Atlantic City’s flashy boardwalk is the backbone of the city, and along it, you will find a plethora of high-end casinos. There’s been some big changes though, for good and bad, closed and renovated. Finding the best physical casino isn’t like finding the best online one. Fortunately, online ones offer a fast sighn-up process, and with sites like bestcasino.com, you can easily find other people’s ratings of which one’s are the best.
It’s a little harder to find that amount of data on physical ones, but we’re about to give it a go, and give a run-down on the most popular casinos in town.
The Borgata
The Borgata is number one on the list because it is the highest grossing casino in Atlantic City. It’s owned by Marina District Development Corp and has impressively over 160,000 square feet of gaming experiences. This size is from housing over 4,000 slot machines and 200 tables. This is the casino to come to if you like to play the more abstract, lesser known games, because they’re bound to have it.
The casino is only 16 years old, which is young compared to its neighbours – many of which are from the 1970s. This doesn’t mean it lacks in a grand sense. Quite the contrary, as you will be blown away from the second you enter with their marble lobby and glass sculptures. It’s got an extremely luxurious and premium feel, and is far away from the claustrophobic experiences at many other casinos. This also goes for the hotel rooms, which are large and oozing hedonism.
The gaming floor and room isn’t the only thing to consider when reviewing casinos of course. The fine dining experience in the Borgata is second-to-none. It has a steakhouse and ‘American Grille’ options, as well as the gaming room floor too. There’s a decent nightclub that the hotels hosts, and has an arena space where the likes of Stevie Wonder has performed.
Ocean Resort Casino
Ocean Resort Casino is extremely young, opening only in 2017, which is then no surprise in how it surpasses all over casinos in terms of modernity. It sits at the northern top of the boardwalk, and was renovated in 2017 after the Revel casino closed business after only 3 years. It’s been even less time since the Ocean casino opened, so we’ll have to wait and see in a couple of years how it’s doing. Nevertheless, a few nights there is a great experience with lots to see and do. Its modernity is popular with the young casino goers, as it is a great place to party.
The hotel offers a Topgolf Swing Suit, which is perfect for when there’s a large group of you (up to 8). The suite is an immersive virtual golf game on a huge screen, where you simulate golf swings and play a few rounds. The HQ2 beachclub and nightclub at the resort is one of the most popular nightclubs in Atlantic City and attracts many top DJs.
Tropicana casino
Tropicana casino is owned by Tropicana Entertainment and is located on Brighton Ave. The resort uses an Old Havana theme and has over 148,000 square feet of space for its gaming area. Over 3,000 slots, 135 tables, Asian gaming area and a poker room are all packed into this large-scale casino.
Tropicana may be the most popular casino in Atlantic City, purely for its fun, party vibe and huge casino. There are many places to eat, such as Cuba Libre for hispanic tapas, Carmine’s for Italian food and Ri Ra, an Irish pub. There’s even a fantastic sports bar, retro nightclub and an IMAX theatre. What doesn’t the Tropicana casino have? This is the top pick for many. Perhaps the hotel rooms are the only aspect that isn’t going to blow you away, as they’re just about big enough and modern enough, but nothing memorable.
Hard Rock
The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has recently took over the Trump Taj Mahal, which used to be a popular hotel and hosted the ever-popular Hard Rock Cafe. The interior of this casino and hotel is riddled with music antiques, memorabilia and culture. The hotel has really made an effort in its decoration, with an abundance of screens and incredible features.
The music themed hotel has, of course, led itself to provide great entertainment as it has an abundance of live music and an Etess Arena, which hosts some big acts. There are several big nightclubs which oversee the city from their terraces, and the casino itself is kitted out with over 200 tables.
Harrah’s Atlantic City
Harrah’s Atlantic City casino is always a reliable option. It hosts The Pool After Dark club, which is perhaps the most popular nightclub in the city. The hotel went through with a large-scale renovation in 2017, which put an extra spark into the atmosphere. The hotel rooms are on the more affordable side.
The gaming floor has a nice feel to it and is surprisingly large. It is important to visit the Gordon Ramsay Steak when there, for some incredible food at an affordable price, compared to the exorbitant prices you pay in the restaurants at many of the other casinos. This is perhaps the hotel to come for a reliably good casino experience and a very good rate, and unlike the Tropicana, will not be fully booked 1+ year in advance.