Atlantic City's Blackjack Situation

Delaware and Pennsylvania have plans of their own

    Many people have said over the last few months that the east coast gambling mecca of Atlantic City is in an interesting situation because of the fact that the economy of the United States of America is not in the best state at the present moment.  As a result, all the people that use to have money in that part of the country are no longer taking the trips that they once took, which means that overall gambling profits to Atlantic City have gone down in the last year.  In addition to the fact that the economy is not in the greatest place, the surrouding states of Delaware and Pennsylvania to adding table games like Blackjack and poker to their slot parlors.  This is ultimately meant to keep the patrons in the state that they are in, as opposed to traveling a couple of hours to go play an series of intense hands of Blackjack.


    Jim Wortman, gaming director at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management at the University of Houston, recently said that it is definitely not a good situation for Atlantic City because of the fact that if Pennsylvania gets table games like Blackjack, one of the things that made Atlantic City unique is gone.  Wortman, being a former executive at an Atlantic City casino, predicts that Pennsylvania could cut into the city’s table game profit by as much as ten to fifteen percent.  Based on revenue figures of 2008, that would be a one hundred and forty million to two hundred and ten million slice.