Top Casinos in Atlantic City – Our List

Atlantic City is the principal destination for gamblers on the east coast of the USA, with nine different casinos available in the seaside resort city in the state of New Jersey. Often referred to as the “Las Vegas of the East Coast”, casino gambling boomed here after it was first legalized in 1976.

The nine distinct Atlantic City casinos – Borgata, Tropicana, Hard Rock, Caesars, Ocean, Bally’s, Harrah’s, Golden Nugget and Resorts – all offer players a different experience. In this comprehensive guide to the top casinos in Atlantic City we will look at the history of gambling in AC as well as Atlantic City casinos ranked in order of our favorites in more detail.

• Atlantic City Casinos Ranked
• Atlantic City Casino Guide
• Our List of the Best Casinos in Atlantic City

Atlantic City Casinos Ranked

In this section we have outlined all nine Atlantic City casinos ranked in order.

Atlantic City Casino Guide

Gambling in New Jersey has a long and storied history with the state much more open to the practice than elsewhere in the USA. Lotteries were commonplace in the early 19th century, used to pay for military expenses and finance educational buildings. From 1894 to 1939 all gambling was outlawed in NJ but because enforcement was not stringent there were still plenty of bookmaking, bingos and slot machines to be found and take part in.

Atlantic City saw gambling as a way to improve its declining economic situation in the wake of World War II, with New Jersey voters approving a referendum to legalize casinos in AC in 1976. At that time the only state in America that allowed legal casino gambling was Nevada, but Atlantic City became the second with a number of casino hotels being built here in the subsequent years.

In 2013 online gambling legislation was signed by Governor Chris Christie with a number of online Atlantic City casinos going live on November 21 that year. The NJ online casino list has grown from strength to strength in the years since and is now one of the biggest online gambling landscapes in the country.

Our List of the Best Casinos in Atlantic City

As of 2011, the nine casinos in Atlantic City employed around 33,000 people, taking in 28.5 million visitors annually and making $3.4 billion in gambling revenue. They are regulated by state authorities the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. In this section we will be putting each one of the top casinos in Atlantic City under the microscope.

Borgata

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is our top rated Atlantic City casinos venue, owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International. It is the largest hotel in New Jersey with almost 3,000 rooms following its launch in July 2003 and is now the top-grossing casino in Atlantic City. The gaming area is 161,000-square-feet in total, offering players around 4,000 slot machines, 180 table games and 50 different poker tables including daily tournaments and high-stake tournaments that run in line with the World Poker Tour. There is also a sportsbook called the Race & Sports Book offering live sports betting. In 2009 a New Jersey grandmother Patricia Demauro broke the world record for the longest craps roll with a lucky streak lasting an astonishing four hours and 18 minutes.

Despite being open for over 20 years Borgata is relatively new on the scene compared to other casinos that went up in the 1970s and offers a luxurious feel with its marble-lined lobby and grand domed pillars. The two towers – the main tower and MGM tower – and the surrounding grounds play host to an event center, festival park and music box as well as a range of clubs and bars, spas, salons and pools. Online gamblers can also use the Borgata Casino in AC website to play games on their phone, table device or desktop.

Tropicana

Tropicana – often referred to as just ‘The Trop’ – is found just off the boardwalk in Atlantic City, owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and run by Caesars Entertainment. The third-largest hotel in New Jersey and one of the top casinos in Atlantic City, the Trop has around 2,400 rooms and a huge shopping and entertainment complex called The Quarter with over 30 restaurants, 30 shops, 20 bars and lounges, four pools, numerous spas and an IMAX theater.

Casino players can choose from 3,000 slot machines and more than 130 table games throughout the near-126,000 square feet of gaming space that also plays host to daily poker tournaments and a sportsbook. The Trop is one of the most vibrant nightlife hotspots in the city and is rare for being a family-friendly casino in Atlantic City, while you can get free drinks in the casino area.

Hard Rock

Another of the best casinos in Atlantic City, you can’t miss the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on the boardwalk and in particular its huge guitar sign outside. Originally opening as the Trump Taj Mahal in 1990 at a cost of $1 billion, the site relaunched as the Hard Rock in 2018 with over 2,000 rooms and a total gaming space of around 167,000 square feet. The casino offers more than 2,000 slot machines, 130 table games and a sportsbook.

Music fans will love the memorabilia that hangs off every wall and you won’t be short of live music options wherever you are in the venue, with the legendary Hard Rock Cafe the prime spot with its 400 seats. You can choose from over 15 food and drink spots ranging from fine dining to more casual options.

Caesars

Caesars is a luxury casino hotel in Atlantic City with its instantly recognizable ancient Roman and Greek theme, just like the site in Las Vegas. This one in AC opened in 1979 – just the second casino to do so in the city – initially as the Boardwalk Regency and has over 3,400 slot machines and 135 table games in a total gaming space of around 145,000 square feet.

There are several restaurants found on the property including two from world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay as well as Nobu and Morton’s The Steakhouse. Caesars offers an old-school Vegas experience in Atlantic City and is one of the most-loved casinos on the east coast, with its Wild Wild West entertainment center also offering plenty of shopping options.

Ocean

Halfway down our list of the best casinos in Atlantic City is the Ocean Casino Resort, which spans across 20 acres on the beachfront of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. It would probably be higher if not for the uncertainty around its long-term future having initially launched as Revel in April 2012 only to close two years later after declaring bankruptcy for the second time. The site reopened as Ocean in 2018 with its hotel tower the tallest building in Atlantic City.

With a total gaming space of around 130,000 square feet, Ocean offers a high-energy casino with nearly 2,000 slot machines, 130 table games and a sportsbook. The 1,860 hotel rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and a number of suites for big spenders, while there is a range of dining options from casual to fine dining. There is also the 5,500-capacity Ovation Hall that hosts live concerts as well as two nightclubs, multiple swimming pools and the largest TopGolf swing suite in America.

Bally’s

Bally’s Atlantic City launched in 1979 on the boardwalk in AC, owned and operated by Bally’s Corporation. Previously the site was home to the Marlborough-Blenheim Hotel with its address of “Park Place and the Boardwalk” featuring as locations on the popular board game Monopoly. Bally’s resort is home to around 1,200 rooms and has a grand total of about 83,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 1,100 slot machines, over 80 table games, 10 different dining options, live entertainment, numerous bars and more.

Harrah’s

Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City is owned by Vici Properties and operated by Caesars Entertainment, making up one of the largest hotels in New Jersey in the marina district of Atlantic City. Launching in 1980 as the fifth casino in the area following the legislation of gambling, it is named after founder Bill Harrah who passed away two years prior.

The venue has a total gaming space of around 177,000 square feet with more than 1,800 slot machines, over 100 table games and 40 poker tables – with the site regularly hosting World Series of Poker events. There is also a sportsbook as of August 2018 at the resort, which has more than 2,5000 hotel rooms in total as well as 13 different restaurants and 10 bars and lounges.

Golden Nugget

Golden Nugget has an interesting Gold Rush theme, originally launching as Trump’s Castle and later Trump Marina before being renamed following a takeover by Landry’s Inc in 2011. The 75,000-square-foot casino offers almost 1,500 thrilling slot games, a range of table games in the High Limit Tables Room and a separate poker room and sportsbook.

The resort spans nearly 15 acres in total with 717 guest rooms and the choice of seven different restaurants, a nightclub, a theater and a huge recreation deck with a health spa, outdoor swimming pool, hot tubs, cabanas and even tennis and basketball courts.

Resorts

Last but not least in our Atlantic City casino guide is Resorts, the very first casino hotel in AC that opened in 1978 and underwent an expansion in 2004 where it implemented a Roaring ‘20s theme. The casino is open 24/7 and features over 1,300 slot machines and table games in more than 80,000 square feet of gaming space as well as a separate sportsbook. The hotel has a full-service spa offering a range of body treatments and massages as well as an outdoor pool and Jacuzzi-style hot tub.