Atlantic City

Atlantic City Race Course will begin its 50th season of racing this evening when it offers the first of 57 programs. The track will offer four nights of racing weekly, Wednesday through Saturday, with a first post of 7:25 p.m. The $500,000 Caesars International Handicap (Grade I) will be raced on June 25 and will be telecast nationally by ESPN with a special 3 p.m. post time. It will be the only afternoon card of the meeting, which concludes Sept. 2. The Matchmaker Stakes, which carries a purse of $100,000, is scheduled for July 22 and consistently draws some of the best fillies and mares in the nation.

"Welcome to America's Favorite Playground," reads a sign as drivers near the City of Comps, where free drinks, free dinners, free suites with bars and bidets and butlers are offered to those with cold cash if they will do one simple thing. Play here! No, play here! Indeed, is there any place more inviting than Atlantic City? Every year, 31 million accept the call of the Boardwalk sirens, no RSVP needed. But this being America, this involving money, there are invitations and there are invitations.

By Michael Busler At a recent gaming conference, a well-respected market analyst commented on the number of casinos operating in Atlantic City and their declining revenue, which has fallen for six straight years. His view was that at least two of the casinos should close in order that the remaining 10 can be profitable. Is he right? The Atlantic City casino market has operated close to the way economists would expect. When the first casino opened in 1978, it was extremely profitable.

ATLANTIC CITY - This town isn't Las Vegas, but the $2.4 billion Revel Casino wants to take visitors there with A-list entertainment, posh rooms, and celebrity-chef restaurants in a luxurious setting where the champagne and water in 10 swimming pools are always flowing. The 20-acre resort - draped in silvery-blue reflective glass - literally curls to and fro like the ocean it embraces. Many see Revel as the lifeline for this down-on-its-luck gambling mecca in need of a revival.

Atlantic City, The Inquirer's No. 1 ranked team in South Jersey, moved on to the Cape-Atlantic League final with a 47-36 semifinal win over Holy Spirit at Hammonton on Tuesday. Jah-Leem Montague scored 10 of his 14 in the first half as the Vikings built a 27-9 lead. Atlantic City will face Middle Township, winner of the rubber match of a three-game season series with No. 8 St. Augustine. The Panther downed the Hermits, 51-40, in double overtime as Darrell Shelton's six free throws sealed the semi win. Holy Spirit 4 6 5 21 - 36 Atlantic City 15 12 6 14 - 47 HS: Leon Daniels 8, Shamar Dixon 12, Mack Marczyk 3, John Middleton 2, Paul Moore 6, Mark Rassmann 2, Junior Saintel 3. AC: Kevin Allen 2, Ga'briel Chandler 8, Dontae Demungiua 2, Isaiah Graves 4, Jah-Leem Montague 14, Dayshawn Reynolds 1, Daniel Torres 2, Dennis White 14.

Some things are different this season for Isiah Graves and Dennis White. Some things are the same. The two Atlantic City juniors were role players last season, as the Vikings rode a strong defense to the Group 4 state boys' basketball championship. Atlantic City still is playing sturdy defense, as the Vikings shut down Middle Township by 58-39 Thursday night in a Cape-Atlantic League clash of Top 5 teams. But the Vikings also are getting a big offensive lift from White and Graves, who combined for 31 points and several highlight plays.

TOMS RIVER, N.J. - They've become a basketball team that specializes in slow starts, in furious finishes, in dramatic victories. But this was something special for the Atlantic City Vikings. Down by 19 midway through the third quarter, Atlantic City rallied for an 80-73, double-overtime victory over Point Pleasant Beach in the quarterfinals of the Tournament of Champions on Wednesday night. Junior Isiah Graves scored 22 points and seniors Dayshawn Reynolds, Gabriel Chandler and Jah-leem Montague played major roles as well as Atlantic City (30-1)

Atlantic City plans to maintain four shelters for residents who do not evacuate the coastal city because of Hurricane Sandy. Five more shelters will be available on the mainland for evacuees from the barrier islands. "We want our residents to take every precaution to get out to town if they can," Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford said. "If they can't or won't, then at least go to a shelter. " Gov. Christie's evacuation order prompted the state's division of gaming enforcement to temporarily suspend casino operations as of 3 p.m. Sunday.

Now that New Jersey has moved a step closer to creating a separate Atlantic City tourism district, the state and Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo T. Langford need to find a way to iron out their differences. The state-run tourism district is the centerpiece of Gov. Christie's plan. It has been largely endorsed by the Legislature but rejected by Atlantic City's political leadership. Langford fought to have more authority in the new arrangement, but ultimately lost in a key vote by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority this week that established the boundaries for the new district.

Organizers of the Seagull Classic toured the Mark Etess Arena at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort last week as part of an effort to bring the prestigious high school basketball tournament back to Atlantic City. The tour, and a subsequent meeting with Taj Mahal officials, was arranged by Atlantic City Mayor James Whelan, a longtime supporter of the tournament. The Seagull Classic completed its 17th tournament last month, and its third at St. Joseph's University's Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse.