There’s a new leader in Atlantic City‘s Internet-gambling arena. Not PokerStars over at Resorts Digital. They’re still in last place. No, grabbing 24.5% of market share, Golden Nugget now heads the pack. Borgata has 22%, Caesars Interactive holds 18% and Tropicana Entertainment 19%. ‘Net revenues continue to rocket upward, 
rising 30%, to just short of $17 million. Terrestrial casinos were down 3%, raking in $186 million. Slot play was down 3.5%, leading to a 5% revenue decline. However, table games were up 4%, both in wagering and revenue. Borgata grossed $60.5 million (+5%) and a 6% increase in table game wagering translated into 12% more revenue. All these gains helped Borgata overshoot Deutsche Bank‘s projections for the month by $5 million.
The Caesars Entertainment portfolio snapped out of a 16-month funk in terms of market share. Harrah’s Resort was incrementally higher, for a $29 million gross, while a 4% gain at Caesars Atlantic City spelled $23.5 million in revenue. The prosperity did not extend to Bally’s, down 3% for $16.5 million. The adverse performance of Atlantic City as a whole can be blamed on the niggling $800,000 grossed by Trump Taj Mahal in its waning days, a 94% plunge into the abyss. Good luck on getting that place rebooted, Carl Icahn. If fugitive Taj players were trying other casinos, it wasn’t Resorts Atlantic City, down 3.5% on a $14 million gross. However, Golden Nugget was phat, up 11% to $16.5 million, while Icahn’s Tropicana Atlantic City was even phatter, up 14% to $25 million. You might say the Taj had to die so the Trop could live.
* “This gives a new meaning to ‘Holy Rollers,'” said Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno of MGM Resorts International‘s relocation of the First Spiritualist Church. The spectacular details of the project are found here, including all the details of how the church was picked up in one piece and moved. MGM National Harbor has been getting all the headlines of late, but the Springfield project’s creation of a casino megaresort that will integrate smoothly within the downtown area may be the more impressive accomplishment.
* Former Amaya CEO David Baazov isn’t letting his considerable legal difficulties crimp 
his style. He’s submitted an all-cash, $2.6 billion buyout for the Internet giant, parent of PokerStars. Although Amaya shares jumped 14% on the news, CEO Rafi Ashkenazi said there was no certainty that the deal would be consummated. Remember, the company conducted an extended flirtation with William Hill PLC that ended last month with no agreement being struck. Amaya investors had additional reason to celebrate the 3Q16 numbers aside from Baazov bid: net revenue was up 9.5% and cash flow 14%.
* Add Rivers Casino to the list of Pennsylvania gaming houses that, rather than wait for the Legislature, have struck voluntary host-community payment arrangements with their city or county. In this case, the Steel City can count on a one-year, $10 million infusion from Rivers. Ironically, the casino was one of the original litigants who helped get the old host-community-fee structure toppled.
