Atlantic City hotel could restore casino a decade after closing

    Atlantic City Hotel
    Article by : Charles Perrin Jan 24, 2024

    The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City has fueled speculation that it could revisit the idea of restoring a casino to its premises, a decade after closing.

    A slot machine or table games for that matter have been unavailable to patrons after Ceasars, who previously controlled the casino operation, halted gaming in August 2014.

    However, Showboat recently announced Anthony Farcana, a longtime gaming executive, as its new general manager, which could raise the specter of the hotel pushing for a fresh casino license.

    Having recently served as president of the neighboring Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Farcana has a wealth of experience in the gaming industry.

    His resume makes for impressive reading, with executive roles held at Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland and Parx Casino near Philadelphia.

    And Showboat owner Bart Blatstein believes the appointment of Farcana is just what the hotel needs.

    He said: “We are thrilled to announce the addition of such a decorated executive to the Showbeat team.

    “Anthony has the experience and qualities that will ensure he is a valuable asset to not only our Showboat family, but also the entire community.”

    Were Blatstein to push ahead for a casino license, he would have to obtain approval from the New Jersey Control Commission.

    Blatstein has contemplated bringing a casino back to the Showboat, and in 2019, he toyed with building a land-based venue adjacent to the resort.

    Instead, he put in a $100 million waterpark in the family-oriented resort. However, the waterpark hasn’t delivered a significant return on his investment.

    A casino, therefore, could be in the offing in the future, and should it materialize, it would be the 10th in the state.

    New Jersey is coming off the back of a stellar year of revenues, with the nine commercial casinos, raking in over $2.8 billion in 2023, a 2.2% uptick on the 2022 revenue figure.

    While the potential prospect of a 10th casino arriving in New Jersey could be exciting, it remains to be seen whether the established big players would welcome it and relish the extra competition.