Ocean Resort Casino to start the same day as Hard Rock at Atlantic City

Atlantic City will witness a double bounty of casinos, as two new casinos will start functioning in the city on June 28.

AC Ocean Walk, founded by Colorado developer Bruce Deifik, will launch its casino, named Ocean Resort Casino on June 28. Defik’s company purchased a bankrupt casino called  Revel and renovated the property since. Hard Rock International (HRI) had already come to public with the announcement that it was starting its own new casino, called Hard Rock Atlantic City, on the same day.

This does not deter Ocean Resort Casino CEO Frank Leone, who said June 28 represented “the culmination of all our planning” and the company “cannot wait to reveal what we have been working on” for the property’s prospective guests. Leone added that June 28 would be “a special day for Atlantic City as it turns the page on a new chapter of revitalization.”

Just last week, HRI began hoisting its new venue’s signage into place, a series of eight-foot gold letters spelling out Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. HRI is set to meet with New Jersey gaming regulators on Wednesday regarding approval of its casino license. Deifik’s firm has yet to learn when it will have its own license hearing.

HRI hired its 3000th Atlantic City employee last week and could fill as many as 500 more positions before the property opens. AC Ocean Walk says it will have created 3200 full-time jobs by the time Ocean Resort Casino opens its doors.

The simultaneous launch of two new gaming venues will undoubtedly bring out a throng of looky-loos, but it remains to be seen whether these will be additional guests from outside the market or just a temporary transfer of affections from the other casinos’ usual foot traffic. With five casinos having closed since 2014, AC’s casino survivors have been enjoying the downsised roster of competitors and fears persist that two additional casino mouths to feed will dilute the profit pool.

Both of the new casino operators have inked prospective deals with technology providers to participate in New Jersey’s regulated online gambling market, although neither has offered hard info on when they expect to launch these online operations. HRI has a deal with Gaming Innovation Group, while AC Ocean Walk has partnered with GAN.