Gambling In Atlantic City

Planning a gambling excursion to the casino hotspots of Atlantic City? You’re definitely in for a wild time. AC remains one of the major hubs for slots, cards, live entertainment, and everything else you might expect from a town that thrives on gaming and the nightlife.

However, first-time visitors sometimes feel a little overwhelmed by their surroundings. Indeed, newcomers to the city immortalized in the Bruce Springsteen song of the same name can find themselves completely stunned by how much there is to see and do. This is not a feeling you want to have with a city that’s designed to get as much of your money as possible.

With that thought in mind, there are several things about your gambling in Atlantic City experience to keep in mind. Whether you hit one casino or several, there are things you can do to ensure you have the best time possible.

A Quick Guide To Gambling In Atlantic City

Ready to make the most of your trip to AC?

• Plan ahead: This should go without saying. Research your hotels. Research everything that surrounds the hotels. Find out places you should avoid. Make sure you have a clear idea of everything you want to see and do, but keep in mind that you may have an impulse to change your plans, once you make it to the city.

• Drinks: Remember that the drinks on the casino floors are always going to be free. That said, if you are planning on some serious gambling, then make sure you limit your alcohol consumption. The casinos want you to get just drunk enough to make some hasty decisions with your finances.

• Parking: You can find free parking in a variety of places throughout Atlantic City. You should also keep in mind that most casinos/hotels offer affordable parking options (it’s usually less than 10 dollars a day). Also, save your receipt. If you hit another casino before 6 AM, you can use that receipt to park for free at the second casino.

• The inner walkway: Bally’s and Caesar’s are just two connected casinos you can reach through an inner walkway you can find in the city. This walkway can connect you to a number of major casinos. Ideal for particularly hot days, or if it happens to be raining.

• Player card: Remember to always use your player card while gambling, as that card can generate tons of points for future visits, or even discounts for merchandise.

New Casino Laws

Laws regarding gambling often change as law makers debate the topic. Certain states change the laws concerning gambling more frequently than others do.

Of the 50 states that comprise America, Georgia is known as the state that is the least friendly when it comes to gambling. It has been banned in the state of Georgia, and this ban includes tribal run casinos as well. However, legislators have considered bringing gambling to Georgia in order to help the local economy grow and thrive. This led to the proposal of a bill that would allow for six casinos to be constructed in Georgia. Four of them would be located close to the Georgia state border and two of them would be built in Atlanta. This bill would require any gambling venue in Georgia to pay a tax rate of 12% for any revenue made from gambling. The bill also stated that of the revenue amount, 90% of it would be earmarked for educational programs such as the HOPE scholarship. It has been estimated that this would give the state $280 million worth of tax revenues per year.

The bill was shot down after Governor Deal expressed his disbelief that allowing casinos in Georgia would improve the quality of life of its residents. It has been said that if the tax rate from casino revenues was more than 12% the Governor might be persuaded to change his mind. Deal wants the tax rate on gambling revenue to be anywhere from 24% to 35% before he agrees to the change in the law. This bill is being debated by Georgia law makers for the duration of the year and may eventually be passed.

In New Jersey a bill has been proposed that would allow casinos to be built in North Jersey in order to increase the state’s gambling revenue. Another bill has been proposed as well and it has been said that if two new casinos are built and earn revenue that some of the revenue could be used to help pull Atlantic City out of its financial slump. The new casinos would have to be run by gambling operators already working in the state. Both bills are scheduled to be on voting ballots for the 2016 elections in November.

Illinois is also considering building casinos in order to help pay for public pensions and help lessen the gap in the state’s budget. A bill introduced to the Senate last year proposed that large casinos should be built in Chicago and small satellite casinos should be added to other areas of the state. If this were to happen the casinos would be required to give their gambling revenue to Chicago for a period of seven years. For years, lawmakers in Illinois have been trying to expand their gambling industry. Illinois’s current Governor is interested in doing so, despite his predecessor not being interested.

These potential changes in the law speak to how powerful gambling has become as a form of revenue.

Why Online Gambling Is Difficult To Legalize

Though certain states now allow online gambling, other states refuse to pass laws on the subject. As 2016 is a presidential election year, the subject of online gambling legalization may take on a life of its own.

As some states continue to resist allowing online gambling those who support it are concerned that the overall profit from it will drop in the face of so much adversity. Lawmakers in most if not all states will begin discussions about legalizing online gambling but will then become apprehensive about the idea and shy away from it after all.

Pennsylvania lawmakers have been setting the scene to legalize online gambling. Possible fallout for those who support the idea has the potential to derail it at any moment. Lawmakers that consider online gambling controversial can control the outcome of the state’s efforts to bring online gambling to its residents. If the state of Pennsylvania legalizes online gambling other states are likely to follow in their footsteps. This could lead to interstate agreements on allowing residents of each state to gamble at other state’s online casinos. For example, a gambler living in New Jersey would be able to play in its online casinos as well as Pennsylvania casinos online.

The main argument for legalizing online gambling has always been the extra revenue it would bring to the state in question. However, in 2016 it is possible the focus will switch to increasing revenues for land based casinos by letting people test the water with their online counterparts. This has been successful in the state of New Jersey as Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget Casino has an online version that has increased their revenue as well as the amount of money that the state receives. Online casinos are helping land based casinos reconnect with gamblers who have fallen out of the habit of traveling to their favorite casino.

New Jersey has had more success than any other state when it comes to making a profit from online gambling. The industry had a 17% growth rate in 2015. The revenue accrued from online gambling for the year was close to $150 million.

Fantasy sports sites have also contributed to the controversy or legalizing online casinos as gamblers are starting to prefer betting on their favorite sports games to playing traditional casino games. On the other hand, some states that already allow online gambling are in the process of expanding to include their own state run fantasy sports sites. The regulations for these sites are similar to the regulations for online casino sites and this is causing certain states to want to offer both online casinos and the fantasy sites in order to further increase their revenue. Massachusetts, New York and California are three states that are seriously considering expanding their online gambling options as well as sports betting options.

The future of online gambling may thrive if lawmakers successfully overcome objections from those who oppose it for so many different reasons.

The Differences Between Playing Poker Online And Playing It Offline

Poker is one of the most popular casino games of all time. Whether one plays in an online casino or an offline casino the game can be equally fun and profitable. However, there are some differences between playing poker at a land based casino and playing it at an online casino or other gambling site.

Some people that play poker at land based casinos have a hard time to adjusting to playing it at an online casino. While many offline poker players have become professionals, it is much harder to earn a salary as a professional poker player online.

It is much harder for many players to win money on an online poker game than an offline poker game. This especially applies to people who play the game at home with their friends and then try to repeat their success at an online casino. Often players will find that their poker skills aren’t as advanced as they thought they were when they switch from playing offline to playing online.

Those poker players who have turned their online gaming into a professional job are often asked to give tips and advice to others who want to improve their online poker game or even their offline poker game. The basic skills that any poker player needs to know apply to the game regardless of where one is playing it.

When poker is played on the internet the game is faster paced than when it is played offline. Online poker games can also be more complicated because several hands can be played at once, which is possible when participating in poker at home or at a land based casino. Even when poker is played online one game at a time, it is still a faster process because aspects of the game such as dealing cards and stacking chips are automated when it comes to online poker. When players do win money at online poker the money is credited to them much more quickly than it ever is at a land based casino. Even though Texas Hold Em’ Poker is widely considered the easiest version of the game, it is still harder to play online than offline because of the fast pace online casinos make possible. When playing a more complicated version of poker at a land based casino, such as Omaha Hi, the extra cards that are dealt during each hand can slow the game down. At an online casino there is not a noticeable difference in the speed.

The more a poker player can concentrate on the game, the more likely they are to win it. This applies to both online and offline poker. Some players that are accustomed to an offline experience have a hard time paying attention to the game when they are participating in it online.

With the right skills and concentration level, players can succeed just as much at online poker as they can in land based poker.

Online vs Offline Casinos

The experience of an online casino is very different from the experience at its offline counterpart. Both have advantages and disadvantages and many gamblers prefer one over the other. There are several factors that effect whether a player prefers online or offline casinos.

The more social a player is the more likely they are to choose an offline casino over an online casino. For social gamblers,the experience is just as much about meeting people face to face as it is about playing their favorite casino games. Highly social people feed on the energy of others and this can’t be detected when playing at an online casino. Offline casinos also offer up an ambiance that can’t be recreated behind a computer screen.

It’s not just social players that prefer offline casinos to online versions. Hardcore and professional gamblers know that their odds of winning are much better at an offline casino. When it comes to competition with other casinos, land based casinos are effected more than online casinos are. This means they need to offer better odds on their games in order to get players in the door.

However, there is something to be said for online casinos as well. Recreational gamblers often find that frequenting online casinos saves them money and time because they don’t have to travel to a land based casino just to play their favorite games. There is also the added bonus that gamblers get when they join any online casino. While offline casinos will rarely give players free money to gamble with, virtually all online casinos do this to attract players who may be hesitant to risk losing money. They also offer ongoing promotions regularly, something most offline casinos do not do. This includes the referral programs that many online casinos run where players can get free money from the casino if they can convince a friend to join the casino and start gambling with real money.

The convenience of being able to gamble online at any time of the day or night is one of the major factors that draws players in. Gambling at an online casino is much more private than playing at an offline casino and many players find they can concentrate on their game better when they can play it from the comfort of their own home.

Online casinos give gamblers a chance to practice any game that they want to improve their skills on. This can be difficult to do at an offline casino because experienced gamblers can sense when someone is new to the game and many of them will give a new player advice or tips that aren’t in the player’s best interest, so that the experienced player feels like there is one less player they are competing against.

Whether gambling at an online or offline casino, the experience is one that many people enjoy. The act of gambling can be as social or as private as a player would like for it to be.