If you have been to Atlantic City, New Jersey, in recent years, you will notice great improvements from the AC of old. It use to be that Atlantic City was a place where gamblers went strictly to gamble. As you made your way down the boardwalk from casino to casino, you would often pass people sleeping on nearly every bench. If you were brave enough to venture one block inland, you would find little more than dilapidated buildings and prostitutes lining the streets. That was the AC of the past. Today’s AC is rapidly becoming the Las Vegas of the East. With gambling competition springing up from neighboring states, AC has realized the need to offer more than gambling if it hopes to continue attracting visitors. To increase the pressure, states like Pennsylvania have recently passed laws introducing slot machines to their states. Other states, like West Virginia, are working on bills to expand state gambling to include table games. With each new bill passed, AC’s visitors need more and more reason to make the journey.

The Borgata was the first Atlantic City hotel to offer a luxurious style of gambling previously reserved for those vacationing in Las Vegas. Other hotels, like the Showboat, have followed suit with enhancements like the great shows offered in the House of Blues and an intimate poker room setting. The Pier at Cesars provides visitors with an array of high end shops and a Bellagio-like indoor water show. A block from the casinos, tourists can find the Atlantic City Outlets packed with stores like Fossil and Banana Republic.

For the poker player, nearly every casino offers some type of daily tournament. From the ante-free tournaments at the Showboat, to the shootouts at Cesars, there is a poker tournament that will meet everyone’s taste. For cash game players, casinos like the Taj have a number of tables and varying games going at all hours of the day and night. Casinos, like the Bellagio, offer high-end games for players with a deeper bankroll.

AC continues to take the steps necessary to make itself a true vacation destination. With a few more improvements, AC will truly have established itself as the Las Vegas of the East with something to offer for the gambler and non-gambler alike.