CITY LIMITS SIDE BAR: Atlantic City casinos hope the plan sinks

For the University community it might mean something exciting to do on the weekends when social life on campus is lacking. And for Philadelphia residents it could serve as a convenient alternative to Atlantic City when their gambling urges kick in. Atlantic City casinos, however, see riverboat gambling in a different light. For them, it poses increased competition and a potential threat to their thriving business. "[It] will have a substantial impact on business in Atlantic City by deflecting revenues from Atlantic City to the Philadelphia area," said Bob Arrow, public relations manager at Trump's Castle Hotel and Casino. Legalized gambling in Pennsylvania, he explained, would force Atlantic City casinos to "hone in on marketing strategies to effectively deal with the increased competition." The Grand at Bally's Casino Resort, too, is concerned "that any increase in the availability of our product could be potentially harmful," said Mike DiLeva, a Bally's public relations official. "I hope riverboat gambling is not approved, because although it could be a great opportunity, we are not looking for competition," he said. But if riverboat gambling is approved, Bally's plans to cash in on it. "The Grand hopes to have a chance to get involved with riverboat gambling through our option on part of the Delaware River," DiLeva said. "While the riverboats may offer proximity to Philadelphia, we have more to offer in Atlantic City, including a four-star hotel, a beach, and a boardwalk," he added. "So it's hard to say exactly what business in Philadelphia would do to us here." Jim Wise, director of public relations at Sands Hotel and Casino, agrees that Atlantic City has more to offer "including gourmet dining, special events, and entertainment. So hopefully people who are willing to stay overnight and invest time in their trip will still come to Atlantic City." "Clearly there is concern whenever someone begins a business that competes with your business, especially when it's 70 miles away," he said. "However, the start of riverboat gambling does not necessarily have a direct correlation with a major downturn for Atlantic City." Wise added, "Hundreds of thousands of people come to Atlantic City to gamble, so three or four boats on water can't conceivably have an effect on Atlantic City casinos."

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