The current economic downturn has effected more than Wall Street, Main Street, the Auto Makers and other big industry. The Gaming industry and the casinos in the various jurisdictions are feeling the pain. As most of you have heard I've been on a rant for a few days on many posts about the Atlantic City Casinos and the problems they have been experiencing for almost a year now. The issue is, that these problems are far more reaching than just the Atlantic City areae and that is just what the 2008 Gaming Conference has on it's agenda to discuss. The convention's official name the Globabl Gaming Expo, is expected to bring with it about 30,000 gaming professionals to the city of Las Vegas. Sure the economic times are tough, and even this kind of traveling is expensive to any company's books, but a sign of solidarity and bouncing some ideas off of each other is still a must.

Statistics that have been gathered show that as a whole, industry revenue across the United States in the third quarter was down by 4.6%. Many gaming officials are seeing two general reasons for this issue. The first , the economy is keeping the consumers from coming to the casinos and spending money. The second, due to the tight credit markets financial institutions are less likely to lend money with decent interest rates in order to keep casinos a float and to invest in property and marketing initiatives.

The opinion of this writer is that there is far more issues that face the gaming industry today. No doubt that the economic downturn keeps people from spending money. That's an easy one to analyze. The issues I'm seeing are that for whatever reason, the jursidictions, the states, the very people that have benefited economically from legalizing these businesses are more than half the problem. Tighter legislation, laws that actually negatively effect the industry such as anti-smoking, and other efforts on the part of the populace of many of these jurisdictions just are hindering any rebound.

It is my hope that this conference brings to the forefront these issues a little more and in greater view of the people that are being effected. In times when economic downturn was an issue, the legalization of casinos was a viable option. Why, now are many biting the hand that feeds them?

To the pundits, the readers, the members and everyone in between, there is no doubt where my opinion lies when it comes to the effects of the smoking ban on Atlantic City casinos. For those of you not intimately involved with the day to day routine of the Atlantic City New Jersey area, today officially, a suspension of that ban was created. The expected back lash or anti-smoking groups, labor groups and any one else that fits into that category of course is completely irate at this latest step back in there cause. I even heard on a local talk radio station today one caller trying to make the case that anti-smoking laws actually had little to do with contributing to the declining performance of the Atlantic City Casinos. She cited the fact that during the same time the Las Vegas Casinos, which do not have anti-smoking legislation in place, have also reported a decline of 22% during the same time period. No doubt her point being that, overall, the failing economy is the real monster behind all decline and unfortunately, the anti-smoking laws in the Atlantic City casinos is just a spurious correlation.

Hello and welcome back to my blog. Recently I've been obsessed with posting my opinions relating to the smoking ban legislation and how it is effecting, or to be fair contributing to the negative performance of the overall casino market in Atlantic City. Well, I'm going to take a break and step down from my stump for a bit here and get back to some basics.

One thing I have commented on in some time are the myriad of Poker Tournaments and the overall poker circuit. For anyone even remotely interested in casino action, the subject of poker has to be exciting. In my "travels" online I constantly search for good resources that offer first hand and informed information and for this subject of Poker I've found a great blog. One such blog that is authored by a professional poker player and who reports on Poker Tournaments is a great place to check out.

You'll see updated information about well known players on the circuit, schedules of up and coming tournaments around the country and get an inside feel for the world of professional poker.

October was another shitty month in Atlantic City. 10 percent off from last year. Considering auto sales were way off from even that number maybe gambling is recession proof. LOL/

The Water Club at Borgata is not doing nearly the business that Boyd had expected. Their stock price is at 1/4 of what it was when the Borgata opened 5 years ago and only a fraction of the stocks high point. This has put some of the executives on the hot seat. Which is bullshit. Larry Mullin is the best casino executive this town has produced since Peter Boynton left town in 1995.

Pinnacle has put their Atlantic City project on hold indefinitely. I told you that 6 months ago. MGM has put their Atlantic City project on hold. Its the early 1990s all over again. For almost a decade Atlantic City was deluged with sketches of the next big thing. Then somehow it would go down the shitter.

I remember specifically having breakfast with my father reading about The Quarter to be built at the Tropicana. We laughed hysterically because at the time it had seemed so far fetched. The tunnel was supposed to bring Atlantic City 3 new casinos. The crown jewel of which was the return to Atlantic City of Steve Wynn. That never happened. We only got the Borgata.

Its deja vu all over again. We need Steve Wynn to start buying in AC on the cheap. We know that he has problems of his own in Maccau and Las Vegas, but those towns dont adore Mr Wynn like AC does. Lets throw him a birthday party and get him to buy Bader Field for $5. He'll turn around and sell it to someone else for 10 billion, but it will rejuvenate Atlantic City.

Not to get off on a rant or anything.

AJ - Out

Sorry for the absence my loyal friends, but I've had to deal with some personal issues over the last week. I come back to the fold with a theme that I've spoken about many times before...The ban of smoking in the casinos of atlantic city and the subsequent temporary repeal of this ban for the next year.

Just in case you've been in a bubble, happened to do missionary work in a part of the world that doesn't get the internet or if this is just the first time you've read one of my blog posts, I'll make it easy. I'm very much against any kind of ban on smoking in the casinos of Atlantic City. Just to re-cap Atlantic City casinos have seen some of the worst declining performances on a month to month basis in almost 30 years. Sure there are lot's of reasons for this, including the infringing competition of local states such as Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and now I'm hearing Maryland, but in the face of all that taking away a natural and complimentary thing from the core market has always seemed absurd to me.

Yes, let me get this out of the way too. I realize that there are significant reports about the trends of second hand smoking and how bad the employees have it at the casinos. Yes, I can understand because I have had several people close to me, including family that have unfortunately been stricken down, no doubt from second hand smoke. Finally, yes, I want there to be a place where people can work and not have to deal with this kind of thing.

All this pales in the face of a terrifying thought. The thought of a quiet and cold whispering wind blowing down the Boardwalk in a winter not so far off. A quiet that is pierced here and there by the sound of small pockets of facilities that survived to have slots here and there. A place where street after street has boarded up businesses including casinos. For many they feel it's not a reality. To me its' very real.

I often bring up the example of Flint Michigan. If any of you have the stomach go rent a movie called Roger and Me. It's a startling look at how a city and region can fold in the face of a decline of the most contributing industry. This reality is very close to what could happen in Atlantic City.

Well fall is in full swing and poker is picking up a bit. ESPN just finished airing the last of the pretaped episodes of the WSOP Main event. The November Nine have been revealed to all of us. Soon we will see if Harrahs and ESPN's move to try to make this more of a "live" event. I hope so. Poker needs a shot in the arm.

Those of you who have been watching the march to the November Nine saw Phil Hellmuth and Mike Matasow make deep runs in the Main Event. We all know had either of these men made the final table the buzz would have benn extraordinary. This is the double edged sword of the "Moneymake Effect".

I have some rooting interests at the final table. I played extensively with Chino Rheem and Ylon Schwartz during my time out on tour. Had the final table happened the standard way it had in thep ast they would have been my top picks. The fact that the other 7 players have had 4 months to immerse themselves in poker the gap closes quickly.

In Atlantic City poker news. The US Poker Champions was recently held at the Trump Taj Mahal. And the real question is who the hell cares. This easily could have been the crown jewel of Atlantic City poker, instead they were down to just sixty some odd entries. Two years ago Atlantic City got tons of air time with the (12) one hour episodes on ESPN. That is a thing of the past.

Borgata is having $350k guarantee this month. These always sems to blow past the number. I can tell you that I dont think you will see them trying that 5 million gurantee anytime soon. That was a close one guys. They were a bad thunder storm away from having to post a having to post a big six figure number.

Looks like John Phan is on his way to CardPLayer Player of the Year in 2008. He should have won it in 2005 but Men the Master manipulated the system as he oft does to eek out a victory. Hope you get this one Razor. But dont lose sight of Betrand Grospellier. He is like Sacha Baron Cohen in Talladega Nights. I just hope they dont make out at the Bellagio in Dec where I am certain this thing will be determined.


Till then. Suck it

AJ

For the love of god only the Phillies could figure out a way to keep us biting our nails for 3 days. How about that? Its been 25 years since Philly fans have been able to pund their chest and claim to be World Champions. We here in the Atlantic City area support for the most part Philadelphia teams.

FU Joe Carter
Mitch Williams You are off the hook.

I do feel good about this on most levels. This doesn't totally make up for the ridiculously treachery of the NBA in the 2001 NBA finals where the Sixers should have been up 2-0 on the "unstoppable" Los Angeles Lakers. Or Donovan McNabb hurling in the fourth quarter of the superbowl.

I guess it is as good as time as any to admit that baseball was ruined for me forever in 1994 with the strike. Baseball had been my favorite sport as a child and I lived and died with the Philles. Once trying a round trip 1000 miles to watch the 1993 NLCS in person. But the strike killed me.
I have been a Phillies fan longer than I have been an fan of anything in my life. However I just wasn't as elated with their victory as I would had the Sixers or Eagles taken home the crown and danced down Board St.

Am I alone in this?

I would never take more credit than I deserve. It's also very unlikely that many haven't even read my posts. That all being said the result is still the same and I'm mostly pleased.

Sometimes a casino will come along that just is plain smoke and mirrors. Well the Twin Rivers Casino and Dog Race Track of Rhode Island is just that...A Poor Quality Casino Resort and this is flat out the truth. I had the misfortune of traveling up to the "resort" and I use that term loosely in this case, about a year ago. Let's just say this is a place that has tried, and failed, at trying to create a dog race track into a world class casino. First, the property is crap. It literally has an area for Recreational Vehicles to park and stay on the grounds?? Second, the food, even at it's best restaurants, is so average for the price I'd rather throw my money out the window on my way down the dark and desolate road that took me there. Third and finally, the games for all the new carpets, lighting, etc, are just not that good.