Ocean Resort and Hard Rock Both Aiming For June 28th Grand Opening

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Thursday, April 26th, 2018 | Written by Lucy Brown

The last casino to open in Atlantic City was back in 2012, with five of its twelve casinos subsequently shutting shop between 2014 and 2016. Just like waiting for a bus, though, the East Coast gambling resort is now set to welcome two more venues to its market, with both the Hard Rock Atlantic City and Ocean Resort Casino apparently scheduled to open their doors on the same day.

I say apparently because while the Hard Rock Hotel said that its June 28 opening date was 100 percent set in stone, that of the Ocean Resort was announced by The Press based upon multiple reports from employees who have been told to report for work on June 11, and expect an official open on June 28. In the meantime, Ocean Resort officials have neither confirmed nor denied the report, with CEO Frank Leone stating in an email sent to The Press of Atlantic City:

“The Ocean Resort Casino Team is committed to opening this summer and looks forward to announcing its highly anticipated opening date soon.”

Ahead of its opening, however, the Ocean Resort still needs to obtain a gaming license from the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, with no license hearings having been scheduled to date.

Ocean Resort Casino

Originally called the Revel Casino Hotel, the $2.4 billion property was the last casino to officially open in Atlantic City, but fell into bankruptcy and shut in 2014 before being given a new lease of life after Denver-based real estate developer Bruce Deifek acquired the venue for $200 million in January.

Once opened, the 1,399-room boardwalk casino-hotel will feature top accommodation, gourmet dining, retail shopping, and entertainment experiences, as well as five swimming pools, and fitness spa. The Ocean Resort Casino will also boasts the world’s biggest Topgolf Swing Suite, where guests can play virtual golf games and other interactive multi-sports while eating and drinking in its 26,000-square-foot lounge. As Deifik commented in a press release:

“We’re aligning with companies and brands that are the best at what they do to optimize the overall guest experience. Topgolf is one of the best in terms of delivering cutting-edge entertainment and memorable social experiences that capture the spirit of competition and fun.”

Hard Rock Atlantic City

June 28th is set to be one of Atlantic City’s busiest days, with Ocean Resort Casino’s opening apparently coinciding with that of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The former Trump Taj Mahal casino originally opened back in 1990, but in 2016 became the last of the resort’s casinos to shut. The following year, the Seminole Tribe of Florida acquired the property for $50 million, and have subsequently spent around $500 million modernizing and bringing it under the Hard Rock International banner.

Once opened, the Hard Rock Atlantic City will boast 2,000 hotel rooms, and a casino offering 2,100 slot machines and 120 table games, in addition to a variety of restaurants, bars, and clubs. It will also be adorned with classic music memorabilia, and focus upon being an entertainment venue, with a host of music concerts having already been booked, including the likes of Blake Shelton, Kid Rock, Florida Georgia Line, Third Eye Blind, and Ted Nugent, to name but a few.

“We think it’s a great start,” said CEO Jim Allen. “It demonstrates our commitment that we are about entertainment and not just about casino. But, certainly, we look forward to continuing to book more acts and even larger acts. There’s some amazing acts on that list, but, certainly, I think the best is yet to come.”

Atlantic City Revival

The opening of two rebranded casinos is part of a revival in Atlantic City gambling industry which in 2016 returned to growth after experiencing a decade of year-over-year declines. Nevertheless, the revenue of $2.66 billion it generated in 2017 were still below its peak of $5.2 billion posted in 2006, with its dramatic slide a result of increasing competition from neighboring states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New York.

Consequently, the Northeast has now become one of the most concentrated casino markets in the whole of the country, with S&P credit analyst David Hitchcock explaining that the situation has changed so much over the past decade that Atlantic City will never be in a position to recapture its monopoly on Eastern gambling. In the past, for instance, people had to travel 62 miles from Philadelphia or 127 miles from New York City in order to gamble, but these days enjoy plenty closer to home alternatives.