Can Atlantic City Reinvent Itself with Hard Rock And Ocean Resort?

After a series of losing streaks, Atlantic City will finally have the privilege to welcome two new major casino resorts - Hard Rock and Ocean Resort Casino. The seaside city is obviously trying to make a long-awaited comeback and having the right strategy in the gambling business is everything. Both openings are scheduled for June 28th and operators are promising a spectacular event in completely overhauled properties with drastically changed exterior and interior. The question that everybody asks is whether Atlantic City is ready to reinvent itself.

Two new land-based casinos will offer non-gambling attractions as well, packed with nightclubs and shows. Thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision to legalize sports betting in the U.S., the venues will even open sports books for the very first time. The city mayor, Frank Gilliam, said that Atlantic City was about to be forgotten due to continuous labor strikes, high poverty rates, and state takeover. Nevertheless, after recent changes in the industry, the city’s future looks bright again, as Hard Rock and Ocean Resort might trigger another transformation of the oceanside resort. The trends that have dominated the industry for a long time are different thanks to well-established brands that completetely changed gambling and made it recognizable as entertainment, adds Gilliam, who got appointed earlier this year.

In recent years, a typical clientele would include senior citizens that arrive on packed buses and usually spend some cash at a craps table. By opening two new casinos, the mayor is hoping to see more young people coming to Atlantic City, not only to go to a nightclub, but spend a day at spa or enjoy an entire weekend. It is important to mention that younger generations aren’t looking to make gambling their primary motive of going anywhere, especially to hotel resorts, said Rummy Pandit, executive director of Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism. According to Pandit, the city needs to invest more funds in infrastructure, including the Boardwalk, which represents a frigid wasteland during cold Winter months, as it gets whipped with ocean and litter.

The biggest problem is that visitors cannot find a day club or do anything besides sitting inside a casino, and two new venues are now planning to change that. The grand opening of Hard Rock and Ocean Resort on June 28th will include a performance of Carrie Underwood and Pitbull followed by a driving range, large spa and more. Will building a more family-friendly city help in awakening the giant? According to statistics, casinos saw a 22.5% increase of revenues, and by changing its general attitudes on entertainment it is quite possible.