Casino News Source:
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/
Atlantic City casino shutdown draws international attention
By SHAWN HARDIE
ATLANTIC CITY ” The news of Atlantic City casinos closing their doors Wednesday morning is making waves from southern New Jersey to the south of France.
Media outlets worldwide are reporting on the unprecedented shutdown of the casinos after the state could not pass a budget by the July 1 deadline.
Newspapers nationwide, including the Sioux City (Iowa) Journal, have run stories on the shutdown. Magazines such as Forbes and BusinessWeek are covering the nationwide economic impact on their Web sites.
In fact, a search of Atlantic City on Google News yielded more than 1,400 casino-related stories on sites such as those for the BBC and French business firm EasyBourse, among others.
So what does this mean for Atlantic City, a place that has received its share of criticism over the years? Will the casino shutdown, with no immediate end in sight, give the city and the state another black eye which could take some time to heal?
I would hope that what's getting out (in the news) is getting our fiscal house in order and less about individual subplots, said Jeff Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority.
The city has fought misconceptions for years and proved them wrong with the addition of non-gaming amenities like restaurants and shops, said Vassar, although the shutdown certainly doesn't help.
Nick Morici, a spokesman for Mayor Bob Levy, agreed that Atlantic City is more than just a place to gamble and that a casino shutdown shouldn't sound a death knell for the resort.
The city has a lot to offer, including shows, top-of-the-line retail stores and what the city was initially known for: the beach and the Boardwalk, Morici said.
But the question still lingering for many residents, including casino employees sitting at home without pay, is, Why does this have to happen here?â€
Which would immediately be followed by, I bet you this would never happen in Las Vegas, right?
Mark Clayton, a member of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, said that Nevada state law does not require agents of the Nevada Gaming Commission to be housed in any of the casinos, unlike their New Jersey counterparts.
Before you brace yourself for a barrage of jokes on late-night talk shows, Morici says residents should know that the city did everything in its power to keep the casinos open, and that the casinos, as vital as they are, are not a total reflection of what our city is about.â€
Vasser likened the casino shutdown to the month-long Local 54 strike in October 2004, when nearly 10,000 hotel workers walked off the job. Once a deal was reached, Vasser said, everything turned out fine and 2004 was still a record year for hotel business. A happy ending is possible for the casinos, Vasser said, but one change must be made.
I hope when all of this is settled, we can do something at the state level so that this doesn't happen again,†Vasser said.
After all, Atlantic City can't take another punch to the eye.
|
|
World Casino Directory 
Gambling Forums 
