The Showboat Atlantic City is a hotel and former casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Showboat opened as a casino hotel in 1987 and closed in 2014; the hotel reopened in 2016. It is owned by developer Bart Blatstein.^[3]

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy published guidance on what casinos should do in order to reopen safely and prevent a resurgence of the virus. Compliance within casinos appeared to be nearly universal. An Associated Press reporter said that in more than two hours on the floor of the Hard Rock Casino.

• On March 30, 1987, the Showboat Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center opened with a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m 2) casino and a 60-lane bowling alley, The complex was built on land leased from Resorts International, just north of the under-construction Resorts Taj Mahal (which became the Trump Taj Mahal upon opening in 1990, now reopening as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City).
• The nine destination Casino Hotels and Resorts are now open. The Boardwalk and beaches are open for your enjoyment! The many hotels, retail shops, restaurants, and bars are all following the guidance of the State of New Jersey and the CDC to make sure you stay safe and healthy on your visit. Follow the links below for information on reopening.

History[edit]

On March 30, 1987, the Showboat Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center opened with a 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m²) casino and a 60-lane bowling alley,^[4] The complex was built on land leased from Resorts International,^[5] just north of the under-construction Resorts Taj Mahal (which became the Trump Taj Mahal upon opening in 1990, now reopening as the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City). The grand opening ceremony featured Bob Hope and Al Hirt.^[4]

The Showboat opened the city's first racebook in 1993, following the legalization in 1990 of casino simulcast wagering.^[6]

Steelman Partners completed a major renovation in 1995, creating a Mardi Gras theme.

In 1998, the property's parent company, Showboat, Inc., was purchased by Harrah's Entertainment, later known as Caesars Entertainment.

With the popularity of bowling on the decline, the bowling alley was closed in 2001, and the space was used for a new buffet and a coffee shop.^[7]

In May 2003, the Showboat added a 544-room, $90 million hotel tower called the Orleans Tower. In 2007, the hotel remodeled its original tower, the Bourbon Tower.

In the past decade, many improvements were made to the establishment, including a new hotel tower and a House of Blues on the boardwalk, along with a complete renovation of the boardwalk facade.

In June 2014, Caesars Entertainment announced the planned closure of the Showboat, even though the property was profitable. The move was made in an effort to stabilize Caesars's other Atlantic City casinos.^[8][9] After a buyer could not be found, the Showboat closed on August 31, 2014, at 4:00 p.m. It employed 2,100 people, but 470 of them were immediately hired at other Caesars casinos.^[10] The shutdown came amid a wave of closures of Atlantic City properties, with four of the city's casinos closing in 2014.

On December 13, 2014, Richard Stockton College (later Stockton University) purchased the Showboat for $18 million, with plans to develop a full-service residential campus awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees and other professional training programs.^[11][12] The plan was derailed by legal issues, and Stockton sold the property to Philadelphia developer Bart Blatstein for $23 million in January 2016.^{[3][13][14][15][16][17]}

Blatstein announced in June 2016 that the Showboat would reopen the following month as a non-gaming hotel.^[18] The 'new' Showboat Atlantic City Hotel opened July 8, accepting reservations and welcoming guests. The new hotel features only one restaurant, bar and coffee shop. The former casino space and House of Blues areas are currently closed indefinitely and decorated with images of Atlantic City.

In February 2018, Blatstein took a preliminary step toward applying for a casino license for the property. Blatstein said 'There is over a billion dollars worth of investment in that part of the town that should not be ignored,' referring to the reopening of two shuttered casinos next to the Showboat, the Ocean Resort Casino and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Later that year, Blatstein also announced plans to convert 264 of the Showboat's hotel rooms into apartments.^[19] In early 2019, Bart Blatstein was approved to apply for a casino license. Blatstein planned to build a new casino in the lot in between Showboat and Ocean Casino Resort. Due to a deed restriction placed on Showboat by Caesars Entertainment, the building may not be used as a casino, so building a new building was a way around it. The new casino was expected to break ground in 2020.^[20] However, in December 2020, the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority approved Blatstein's request for financial assistance to turn the space originally intended for a casino into a $100 million indoor water park. Blatstein also sought to have the park designated as an entertainment retail district project, allowing the park to qualify for up to $2.5 million in annual sales tax breaks for 20 years.^[21]

Dining[edit]

Current Restaurants

• Worship Surf Bar
• Canal Street Coffee Shop
• 12 Bar
• Bricker's Burgers & More ^[22]
• Atlantic City Eatery

Former Restaurants

• Atlantic City Eatery
• Casa di Napoli
• Crossroads
• Foundation Room Dining
• French Quarter Buffet
• Royal Noodle House
• Scarduzio's Steak - Sushi - Lounge
• Sundeck Coffee Shop
• Starbucks Coffee
• Worship Surf Bar

Amenities[edit]

Showboat has a 3,500 sq.ft. spa, a fitness center, a pool and two gift shops. Prior to the addition to the House of Blues, shows were performed in two venues, either the Mardi Gras Showroom or Mississippi Pavilion. Bob Hope was the first headliner at the resort. Other headliners included Phyllis Diller, Charo, The Judds, Ray Charles, The Spinners, Jack Jones, Alan King and Willie Nelson. Smaller Las Vegas-style revue shows were also sporadically booked in the Mardi Gras Showroom. The opening of The House of Blues in 2005 saw the entertainment bookings ranging from Cyndi LauperElvis Costello to the White Stripes to Erykah Badu. Boxing matches are held at the casino.^[23]

Upon the reopening of the Showboat, the hotel rebranded the former House of Blues as the Bourbon Room^[24] which hosts concerts and other events. The hotel also introduced a video arcade called Starcade^[25] and a glow-in-the-dark miniature golf course sponsored by Glow Golf^[26] However, both the Starcade and Glow Golf establishments have closed.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Property Record for 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ
2. ^ ^abShowboat Atlantic City Review by Casino City
3. ^ ^abJonathan Lai (January 15, 2016). 'Stockton completes Showboat sale to Blatstein'. Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved 2016-01-16.
4. ^ ^abDonald Janson (March 31, 1987). '12th casino hotel opens, with 60-lane attraction'. New York Times. Retrieved 2014-12-13.
5. ^George Anastasia (February 11, 1986). 'Hearing focuses on Resorts as a redeveloper'. Philadelphia Inquirer.
6. ^Mike Farrell (May 29, 1993). 'Casino welcomes horses'. The Record. Bergen County, NJ. Archived from the original on March 29, 2015. – via HighBeam (subscription required)
7. ^Joe Bob Briggs (January 9, 2002). 'The Vegas Guy: Showboat Atlantic City'. UPI. Retrieved 2014-12-13.
8. ^'Caesars closing Showboat Casino 'to stabilize our business in Atlantic City'' Breaking News pressofatlanticcity.com
9. ^Showboat closes after 27 years in Atlantic City - News - NorthJersey.com
10. ^https://web.archive.org/web/20140830182513/http://www.philly.com/philly/news/new_jersey/20140829_ap_3fe0a255bdfd4830ae3c3c79ef8c17a2.html
11. ^Forand, Rebecca (December 12, 2014). 'Stockton buys Showboat for $18 million, creating 'Island campus''. South Jersey Times. Retrieved 2014-12-12.
12. ^Trump Taj Mahal blocking Stockton University move to Showboat, says school president NJ.com
13. ^Opinion: Showboat good for Stockton and A.C. - Opinion: Guest Writers - NorthJersey.com
14. ^Stockton President Resigns Over Purchase of Bankrupt Showboat Casino - NJ Spotlight
15. ^[1]
16. ^New information indicates Stockton University broke N.J. law in purchasing Showboat casino - News - NorthJersey.com
17. ^Costs from Stockton University's casino purchase grow - News - NorthJersey.com
18. ^Wayne Parry (June 3, 2016). 'Atlantic City's Showboat is reopening — but without casino'. Seattle Times. AP. Retrieved 2016-06-03.
19. ^David Danzis (October 24, 2018). 'Showboat may soon offer market-rate apartments'. Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
20. ^Nicholas Huba (February 20, 2018). 'Is casino gaming returning to the Showboat?'. Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2018-10-26.
21. ^Devin O'Connor (December 29, 2020). 'New Jersey Casino Authority Approves Tax Credits for Showboat Atlantic City Water Park'. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
22. ^https://www.showboathotelac.com/atlantic-city-hotel
23. ^'Boxing is making a comeback in Atlantic City'. pressofatlanticcity.com. Retrieved 2019-03-24.
24. ^https://www.bourbonroomac.com
25. ^https://starcade-ac.com/
26. ^https://www.opryglowgolf.com/locations/atlantic-city-new-jersey-showboat-hotel

External links[edit]

Coordinates: 39°21′42″N74°25′5″W / 39.36167°N 74.41806°W

Will Nj Casinos Reopen

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey took nearly $1 billion worth of sports bets in December, an encouraging finish to a year in which coronavirus closures and restrictions sent overall gambling revenue down nearly 17%.

Over $6 billion worth of bets were placed last year in New Jersey, which won a U.S. Supreme Court case in 2018 that cleared the way for the ongoing expansion of legalized sports betting in America.

Figures released Wednesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show the state's nine casinos and three horse tracks that accept sports bets took in over $996 million worth of such wagers in December, the latest in a string of monthly records for U.S. sports betting.

Slot and table games revenue for the casinos, including internet betting, was $2.64 billion in 2020. When sports betting revenue is added, New Jersey saw more than $2.88 billion in revenue for the year.

That represented a decline of 16.9% in a year in which the casinos were closed for 3 1/2 months. Even when they were allowed to reopen in July, they had to restrict operations to 25% of capacity — limits that remain in place today.

“Significant revenue was lost in those early months and, throughout the second half of the year, the resurging public health crisis continued to impact business in Atlantic City,” said James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. 'Atlantic City’s stakeholders have been working hard to build a strong foundation for recovery. As society begins to approach a return to normalcy, Atlantic City will be ready to restore its recent positive momentum.'

Only one casino, the Golden Nugget, took in more money in 2020 than it did in 2019. It won more than $415 million, an increase of nearly 10% over the previous year.

Harrah's had the biggest decline in 2020, down 46.8% to $166.3 million. Resorts was close behind, down 43.8% to $100.2 million. Caesars was down an identical 43.8% to $152.3 million.

Tropicana was down 33.8% to $231.5 million; Borgata, the last of the nine casinos to reopen last year, was down 27.6% to $577.3 million; Hard Rock was down 17% to $290.5 million, and Ocean was down 10.1% to $214.1 million.

Ocean CEO Terry Glebocki said 2020 was a challenging year.

“We’re optimistic about the future as demonstrated by Ocean’s 18% year-to-date growth in casino win during the year’s eight operational months,” she said. “In a time when many businesses in the country are ramping down operating schedules, Ocean is actively reinvesting in its property by debuting new venues likes our new high-limit slot experience, The Cove.”

Under two different owners in 2020, Bally's won nearly $97 million, compared with $181.5 a year earlier.

New Jersey has led the nation for months in the amount of money bet on sports within its borders. With the NFL playoffs underway in the run-up to the Super Bowl, January 2021 is almost certain to eclipse the $1 billion mark for total amount of money wagered, known in the industry as “handle.”

But that number is separate from, and much larger than, sports betting revenue, or the amount of money sports books keep after paying out winning bets and other expenses. New Jersey's casinos and horse tracks kept just under $400 million in sports betting revenue last year, an increase of over 33% from a year earlier.

And its dominance of the market appears to be in jeopardy: New York state announced last week it will legalize mobile sports betting this year, a move certain to cut into New Jersey's sports betting business. Industry experts say about 20% of New Jersey's sports bets are made by New Yorkers who cross the border to wager; that is money New Jersey soon will no longer be getting.

Internet gambling revenue more than doubled last year, going from $482 million in 2019 to $970 million in 2020, another bright spot for an industry still struggling to recover from the pandemic. Internet gambling had been on a roll for years in New Jersey, but increased even more this year as gamblers had no option but to bet on their phones or laptops from mid-March to early July, and even after they reopened, some felt more comfortable gambling from home.

___

Nj Casino Reopening Date

Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC.