In the past three years, five of Atlantic City’s 12 casinos have closed, a stunning descent for what was once the gambling mecca of the East Coast. The root of the problem can be found in Pennsylvania and New York, which now operate gambling spots of their own, meaning that many of Atlantic City’s former clientele now have little reason to make the trip down the Jersey Shore.
Of the five casinos that have shuttered, two bear the Trump name–the Trump Plaza and the Trump Taj Mahal. Another, Revel, cost $2.4 billion to construct, opened in 2012, and closed just two years later. The Atlantic Club and Showboat, two older casinos, also closed. The properties have mostly traded hands and are in various stages of plans to reopen, some as casinos, some not.
What’s left along the famous boardwalk is by turns encouraging and desolate. Click on any of the photos in the gallery below to launch a slide show documenting AC’s shuttered casinos today.
