Revel 2nd AC Casino To Close In As Many Days
By David Madden and Cleve Bryan
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) - Two years ago, it was considered the savior of Atlantic City's casino industry. Today, Revel will close its doors -- a day after Showboat padlocked the place.
Labor Day Weekend, gamblers visited their favorite spots one last time.
If you stayed at Revel before, you knew it was a gem at the north end of the boardwalk, according to regulars like Van Johnson of Long Island:
"For the amount of money they put into it to build it, it's almost a crime to see it close down. It's probably the most beautiful hotel on the strip here."
It should be at $2.4-billion. Johnson says he'll come back when, and if, Revel reopens as a casino.
Bill Whitehead of Coatesville is loyal to both casinos and had to go back over the weekend one last time:
"I wanted to get our dollar little chip as a souvenir from the Showboat and the Revel because we've been coming down here for probably ten years to the Showboat and Revel more recently."
Other gamers wanted to say goodbye to dealers and workers they considered friends, like Charlie Lobb and his wife, Pam, of Exton, who were Showboat regulars for a long time. Charlie says he'll try the other casinos because they prefer Atlantic City to other gaming facilities closer to home:
"The boardwalk is terrific. We like the beach. We like the pool. We like the shows here. The food's good. It's always been great for us."
Many people say they can't understand why Revel doesn't have a buyer, given it's relatively new and very glitzy. But truth be told, operational costs were so high it just makes business sense to sell it after a closure, so a new owner can start from scratch.
"It's sad because you really make good money here," says now-unemployed waitress Hayam Swiha as she stopped by Revel to drop off her uniform.
Like thousands of other who lost their jobs in the past couple days she has kids to feed and needs a new way to make a living.
"I'm so upset, that's the best place I ever worked," says Swiha. "I don't want to work in another casino."
