Borgata, Tropicana spending Millions on Casino Renovations

The Atlantic City casino market might be in a long decline, but you’d never know it by the way that the Borgata and Tropicana are spending. Both of these companies are spending millions to renovate their casinos and hotels in 2016.

The Tropicana will pour $25 million into adding a high-limit slot area, redoing the South Tower casino space and remaking 500 hotel rooms in Havana Tower. The money will also cover renovations to “Jade Palace” (Asian gambling room) and creating a light-and-sound show for this summer.

Tony Rodio, Tropicana’s casino president, says that the $25 million spent this year, along with the $50 million in renovations last year, are crucial for the casino’s future.

“Tropicana recognizes the importance of continuing to invest in both our gaming and non-gaming amenities,” says Rodio. “These renovations are not only attractive upgrades for Tropicana’s guests, they are creating new employment opportunities at a crucial time in Atlantic City.”

App.com reports that Borgata is also spending big and will dump $50 million into a number of projects. Specifically, Atlantic City’s most-successful casino wants to add a 3,200-square-foot pool, build a new restaurant with celebrity chef Michael Symon, and add more conference and meeting space.

Joe Lupo, the Borgata’s senior vice president, believes that these improvements will help the casino resort excel in a very competitive market.

“Our aggressive nature is such that, not only are we debuting a brand new nightclub, restaurant, and outdoor pool, we are spending an additional $12.5 million in maintenance capital annually,” says Lupo. “I can confidently say that no one else in this market is making that type of commitment to its product.”

The Borgata and Tropicana ranked first and third in of revenue for Atlantic City casinos last year. And it seems that they’re poised for more success in 2016 with their improvements.

Regarding Atlantic City as a whole, the East Coast gambling mecca has seen better times. Four casinos closed in 2014 and ’15, with the market’s remaining eight casinos seeing some stabilization. However, the area only continues to get more competitive, with proposals for two North New Jersey casinos. This would force Atlantic City to work harder than ever when considering that out-of-state competition in Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania is also cause for concern.