29 Sep
(Photo: Pressofatlanticcity.com)
Some people will tell you that the casino scene in Atlantic City started collapsing years ago when neighboring states such as Pennsylvania began opening casinos of their own, but the situation took on a literal meaning earlier this week when a celing portion over the entrance of the shuttered Atlantic Club Casino Hotel gave way and fell onto the driveway.
No injuries were reported as the casino has been dormant since January 2014. A city inspector stated that the incident occurred at roughly 4:00 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
(Photo: Pressofatlanticcity.com)
“It looks like some wind and or moisture may have gotten in there and caused it to fall,” the inspector said. “There are no structural issues.”
The ceiling tiles and debris that landed on the driveway were cleared away later in the day and the casino owners, TJM Properties of Clearwater, Florida, promised to make the necessary repairs post haste. TJM bought the casino less than six months after it shut down for a reported $13.5 million.
(Photo: Pressofatlanticcity.com)
Those with good memories will recall that PokerStars attempted to purchase the Atlantic Club in 2012 in an effort to join the upcoming regulated online poker and gambling regime in the Garden State. The deal fell through and lawsuits followed, with ‘Stars initially kept away from the igaming table.
It wasn’t until 2015 that PokerStars received approval to operate within New Jersey. They launched their website the following year, albeit without a bricks and mortar presence that the Atlantic Club would have provided.
Grand plans to turn the Atlantic Club into a resort and waterpark failed to materialize earlier this year. The casino was one of a handful in Atlantic City that closed their doors in recent times, falling victim to over saturation of casino offerings on the Eastern Seaboard.
