NJ Casino News: Weekly Roundup

Get the latest casino news and updates in New Jersey for this week (July 31, 2021 – August 6, 2021).

Two AC Casinos Look To Open Beach Options For Guests

Both Bally’s AC and Ocean Casino Resort have submitted plans to the Atlantic City Council to build seasonal beach bars as well as permanent entertainment facilities on the beach. They need city authorization before they build out, but things might be looking positive:

According to AC Councilman Kaleem Shabazz, there’s more positive than negative with the redevelopment ideas. He asserted during June’s meeting, “I would definitely encourage this very strongly. Even though there are some negative aspects to the casinos, these entities have put a lot of money into the city; they are employing a lot of people. They want to continue their development, so I think we need to support these two (resolutions).”

NJ Sports Betting Gets a New Look, Operator

Though sports betting has already been available in New Jersey for a few years, it’s been through William Hill Sportsbook. But now that Caesars Entertainment owns William Hill and has merged products, the New Jersey online sportsbook will be rebranded as Caesars Sportsbook. And it’s coming out just in time for NFL betting season:

This is the culmination of a drive to “create a best-in-class sports betting experience befitting the nation’s largest gaming operator.”

Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment, said the company is excited about launching the new comprehensive marketing campaign.

“The rebranded and upgraded offerings for our Caesars Sportsbook will provide customized offers, flexible limits, a wide range of betting lines, and an intuitive user experience,” said Reeg. “Caesars Sportsbook also brings players into an empire of play where, win or lose, every wager gives them more through our award-winning Caesars Rewards.”

Harrah’s Chef Gives Back to His Community

Larry Smith is the executive sous chef at Harrah’s Atlantic City and is generous with his time and skills. He recently gave a hands-on cooking lesson at the local Boys & Girls Club in Landsdale, Pennsylvania, near where he grew up:

“I like doing this kind of stuff,” Smith said. “It went really well and the kids enjoyed it. It’s good to give back to the kids because it’s an influential age. They will remember this time.”

A handful of kids gathered in the center’s kitchen with Smith and the club’s Executive Chef Pam Green to prepare New York strip steak and udon noodles with tikka masala.

The kids did everything from chopping the vegetables to seasoning the steak while learning tips and tricks from Smith and Green along the way.

Still No Updates on Former Trump Plaza Site

The Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino is gone, and Casino Reinvestment Development Authority officials still haven’t heard any plans for future development:

Mayor Marty Small Sr. first announced a city’s desire to tear down the vacant former Trump Plaza casino during his state of the city address in January 2020.

… In January, Small stressed that the decision to demolish had nothing to do with Trump’s presidency and that there were valid safety concerns for the unused building.

An auction for viewing spots for the implosion on Feb. 17 replaced the auction to push the button for the explosives, which had raised $175,000 for the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City before being called off. [Trump Plaza’s owner, Carl] Icahn pledged to make that donation himself, so the newly announced partnership will not involve him.

Local 54 and Ocean Reach Agreement

Local 54, the largest workers union for hospitality in New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania, has agreed to a short-term contract with Ocean Casino Resort. They’re still negotiating a long-term deal to keep the union members satisfied with safety and general protections:

Ocean employees ratified the interim agreement to secure the “core values,” of Local 54 …

“Those core values were contracting protections, successorship protection, grievance and arbitration and healthcare, effective Aug. 1,” said Donna DeCaprio, the financial secretary treasurer for Local 54, on Monday. “The contract was ratified by 99.7% so all of the workers were very pleased to get their health care and the other core values.”

DeCaprio said the interim agreement expires Dec. 31. The union plans to bargain the rest of the agreement in the fall and finalize a final contract by the expiration date.

Penn & Teller Coming to the Hard Rock

The magical duo will be performing Dec. 10-11 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, and tickets are now on sale. This will be their debut at this particular venue, though they’ve performed in other Atlantic City casinos before:

The pair first headlined in 1987 at the now-demolished Trump Plaza. They also appeared at the Claridge Casino Hotel when what is currently a Radisson-branded non-casino hotel was a gambling den. More recently, their annual gigs in Atlantic City have taken place at either Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City or Caesars Atlantic City, as they were the Rio’s corporate siblings. But in 2019, The Rio was sold by Caesars Entertainment, which made P&T Atlantic City free agents.

That they landed at the Rock wasn’t surprising; they have been regulars for years at the chain’s flagship property in Hollywood, Fla.