The Complete Guide to Atlantic City Gambling

There is no other gambling mecca like Atlantic City in America. Undoubtedly, the city is experiencing some hardships. In the past three years alone, four casinos have permanently closed their doors. However, disregard that dreadful news because AC is still very much alive. Only a few steps away from the magnificence of the Atlantic Ocean in America are eight top-notch casinos where you can wager.

The first casinos that were permitted east of the Mississippi River were located in Atlantic City. Atlantic City was a serious rival to Las Vegas during its peak. Even though attendance has declined and a few establishments have closed, Absecon Island still has a thriving gambling sector thanks to its 20,000 slot machines dispersed in an area under 5% the size of New York City.

The boardwalk is where Atlantic City's casinos receive the most attention. And with good cause. The nation's first boardwalk was in Atlantic City. This five and a half mile long boardwalk, constructed in 1870, stretches beside the Atlantic Ocean and through all of the city's flash and splendor. Don't forget about the three casinos that are gathered around Farley Marina on the island's western side.

The eight casinos in Atlantic City are listed here, along with information on the games they have to offer, notes on the services and accommodations, and helpful advice for navigating the many casinos on the island.

Atlantic City Casinos 1. The Borgata

Address: Huron Avenue and Borgata Way.

The Borgata is close by to Golden Nugget and Harrah's, which are both set back from Farley Marina. The Borgata is the biggest hotel in the state with more than 2,800 rooms. This establishment, which first opened its doors in 2003, is by far the city's most lucrative casino. One of the first things you notice when entering The Borgata from the Atlantic City Expressway is its enormous façade of reflected golden glass, which, while not quite in keeping with the theme, has a modern Tuscan feel. The 43-story connected boutique hotel, The Water Club, has 800 guestrooms and suites, a huge spa, plenty of space for conventions and meetings, five pools, and a shopping mall. The Water Club offers ocean views from every accommodation.

The Borgata's gaming area is 161,000 square feet. There are 2,475 slot machines, 180 or more gaming tables, and video poker machines available. But poker is the main draw at Borgata. The casino's 85-table poker area is among the largest in all of American casinos, not just in Atlantic City. Daily, weekly, monthly, and annual tournaments are held at the poker room, with buy-ins starting at just $40. The World Poker Tour holds tournaments at The Borgata, demonstrating the prominence and significance of the facility. The racebook of the establishment features a live TV wall that shows races from across the globe, 100 chairs with flat-screen monitors, and ten betting windows.

On-site eating options include five fine dining establishments:

• An upmarket steakhouse called Bobby Flay Steak serves dishes created by the celebrity chef.

• Another celebrity chef restaurant in the hotels is Wolfgang Puck American Grille.

• Fornelletto is a classy Italian eatery renowned for its lavish sweets.

• Izakayas modeled like conventional sushi bars in Japan.

• Old Homestead, the famed NYC steakhouse's outpost in Atlantic City.

The Borgata Festival Park (for outdoor concerts and shows), two bars, one ultra-VIP lounge, rooftop dancing and beverage service, retail and boutique shopping, six casual restaurants, a food court on the retail floor, retail and spa shopping, and a full-service spa inside The Water Club are additional amenities.

Advice: Buses are not "accepted" at the Borgata. This means that you are unable to arrive by Greyhound or another type of bus and exit at the door. Although irritating, this is a part of their reputation. They aim to be viewed as a residential hotel and casino in the vein of Las Vegas. The presence of tour buses is inconsistent with their portrayal of themselves as "luxury casino" in AC. You will need to arrange a cab to travel the mile or two from the bus station to the front door if you plan to ride the bus into town, as so many people do. The Jitney, a local institution that resembles a miniature air-conditioned bus, costs $2.25, although the journey will take longer. If you don't want to call a cab, just call for a (perhaps less expensive) Uber trip because it is now available in AC.

2. Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Address: Brigantine Boulevard and Huron Avenue.

The Golden Nugget in Atlantic City is situated immediately next to Farley Marina. The Borgata and The Water Club are close by. Farley Marina is located at The Golden Nugget, making it the only casino in the US with an operational marina that is attached. Trump Marina is the new name for this property, which was formerly known as Trump's Castle. In 2011, the Trump Organization sold the casino. The smallest of Golden Nugget's casinos and one of the smallest in Atlantic City, Golden Nugget AC has 728 hotel rooms. The expansive leisure deck of Golden Nugget features a jogging track, a health spa, heated pools and spas, tennis and basketball courts, among other attractions. The Gold Rush is the venue's motif.

One of the smaller casino floors in the city, the Golden Nugget's gaming area measures 70,000 square feet. But the diversity of available table games more than makes up for the venue's lack of size. In comparison to other casinos in Atlantic City, Golden Nugget has more tables per square foot, offering numerous variations of blackjack, craps, roulette, and casino-style poker in the center of the gaming area. The 62-pound Hand of Faith, the largest golden nugget in the world, is permanently on loan to the Golden Nugget from its location in Las Vegas and can be seen as you enter the casino from the hotel lobby.

Currently, The Golden Nugget is home to eight restaurants:

• Chart House is a classic seafood restaurant.

• Weekend brunch is served at The Buffet, a buffet in the vein of Las Vegas.

• A modern American restaurant selling meals is The Deck Bayfront Bar & Restaurant.

• Year-round snacks and beverages are available by the pool at the Poolside Café.

• Vic & Anthony's, a well-known steakhouse with an AC location.

• The Michelin-starred chef's brasserie, Michael Patrick's Brasserie, serves French cuisine.

• Italian restaurant in the tradition of New Jersey called Grotto.

• Pan-Asian cuisine is available at Lillie's Asian Cuisine for a fair price.

Other features include a recently renovated indoor-outdoor pool complex, one of the city's last remaining smoking areas, round-the-clock guest bus access, and the 600+ slip Farley Marina, which is operated in conjunction with the New Jersey Division of Parks & Forestry and the owner of the Golden Nugget.

Advice: If you enjoy blackjack, check out the only $5 game offered throughout the week in the state. The Golden Nugget is where it is. The table is always available but rotates around, probably to prevent crowding.

3. Harrah’s Atlantic City

Address: 777 Harrah’s Blvd at Renaissance Point Blvd.

Built directly west of the Farley marina, Harrah's is the casino in Atlantic City that faces the furthest west. The Borgata and Golden Nugget are nearby. It is one of the highest structures in the state of New Jersey and serves as the main casino for Harrah's. When Harrah's opened in 1980, it made a great impression thanks to its massive exterior (which faced the Atlantic City Expressway) and strategic placement. By choosing Farley Marina over the boardwalk, Harrah's AC established a precedent that casino building firms are still adhering to now. One of the biggest hotels in the state, Harrah's once held the record for size before Borgata was finished. The Waterfront Shoppes retail center and The Concert Venue, one of the more opulent such performance venues in a town with several of them, are the principal facilities.

Due to the enormous selection of slots and video poker games they provide, Harrah's Atlantic City is the ideal location for slot enthusiasts in the entire city. There are more than 3,600 machines in the massive casino, which spans 175,000 square feet. If playing slots isn't your thing, the 140 offered table games are second only to Caesars in terms of quantity. The majority of those tables are set aside for casino-style poker, but there are also plenty of blackjack and craps tables available constantly. Although it may not be the largest in the city, the 40-table poker club is one of the most well-known because it regularly holds satellite events for the World Poker Tour and the World Series of Poker.

Harrah's Atlantic City has four fine dining establishments in addition to a shorefront food court and a few informal eateries:

• Dos Caminos is a distinctive, upmarket Tex-Mex restaurant.

• Celebrity chef Luke Palladino operates an American-style grill and bar.

• Italian food is served in a contemporary setting at Martorano's.

• McCormick & Schmick's, a renowned brand of upscale seafood restaurants with a location in Atlantic City.

• The Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa has 23 treatment rooms, a sizable Jacuzzi and sauna area, and an organic café, among other amenities.

Advice: Harrah's Atlantic City is attempting to gain the patronage of rival casinos as it positions itself to become the most prosperous establishment in town. Mentioning that you frequently visit one of their rivals will make them more willing to provide hotel upgrades and other bonuses when you schedule your next visit. Having VIP status at another local location is the easiest way to acquire a free room at Harrah's.

4. Caesars Atlantic City

Address: 2100 Pacific Ave at N Arkansas Ave.

Caesars AC, the first casino along the Boardwalk on this list, is close to Playground Pier. Visitors always recall the hotel's tower and the skybridge that connects it to the Pier complex as an iconic sight of the city. Ancient Rome is the motif, and it is well-executed, apparent from most locations across the city, particularly as you drive or walk close to the Boardwalk. The linked hotel is one of the largest in the city in terms of size and the attached casino, but having much less rooms than some of AC's resorts. It's also one of the best-looking areas in the city, renowned for having a clean and modern façade and lobby, thanks to the development of a new parking garage, hotel tower, and shopping complex.

Caesars is renowned as the city's center for VIP gaming, and this mentality permeates the whole casino floor. Although there are a variety of behind-the-curtain games accessible in the VIP areas upstairs, we were startled to see some with quite large limits right on the casino floor. The casino is well-known for its blackjack table on the gaming floor that accepts wagers up to $50,000. But given that slots are unmistakably the name of the game on the casino floor, that is primarily just flash without substance. Caesars features one of the largest collections of slot machines east of the Mississippi with around 3,000 machines. Caesars seems to have it all when it comes to gaming, hosting a number of World Series of Poker circuit tournaments. There are 145 table games, 40 poker tables, and thousands of slot machines in the 145,000-square-foot casino.

In keeping with the heritage of fine dining in Atlantic City, Caesars provides:

• A premium Italian restaurant with a focus on meat is called Nero's Italian Steakhouse. Sunday brunch is hosted.

• A food court-like assemblage of regional eateries and national brands is called Palace Court Buffet.

• Café Roma is a typical Italian family-style eatery.

• Pan-Asian cuisine and weekend buffets are available at KWI Restaurant and Noodle Bar.

• The newest eatery at Caesars is the Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill.

There are two nightclubs, a hairdresser, a large outdoor pool complex, and the Qua Baths & Spa in the hotel's Ocean Tower among the amenities. Playground Pier shopping is also available. Amazing acrobatic performances are presented year-round at the Circus Maximus Theater.

Advice: The outside Nero's Italian Steakhouse at Caesar's offers the greatest views of the Boardwalk, the beach, and the people. Gather some snacks and an unknown Italian beer as you observe the crowds forming to enjoy the seaside.

5. Bally’s Atlantic City

Address: 1900 Boardwalk Ave.

It is well known for its prime position. Bally's, which is situated between Caesars and the Central Pier, was first constructed at Park Place and The Boardwalk, a prestigious site connected to the most costly real estate in the Monopoly board game. Bally's, which has more than 2,000 rooms, was one of the first casinos to be erected on the boardwalk and is still the biggest hotel in the region. Simple modern gaming is the concept, along with tons of vintage flash and glamour and Atlantic City's own charm. The recently renamed Legends in Concert Theater, the biggest in the region and the venue for the biggest headline tours, is the primary feature in addition to the casino. Since more than half of Atlantic City's casinos are within a short Jitney or cab ride of Bally's, staying there makes sense if you intend to visit all five of the boardwalk locations.

If you count all floors as one location, Bally's two on-site casinos have a combined 225,000 square feet of gaming space, making them the biggest in the neighborhood. 5,000 slot and video poker machines, hundreds of gaming tables for standard table games like blackjack and craps, and specialist games like video dealer electronic roulette are all offered at these two casinos combined. At Bally's, poker isn't a big issue; in fact, the focus seems to have completely changed to dealer-run casino-style poker games. The only baccarat-only gaming establishment in the city, Baccarat Palace is located in Bally's and is a favorite with tourists from Europe and Asia.

There are several well-known eateries and neighborhood favorites in Bally's, including:

• The newest addition, Guy's Bar-B-Que Joint, serves family-style barbecue.

• In the VIP area is the upscale steakhouse Arturo's.

• Italian seafood restaurant franchise Buca di Beppo is well-known.

• A laid-back interpretation of an American steakhouse is Guy Fieri's Chophouse.

• Local landmark Harry's Oyster Bar and Grill

• Johnny Rockets, for all your gastronomic needs in contemporary America.

• Noodle Village offers pan-Asian takeout.

• On the top floor of the casino is a VIP-only lounge and bar called The Diamond Club.

The Bally's Spa, an indoor heated pool, six hot tubs, two saunas, basketball and racquetball courts, a gym, a salon, and a sizable outdoor recreation deck with ocean views are just a few of the amenities available.

Advice: A $5 usage fee is charged to guests to utilize the pool amenities. It will cost you $10 on weekends. VIP members don't have to pay this cost.

6. Resorts Casino Hotel

Address: 1133 Boardwalk at Danny Thomas Blvd

The oldest casino in the city that is still open is Resorts Casino Hotel, which is situated directly in front of Steel Pier. It was the first legal casino ever constructed in the nation outside of Nevada when it was constructed in 1978. As shown in the television show Boardwalk Empire, the Resort Casino Hotel in Atlantic City features a Roaring 20s theme in an effort to profit on the city's historic Prohibition heritage. The two towers of the casino, which dominate the nearby skyline and have an industrial late-1970s aesthetic, are its most distinctive architectural feature. Not the most attractive buildings on the Boardwalk, but undoubtedly some of the oldest. The hotel's most recent makeover increased its capacity to just about 1,000 rooms.

One of America's largest gaming floors, at Resorts, measured 100,000 square feet. Though it should be noted that Boardwalk casinos typically have smaller, more crowded gambling floors, these days it's more quaint than anything else. With more than 1,800 slots and machines that accept bets up to $1,000 on the main casino floor, Resorts is the go-to spot for high-limit machine gambling. Although the casino's 75 table games aren't going to win any prizes, they adequately depict the traditional AC casino games. Poker has always been offered at Resorts, despite the fact that the room and its 35 tables are somewhat modest even for AC.

Dining options in resorts range from formal to casual:

• The most northerly branch of this chain restaurant with a beach obsession is called Margaritaville.

• The only beach bar open all year is LandShark Bar & Grill in AC.

• Five o'clock, a casino bar that is open 24/7 and serves sandwiches and light fare.

• Margaritaville Coffee Shop is open every day of the year.

• The hotel's only fine-dining establishment is the classy Italian restaurant Luigi's.

• Two showrooms, one sizable arena for headlining performances, and a smaller black box space for stand-up comedians, regional bands, and other performers are available as amenities.

Advice: The newest and best food court in the city is located close to the Boardwalk. Since you don't need to travel anywhere near the casino or hotel lobby to enter, it's also one of the simplest to reach. At the base of this casino, beachside, right next to the Boardwalk, there is a Starbucks vending machine. In Atlantic City, there is only one Starbucks vending machine.

7. Tropicana Casino & Resort Atlantic City

Address: 2831 Boardwalk at S. Brighton Ave.

Recognized for providing the highest rewards in AC. Visitors to Absecon Island can relive their childhood gambling fantasies at the Tropicana Casino & Resort, which has a Cuban theme, located at the far southern end of the Boardwalk. Its distinctive hotel tower, which has a dome and can be seen from miles away, dominates the city skyline. The adjacent hotel is the second-largest in all of New Jersey and has almost as many rooms as The Borgata. The Tropicana holds a special place in Atlantic City's history because the hotel that once stood on the location served as the summer residence for a number of notorious gangsters, as a venue for territorial disputes during Prohibition, and as the site of numerous other intensely fascinating (and wholly illegal) activities. The Tropicana offers a glimpse of what Atlantic City was like in its heyday despite being a little outside of the city's bustling center, so if you're in the vicinity, it's worth a visit.

The Tropicana's casino is renowned for being a go-to destination for gamblers in Atlantic City. It has consistently been ranked the luckiest casino in Atlantic City by numerous publications, including Casino Player. With 123,000 square feet of gaming space, 130 tables (one of the lowest collections in AC), and over 2,600 slot and video poker machines, it is by no means the largest casino. All the machines at the Tropicana are arranged by price point, which is a charming touch that other casinos in Atlantic City would do well to copy. Three stories high, the casino features a sizable VIP section on the top floor in addition to ordinary gambling on the first two floors. The daily poker tournaments at The Tropicana are "where the locals play," by which I assume they mean the locals who don't play professionally at The Borgata on the island's bay side.

The Tropicana offers the following eating choices:

• One of the most expensive dinners in the city is served at FIN - A Seafood Experience.

• Chinese restaurant Golden Dynasty, which is extremely upscale.

• Italian family-style restaurant Il Verdi, where a coat and tie are appropriate.

• The Palm, a grill and bar that serves contemporary American food.

Advice: The Tropicana is enormous. Only a few of the restaurant and bar options on the site are featured below. It would take several thousand paragraphs to list every restaurant on the property. You might easily pass many days simply exploring the property. Plan a day solely for walking around the grounds.

Conclusion

Due to the continued economic crisis, New Jersey has taken steps to partially assume control of Atlantic City. What effect this will have on gambling in the city is not yet apparent. At most, it's a desperate attempt to turn around the city's fortunes, possibly even resulting in a real turnaround. At worst, it's a significant investment in a direction that will inevitably fail. It's a high-stakes wager that is very appropriate for its Las Vegas-style setting.

For the time being, things are better for gamblers thanks to the closure of four rival casinos. Casinos are competing fiercely for visitor spending. Early research suggests that fewer casinos being offered has increased revenue for everyone. Atlantic City might be about to make a comeback.

Whether or not that is the case, it's time to think about traveling to New Jersey to gamble. Most people are unaware of the wonderful restaurants, and the level of customer service is on par with that of Las Vegas. Don't forget that there is top-notch gambling practically everywhere.

Two of Atlantic City's previously closed casinos are starting up again, which is some welcome news. Revel is making a second attempt at running a casino, while Showboat is reopening as a resort hotel without gaming. This is fantastic news, especially after the city's brief economic rebound wobble. There has never been a finer moment to experience everything Atlantic City casinos have to offer, despite the fact that it is a cliche. A significant question is whether or not Atlantic City's casinos will be open for another 35 years. Before developers turn it into another Disney World, go while you still can.