chief of the state Division of Gaming Enforcement and executive with several tribal gambling companies, and Gary Simpson, senior vice president of finance for Aztar Corporation, which sold the Tropicana to Columbia Sussex. Investment bankers Bear Stearns and the law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton have been retained to assess would-be buyers.

The first offer of $850 million came from Colony Capital LLC, which owns the Hilton and Resorts Atlantic City. State-appointed conservator Gary S. Stein says another bidder came in with an offer of $850 million; he would not disclose the name of the bidder.

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

Everyone knows the importance of tourism to Atlantic City, but don’t underestimate the value of conventions to the city. The ability to attract conventions and meetings—large and small, national and regional—is integral to Atlantic City’s survival and success.

In 2006, direct spending by convention exhibitors and delegates pumped more than $192 million into the local economy. The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority generated convention and meeting business that booked approximately 150,000 hotel room nights citywide. Preliminary totals for 2007 indicate a 10 percent increase over 2006.

Our convention sales staff works for and with our hotel partners to attract this business, whether the booking is for the building we operate (the Convention Center) or for a hotel.

We also work closely with hotels to provide room blocks for convention and meeting delegates, and with restaurants, attractions, golf courses and other venues throughout the area to provide dinners, meals, spouse tours, special events and outings for our business travelers.

Our hotel partners recognize the importance of convention and meeting business too. These events fill hotel rooms, restaurants and local shops on weeknights when resort business is traditionally slow.

According to James Ziereis, vice president of conventions/hotel sales for Harrah’s Entertainment Atlantic City, total revenue in 2007 from citywide conventions at the four Harrah’s properties (Harrah’s, Showboat, Bally’s and Caesars) was “in excess of $2.7 million.” Figures include 12,074 occupied rooms, $1.66 million in room revenue and $1.06 million in catered food and beverage-related revenue. With classic understatement, Zeireis calls these returns “quite impressive.”

Partnerships benefit Atlantic City in other ways. Two of our relatively new annual conventions, the Penn Allied Nursery Trade Show and the Mid-Atlantic Hardscaping Trade Show are helping to keep Atlantic City attractive for meeting planners. They and MAHTS sponsor EP Henry generously donated hundreds of thousands of dollars of plants and landscape materials to beautify the Convention Center entryway. The Atlantic City Special Improvement District has partnered with us to plant and maintain the landscaping. Partnerships also attract conventions. Several years ago, we started a program called “Bring Your Meeting Home.” It recruited both the business community and our own staff to urge professional associations with which they are affiliated to schedule their conferences here.

As a result, we hosted the Society of Government Meeting Professionals in 2007 and will host the Pennsylvania Bus Association in 2008. These conventions provide an opportunity for meeting professionals and leisure travel decision-makers to experience the best that Atlantic City offers.

We’d now like to strengthen this successful program in the greater Atlantic City community. Partnerships with local agencies and businesses are crucial to Atlantic City’s success as a business destination. A recent partnership with the Atlantic County Utilities Authority is a great example. Paul Gallagher, vice president and general counsel of the ACUA and his staff lobbied with us to bring the annual American Wind Energy Association meeting to Atlantic City.

Although that group chose to meet in another city this year, you can bet Atlantic City is on its radar for future years, when we can offer more rooms and air service. If your organization or group holds regular meetings and conferences, we’ll be happy to partner with you to bring them here.

If you don’t have the slightest idea how to bid on a conference, we have that expertise. Together, we can accomplish what might otherwise be a daunting task. Working together, we can keep Atlantic City “Always Turned On.”

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

The Casino Association of New Jersey and the 60,000 men and women employed directly or indirectly by our industry have something in common with most Americans: we usher in the New Year with resolutions.

In recent years, government-related issues—from the crisis in local leadership to intergovernmental turf battles—have threatened the economic health and growth of New Jersey. Overcoming these challenges requires energy and resources that are better spent addressing our opportunities, not battling bureaucracies.

Starting in 2008, CANJ urges all stakeholders—from the private sector to the city, state and county governments and their various authorities and agencies—to work in a collaborative manner so New Jersey can respond head-on to growing competition from other jurisdictions.

Stability and a collective pledge to cooperate must be the overriding theme for 2008. They would offer the private sector (both gaming and non-gaming) a more compelling reason to invest in the continued development of Atlantic City. Tourists would then have additional reasons to choose Atlantic City as their destination. The formula benefits everyone.

First, let’s identify tomorrow’s challenges and develop responses in advance. The process has already begun with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. Under the leadership of Executive Director Tom Carver, CRDA is building a regional transportation master plan to address future growth by assessing our transportation infrastructure, internal traffic circulation and mass transit.

The plan will weigh the travel needs of a growing number of customers and employees. Since our visitors come from throughout New Jersey and from other states, this effort will require cooperation from multiple state, county and city agencies. The spirit of cooperation must be contagious.

Governor Jon Corzine has espoused intergovernmental partnerships, and appointed Gary Rose and Diane Legriede to coordinate the city’s government agencies. The governor recognizes that what happens in Atlantic City benefits the entire state. He also realizes the state cannot address multiple fiscal issues without revenues from New Jersey’s gaming industries and tourism, much of which comes from out-of-state residents who visit Atlantic City.

But for the governor and state legislators to reinvest in Atlantic City, a relationship of confidence and trust must be established. Likewise the state must inspire confidence in local governments by demonstrating an understanding of their concerns and the concerns of their citizens. Again, this process has started, most notably in connection with Bader Field. It must continue.

Other significant intergovernmental cooperation and public/private endeavors should also be given priority, including:

• increasing the marketing budget for the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority in an effort to promote the casinos and the region;

• continued support of CRDA and all the government agencies involved in efforts to improve the transportation infrastructure to make it easier to access the city by car, air and rail;

• development of low- and mid-income housing where up to 20,000 new casino employees can live;

• working with the bedroom communities of Atlantic City to address issues that this new growth will bring; and

• streamlining the review and approval process for casino and non-gaming construction projects among the various governmental agencies.

The casino industry has a critical role to play in this process. It cannot merely rely on the government. After all, our businesses and employees have a significant interest in ensuring the success of the region.

In the past, our industry has succeeded in spite of many obstacles and challenges. New competition last year and the resulting economic downturn have presented evidence that now, more than ever, we need single-mindedness and solidarity. We need to join together, work smarter, and work harder to realize the common goal—Atlantic City as the mecca of East Coast gaming. Let's all make the same resolution. And this year, let's keep it.

Tue, Jan 29, 2008

It amazes me sometimes to see how free politicians are with our money. The stem cell referendum last November—with research facilities to be paid for by the taxpayers—is a case in point. Yes, we’d all like to find cures for the diseases that haunt our society. But what role should the state have in finding these cures? Beyond providing some incentives for companies that do the research, there should be no role whatsoever. After all, should one of these companies come up with a cure, they’ll make billions, we’ll all be better off, and the users of the cure (and their insurance companies) will pay. Not the taxpayers. And that’s as it should be. Thankfully, New Jersey’s voters agreed and the effort was turned away.

Now, if we can get the state to recognize that tax money is our money—not money to be squandered on cushy jobs, contracts and pensions for political buddies—we might have a chance to reverse the downward spiral created by the politicians. This month, we debut a column by Jessie Kurtz, editor of the online media website the Atlantic City Scoop. Kurtz is young, much younger than me, but has a wisdom that belies his years. Born and raised in Atlantic City, he has very simple and direct suggestions for Atlantic City public officials on how to fix the mess they created in City Hall.

Kurtz’s common-sense solutions can also be applied to the state. The increase in the state budget is not only ill-advised, it borders on criminal. We’re choking on property taxes in this state and the elected politicians do nothing. And when you read about political corruption (we’ve got plenty of that in AC), it’s infuriating.

I have to admit, I’m quite disappointed in Governor Jon Corzine. I hoped that a man with so much experience and knowledge of financial affairs would put some creative suggestions together to put the state on the road to solvency. To his credit, he avoided the dreaded state shutdown in the last budget cycle. But we’ve already been warned that the ’08 budget crisis will be much deeper and harder to solve.

And Corzine’s proposal last month to raise tolls as much as 800 percent in the next 25 years is simply moronic. New Jersey is already the butt of jokes in every state in the nation. Now that you’re going to have to mortgage your home to drive through the state, what else can you expect?

In Nevada, where we also have a Casino Connection, Governor Jim Gibbons made a “no new taxes” pledge when he took office last year, and he’s stuck to it. He instituted mandatory budget cuts of 4 percent and more in all state spending. Yes, it’s been painful in a state where growth is an issue. But it has been accomplished, without much damage to essential services.

In New Jersey, where there is business contraction rather than growth, state government should institute cost cuts, make deep and lasting spending reductions, give homeowners the same tax breaks they offer to developers, and concentrate on making this a better state for those here now, not for those they may want to attract.

Corzine says we can’t cut our way out of the current budget crunch. But cuts can start and they should be instituted now, not sometime down the road. While we’re at it, why not sell some state land, like the Meadowlands complex, and let private companies run the stadiums and the state’s horse racing industry?

Everyone jumped up and down when Corzine suggested leasing the toll roads, but wouldn’t that be better than the massive toll hike he’s suggesting? With a lease, at least the company running the roads would have to justify any toll increase. With the state owning them, they just hike tolls every time they need revenue.

The governor has taken the first important steps of freezing spending and making new borrowing subject to voter approval. But nothing can be accomplished without spending cuts and a commitment from the government to reduce costs. But somehow, I don’t think that is forthcoming.

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   Mon, May 17, 2010

On May 15, Tony Boloney’s will mark its first year with the inaugural Pizza Slaughter Fest. Wing Bowl champ Jon “Super Squibb” will try to eat his way through the entire pizza menu. Pass the Pepto Bismol, folks; that’s about 30 slices (and up to 10,000 calories).

“If Squibb thinks he can take down every slice of our pizza before anyone else, I have some big guys in the neighborhood who will meet him head-on,” jokes co-owner Mike Hauke.

Hungry members of the public can also vie for the Golden Boloney crown and belt, sampling the six-cheese Monopoly pizza; the Casino Carnivore, with 10 layers of meat and mozzarella; the Veggie Dune, with a grove of marinated vegetables; and the SH**-faced Chicken, with beer-battered bird, Guinness honey BBQ sauce, mozz and cheddar.

This family-friendly event will also feature live local bands. Sign up at the store and online at www.tonyboloneys.com.

http://casinoconnectionac.com/issue/may-2010/article/great-pizza-no-boloney

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