Building conference centers in Atlantic City, it seems. Add Resorts Atlantic City to the brief list of casino trying to diversify their appeal by going for the meeting business. 
It won’t be as grand as the one as Harrah’s Resort but, at a $9 million budget, will be wallet-friendly for Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority, which runs Resorts. “This project speaks to a specific niche,” said consultant Cory Morowitz, referring to small business meetings. Resorts hopes to have the project finished by July, when the appeal of Atlantic City is at its peak. Speaking for owner Morris Bailey, Morowitz said, “The project completes the repositioning of Resorts.”
The project will be funded either entirely or at least in part in redevelopment credits from the 
Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, basically refunding money Resorts has paid into the CRDA over the years. ($45 million of Harrah’s $126 million budget is coming from the CRDA.) Every little bit helps, as A.C. doesn’t begin to compare to Las Vegas where convention business is concerned. Way back when Resorts was the Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel, meetings commerce was how the place made ends meet during the slower months.
Near the hulk of Revel, the CRDA hopes to turn blight into an apartment complex, with the help of Shaquille O’Neal and his partners at Boraie LLC. The CRDA will put up 50% the $60 million required but it’s still waiting for O’Neal’s group to come up with its half of the money.
* Although casinos have kept to the rear of the current push to legalize sports betting, that doesn’t mean they’re against it. It’s a potentially enormous source of revenue, waiting to be tapped. And, yes, it might draw off some wagering from Las Vegas sports books but that could be more than made up elsewhere, given the ubiquity of the casino industry. As handicapper R.J. Bell put it, “They will be a lesser version of what we do here. They will create a farm system for Las Vegas and Nevada.”
Already, bwin.party has (non-gaming) partnerships with the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia 76ers. And try not to see casino advertising in any major league stadium or arena. As much as they claim to abhor gambling, major-league executives are happy for the ad revenue it brings. The leagues may think they’re guarding the wall against the infidels but gambling is already inside the citadel.
* Secreted atop CityCenter‘s Louis Vuitton store, the giant art installation Akhob, by James Turrell, is belatedly generating a fair amount of buzz. This deliberately disorienting series of spaces can be seen by appointment only but, considering that it’s free, I’d call it the best bargain in Vegas. Call (702) 730–3150 to check it out.
* Lumbered with 38.5 acres of surplus parking space, Caesars Entertainment wants to turn it into a giant party zone … and never mind those people whose residences directly abut the area. The Clark County Commission won’t take action on the matter until February, giving nascent grass-roots opposition time to grow.
