Sportsbooks Arriving in Atlantic City by 2008

When the CasinoGamblingWeb.com staff arrived at the Tropicana Casino in Atlantic City for last months holiday party, a great deal of chatter amongst the group regarding when sports gambling would become legalized on the Jersey Shore filled the air.

When we talked to staff members and employees of the casino about the subject, we received a consistent response. "We've never had full sportsbooks in Atlantic City," said one Tropicana employee, "everyone in town seems to favor bringing sportsbooks here and we're very excited to find out when they will become legal."

Atlantic City casinos will be facing a greater amount of competition than ever before in the coming years. With the opening of several new casinos in Philadelphia, gamblers will no longer have to drive from their hometowns in Pennsylvania and northerern Jersey and New York to play the slots in southern Jersey's Atlantic City.

With Atlantic City's competitive advantage in the marketplace under attack by new casinos, when will the city decide to bring sportsbooks to their casinos? For that answer, we interviewed lawyer and long-time friend of Casino Gambling Web, John Atlas.

"It's obvious right now that Atlantic City insiders are lobbying the New Jersey State Gaming Control Board to bring full fledged sportsbooks to their casinos," Atlas said. "These casino operators are looking for that special edge that would distinguish themselves from Pennsylvania casinos."

Currently, the only type of sports betting allowed in Atlantic City casinos is on horse racing. Walk into the betting lounge at the Tropicana and you'll see hundreds of plasma TVs splashing the latest races, reviews, and up-to-the-second odds. When we looked around at the people in the Tropicana lounge we noticed long faces on many bored looking gamblers. We had no choice but to leave and head over to the Hooters restaurant located on the boardwalk near the casino.

As we walked in we experienced an entirely different world. Dozens of TVs were airing the day's NFL action. The restaurant was lively, crowds of spectators were on the edge of their seats watching the Giants take down the Raiders. There was loud talk, beautiful women delivering drinks, drinking men, all things reminiscent of a Vegas style sportsbook, without the betting.

We drank and realized that if full fledged sports gambling were available in Atlantic City it could quite possibly change the atmosphere of the boardwalk forever.

As Mr. Atlas said, and many other casino employees implied, about the future of sports betting in Atlantic City, "it is definitely a possibility in 2008".

January 11, 2007
Posted By Bob Hartman
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com    Previous Page | Internet Gambling | Top Online Casinos | Submit News!