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New Jersey: Revel Can Open With Larger Casino Floor

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey casino regulators are letting Revel open with a larger casino floor than called for under state regulations, based on the number of hotel rooms the facility will have.

The state Division of Gaming Enforcement, in a ruling made public Friday, is allowing Revel to open with 130,000 square feet of gambling space on April 2. Under current regulations, the 1,090 hotel rooms Revel will have open at that time would qualify the casino for only 110,000 square feet of casino space.

But Revel assures the state it will add 309 more rooms by the end of May, enough to qualify it for 130,000 square feet. If it fails to add the rooms by the end of June, Revel says it will scale back its casino floor to 110,000 square feet.

The $2.4 billion casino-hotel at the north end of the Boardwalk will be Atlantic City's 12th casino, and is being counted on to bring new customers—and revenue—into the nation's second-largest gambling market.

In filings with the gaming enforcement division, Revel says it intends to have 1,399 hotel rooms available by May 31. It asked for permission to extend that time until the end of June as "a buffer."

Revel spokeswoman Maureen Siman said the casino eventually will have 1,898 hotel rooms. That's roughly the same level as the largest casinos in the city, including the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Harrah's Resort Atlantic City and the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.

"The rooms are done; we're just opening them in a staggered fashion," she said.

Revel said it has the $12.4 million needed to open the additional rooms.

It expects to begin accepting reservations on Monday through its website, Revelresorts.com.

The division also issued a list of key Revel executives who need to obtain casino licenses.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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