There is this intangible vein
It connects thoughts to words
To deeds to style. It is patient and
Understanding and witty and silly.
It listens and suggests and advises. It watches and admires and loves.
It accomplishes all of this without revealing the heart to which it has attached.

I am my own best friend
I believe I may have always been
when you’re spending so much time alone
you even learn to hate to the phone
however I believe there has to be
some greater joys ahead for me

It was suggested that I take a shot a writing about the prospects of Atlantic City bouncing back. I believe that in order for Atlantic City to rebound it actually must go back to its past. Atlantic City must first continue to do what it always has and that is ENTERTAIN PEOPLE.
Atlantic City does not need to become the “new” anywhere or become the “next” anywhere. Every famous and relevant city has its own distinct identity. Atlantic City, historically has one. As a matter of fact Atlantic City was the “first” Las Vegas. Las Vegas became, in the light of day, what Atlantic City had been in the shadows. Now I do not mean to suggest that Atlantic City revert to a seedy past but instead recapture its identity as the place that people went to be entertained.
Now one of the issues facing Atlantic City currently is that it is inextricably bound to an industry that has become somewhat fickle in this relationship. Thirty years ago when the concept of gaming on the east coast became a reality Atlantic City became the capital of east coast gaming. The industry was in love with and devoted to Atlantic City. The industry began to build mega structures and add more and more product, constantly expanding their gaming spaces. However when neighboring jurisdictions began to embrace gaming the industry began seeking other opportunities. The advantages presented in those other jurisdictions was the ability to build facilities, the scale of which made sense economically for the current financial climate. One of the major issues in Atlantic City is that the facilities are aging and large. The costs of operation require the Atlantic City companies to win more of the gaming dollar. However, at the same time, the customer is seeking more options on a visit to Atlantic City and could very well be spending less of their leisure dollars gambling. Non-gaming amenities have been the topic of discussion as a necessary change in Atlantic City for the past decade.
Atlantic City has added numerous non-gaming attractions, however many of the non-gaming amenities in the casinos and entities simply lease space from the host casino. While the presence of the establishments within the casino certainly attracts foot traffic to the building, the money spent within the respective establishments do not serve to improve the bottom line of the casino companies.
What I suggest is that all parties with a stake endeavor to make Atlantic City an entertainment mecca again, particularly in the shoulder seasons. I have no doubt that Atlantic City will continue to be viable destination in the summer months. Even considering all of the regional competition today, none of them have the skyline beach and boardwalk that Atlantic City has.
The question to be answered is and always has been: What can Atlantic City do to persuade someone to spend time in Atlantic City during what we call the shoulder season (October through April)? My answer, entertainment. Now this solution would require the casino operators to be interested in the plan. My point is this, we are a seaside resort in a mid-Atlantic state so therefore we experience all of the seasons, particularly winter. However one of the issues that geography presents is that we do not particularly offer winter activities for our guests. So therefore I that that it is imperative that we up the entertainment ante. We need to regain our rightful place in boxing and host major fight cards. High profile fight cards would be a tremendous draw. We should court acclaimed broadway shows when they go on tour. The Walk is a success and Bass Pro Shops is expected to add to the excitement in that area. We need to extend the feel of the The Walk in both directions. We need to capture that energy. I also support Mayor Guardian’s proposal to develop the land that was once Garwood Mills and Cap’t Starns as an entertainment area similar to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
Another area of concern for the region is our total dependence on the gaming industry. While the casino industry has undoubtedly been the source of renewed vitality in the region for the past 30 years, the industry is dealing with its own set of challenges and can not be sole solution to all of the challenges the region faces. We also need to court new industry to the region. We need to find an industry which will supply the region with professionals who earn a competitive wage. There is a push, particularly in Atlantic City to add to the volume and quality of the housing stock. However we need folks who are working an earning a decent wage to occupy those new homes.
Annually Atlantic County graduates some of the finest students in the state and send s them to some of the most prestigious universities in the country. However often those students do not return to Atlantic County because they have greater opportunities elsewhere. We end up suffering from a significant brain drain. Our best and brightest have no desire to return to the region because there is not enough opportunity for them to develop professionally. If we are going to woo young professionals to move to Atlantic City and purchase homes they have to be motivated to be here.

The muse encourages him to pen
the thoughts he keeps deep within
is he afraid of what might spill
onto the paper from a cyber quill
or does he fear no one will endure
the thoughts he himself finds obscure

Out of Commission

Some of my former colleagues at New Jersey Casino Control Commission often joke that once you retire, or leave, the Commission you are “out of commission”. I was asked what my life was like “out of commission”. I gave it some though and I came to a sad realization that I don’t think I have focused on too much. Life “out of commission” has left me feeling a bit irrelevant. I feel suddenly like an outsider when, for close to ten years, I was intimately involved with major issues that impacted the City, the region and the State.

As a member of the Casino Control Commission I had the added benefit of being the Commission’s representative on the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) for a brief period and for the entire length of my term on the commission I served as the Commission’s representative to the Atlantic City Special Improvement District.

I served as a Commissioner at a very exciting time in Atlantic City. I began my service in January of 2002. At that time the Borgata was under construction and there was excitement in town. Atlantic City would have its first new casino in over 10 years. Prior to that the last casino to be constructed and open was the Trump Taj Mahal in 1990. What an exciting time to be a gaming regulator. Borgata brought new entities to the market. Boyd Gaming and MGM were making their debuts in Atlantic City. Borgata’s operators had all sorts of new and innovative ideas for their new casino, some of which would require the Commission to take a fresh look at the way things had been done in gaming in New Jersey.

Needless to say, in 2004 when Borgata opened it changed Atlantic City forever. Borgata ushered in a new standard for what casino patrons could come to expect from Atlantic City casinos. Borgata also forced the rest of the industry to take a look at themselves and shape up or be left behind.

At or near the same time that Borgata was coming on line, The Walk, the outlet retail complex broke ground and soon opened with tremendous success. The days of going into an Atlantic City casino and never seeming the light of day until you were ready to go home was over. Soon after we were presented with new ideas at the commission such as joint partnerships like the House of Blues at Showboat and the House of Blues themed gaming area. We were also presented with the concept of the Pier at Caesars and The Quarter at Tropicana.

These were exciting times. Speaking of Tropicana, there was the issue of the license denial and all that followed. The saga of the Trop license denial, the conservatorship, and the effort to sell the property in the absolute worst economic climate in recent history.

All of this excitement was going on in the City and we were right in the middle of all of it. As I said earlier it was an exciting time and I absolutely felt that I had a significant role in all of that which was occurring.

While I certainly don’t suggest that I was the most gaming savvy employee at the Commission, I feel that I brought some unique qualities to the panel and the organization as a whole. I had the benefit of having grown up in Atlantic City with the industry and of having been an observant young man. I also had the benefit of having worked in the industry for 5 summers following high school. I also brought my common sense approach to the issues

However a Commissioner is only allowed to serve two terms and must then rotate off of the board. Being an attorney, when you leave the commission you carry with you, as a parting gift, a two-year post-employment restriction which prevents you from working for any law firm that does gaming working the State. Every firm in my area either does or would like to do gaming work so my option was to open my own place. Practicing alone has been quite a challenge. I have been on my own for the past three and one half years, but I have continued to watch with considerable interest the trials of the gaming industry.

Upon leaving the commission i did have the opportunity to stay connected to gaming. I did some consulting work in a couple different jurisdictions but those were very limited engagements. My passion is with my home, Atlantic City. So I continue to watch the developments and struggles of the industry in these tough times, however I feel I am a spectator now. I am “out of Commission.”