History of Gambling in Atlantic City

History of gambling / casinos in Atlantic City

Atlantic City today is famous for a number of things, from the boardwalks to the resort-city image to the casinos. However, there is a lot of history attached to the city, and we would do well to take a very brief look at it before talking about the history of gambling in the city.

The home to Atlantic City is Absecon Island, whose original inhabitants were the Lenni-Lenape Indians. The Indians gave it to the English as part of a claim settlement in the 1670s. Jeremiah Leeds built the first permanent structure in 1785 and he, along with his family, were the first inhabitants of Atlantic City. The first tourists landed up in the city way back in 1854, thanks to the railroad. Soon after, in 1870, the first road connecting the island to the mainland was built and there has been no looking back since.

The city has a number of tourist attractions, one of the biggest being the casinos. Innovative marketing and the innate charm of the casinos have helped make Atlantic City a must-see place for gaming enthusiasts. Today, it remains the top casino destination outside of Nevada in the US despite competition from other casino venues that have opened throughout the US.

Gambling in Atlantic City

Atlantic City is the perfect haven for the gambling enthusiast. The city has 11 casinos set along the beachfront and another 5 casinos located elsewhere in the city. The phenomenon that is Atlantic City today started in 1978. That was the year the Resorts International Casino opened. Resorts International was the first casino in Atlantic City. It is open till today, though it does not have live poker on its roster of games any longer.

So what caused gambling to take off in Atlantic City and make it as popular as it is today? For starters, when the casinos first opened in Atlantic City, it was the only place outside Nevada where gambling was legalized. This was one of the major factors influencing the mushrooming of the casinos here. Let’s take a look at some of the top casinos in the city.

Some Top Casinos in Atlantic CityThe Atlantic City Hilton - one of the top casinos in Atlantic City is the Atlantic City Hilton. The casino opened in 1980, and started out as a luxury casino hotel. The hotel is known for world-class dining, entertainment, and non-stop casino action. Besides, it offers the standard fare available at casinos – Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Poker, and Baccarat. It has two separate rooms for Poker and Asian games on the second floor and more than 300 new slot machines.

The Tropicana Casino and Resort - another major casino in Atlantic City is the Tropicana Casino and Resort. The current version of the Tropicana Casino and Resort was started in 1981 and is the largest hotel not just in Atlantic City, but in New Jersey as well, with more than 2,100 rooms. The casino has close to 150,000 sq ft in casino space, split into numerous segments.

Update: As of Dec 12, 2007, the casino has been denied its license by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, just the second time in casino history that a license renewal has been rejected. The casino is now under the supervision of Gary Stein, the Chief Justice of the New Jersey State Supreme Court. Under his supervision, the resort and casino would continue to remain open until the courts reach a final decision.

The Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa - this is one of the newer casinos in the city and was started in 2003, and currently features on the World Poker Tour. It has more than 161,000 sq ft of casino space, 2000 rooms, more than 4,100 slot machines, and 200 table games. Here, you can play Poker, Blackjack, Roulette, Baccarat, Racebook, Pai Gow tiles, and also Sic Bo. The Poker Room at the Borgata has more than 85 tables, making it the biggest in Atlantic City. It has been credited with the revival of the casinos in Atlantic City.

The Trump Connection in Atlantic City

Another person who contributed to the changing casino scene in Atlantic City is Donald Trump, the real estate mogul. Trump came to Atlantic City in the 1980s, and built his first casino in the city in 1984. Today, there are 3 Trump casino hotels in Atlantic City – the Trump Marina Resort, the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino and the Trump Taj Mahal.

The Trump Marina has received a Five Diamond rating and is one of just 100 hotels worldwide to have this honor. The casino has more than 90 table games and more than 200 slot machines, while the Trump Taj Mahal, which is modeled on the Taj Mahal in India, has been voted the best casino by the readers of Casino Player magazine. At the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, you can relax at the tables playing Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and Baccarat, or try out the slots. You also have the option of playing exotic fare like Pai Gow poker or tiles.