While Atlantic City's casinos broke all kinds of records in August, that is just one measure of success that businesses experienced during the summer of 2003, despite an unusually rainy season. Total casino revenue was up 11.2% in August, compared to the same month in 2002. Revenue also was up 4.4% in July and 4.3% in June. The opening of the Borgata, Atlantic City's first new casino in 13 years, on July 2, was a big factor in the dramatic increase in casino revenue. The Borgata itself recorded casino revenues of $53 million in August, ranking second among the city's 12 casinos.

The Borgata was one of several new attractions that Atlantic City visitors could enjoy this summer. For the first time, the city legalized alcohol service on the beach and three casinos - Caesars, Trump Plaza and Hilton - built party decks on the sand and featured a mix of live music and DJ entertainment to rave reviews.

"The beach bars were a tremendous success and they will be back," said Steve Whiteside, vice president of hotel operations for Caesars Atlantic City. "The bars brought excitement and a sense of a real beach resort to our community. We had a great summer and everyone, both staff and guests, had a great time."

More Visitors to Atlantic City

The number of people traveling the Atlantic City Expressway to experience the city's events and attractions also was up this summer. According to Gary Israel, community relations manager for the South Jersey Transportation Authority, 6.6 million vehicles traveled the road in both July and August. This represented an increase of 6.3% for July and 6.1% for August.

"All in all, we had a very good summer season," Israel said. "Last year was the biggest year we ever had on the expressway. This year, through August, we are ahead by almost 4%. So 2003 could turn out to be the biggest year in this history of the expressway."

The story from Atlantic City International Airport is even better. The scheduled airline passenger count for July was 72,000, up 19.3% over last year. In August, there were 77,700 passengers, up 23.5%. More airlines flying to more destinations contributed to the increase in passenger traffic. Delta Airlines initiated service to Atlantic City from its Cincinnati hub last October and now has three flights a day. Spirit Airlines also added more destinations late last year, including Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

Train ridership also is up. New Jersey Transit operates the Atlantic City rail line between the resort and Philadelphia. According to Israel, the passenger count in July was 126,400, up 19.7% and 124,600 in August, up 10.6%.

Solid Hotel Occupancy

Every time Atlantic City adds hotel rooms, business improves. Borgata's 2,002 rooms were a big boost. Showboat also added more rooms this year with the addition of its new 544-room hotel tower (left), which opened in time for the Memorial Day