Is Atlantic City Ready For A Bounce-Back? [AUDIO]

Casino revenues in Atlantic City have been falling for years…but Governor Christie sees brighter days right around the corner for A-C. Christie says he thinks 2012 will be a really good year, “predominantly because of the new Revel casino – it is an extraordinary facility – and it is going to draw tens of thousands of people to Atlantic City just to see it – and when they get there I hope what they’re going to find – and I trust what they’re going to find – is a cleaner and a safer Atlantic City, because of what we’ve done with the tourism district and policing.”

At the same time he points out “more and more people are going to be hearing about Atlantic City because of the partnership between the casinos and the government and the CRDA in order to market and advertise it – it’s significantly more money that was otherwise going to regulatory issues or to support horse racing will now be put into marketing Atlantic City, and so I think all of those things in 2012 will start to come into effect.”

The Governor is quick to add however, that Atlantic City “has been on the decline for years, and so we are not going to come back entirely in 2012, so let’s set appropriate expectations here – but I think you’re going to start seeing a turn-around – and I think the leading edge of that turn-around is going to be Revel…I hope that what it’s going to inspire the other casinos to do is to reinvest in their properties there, to bring them up to date, to make them more attractive – so that when people get there they say – well yeah, Revel’s great, but wow so are these other casinos and hotels as well – we’re going to go there as well- that’s what’s going to get the momentum going along with marketing, and the reality of Atlantic City being cleaner and safer.”