With Smoking Ban Lifted, Atlantic City Casinos On The Spot

Atlantic City casinos these days are a lot like an aging sports superstar. They can no longer produce like when they were in their prime, and they are looking for excuses why. The casinos have found that excuse in a new smoking ban that was put in place.

Casino owners, including Donald Trump, complained to the City Council that the smoking ban would cripple their business. They claimed they could not survive with the smoking ban in place.

Now they have received their wish. The city has lifted the smoking ban for a one year period. Casinos can now return to normal and they can begin raking in the millions of dollars in revenue they have been used to.

The only problem is that the casinos had already been having their revenue drop before the smoking ban was even a thought in the city's plans. Competition from neighboring states and a decline in service have caused a dip in revenue.

"Atlantic City is not even close to what it once was. The owners of these casinos are looking for any excuse as to why revenue has decreased, but the bottom line is that the rest of the country has either caught or passed AC in casino service, and that is the reason their business is declining," said Greg Laronte, a gaming analyst from Connecticut.

Profits in Atlantic City casinos have been dropping drastically over the past few months. The economy has just as much to do with those numbers as the smoking ban would have. Some are even fearful of the future of casino gambling in the city.

"The smoking ban being lifted could end up being the worse thing that could happen to these (Atlantic City) casinos. The owners of these casinos might have to look in the mirror now with nothing to blame but themselves for the demise of the Atlantic City casino empire," said Frank Liputo, a longtime resident of Atlantic City.

November 16, 2008
Posted By Larry Rutherford
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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