Employee rumblings at Caesars...

December 2006

There are some major rumblings from employees at Caesars Atlantic City. The Insider has learned that the employees of Caesars Atlantic City have become increasingly upset about policies instituted since Harrah's Entertainment took over the operations of the property.

Concerns from the employees include policies on sick time and the point system Harrah's has instituted when an employee calls in sick. Caesars employees are also upset about the company switching its health care provider.

Such casino employee grumblings are not really that new in Atlantic City, but the ones coming from Caesars have grown louder and louder to the extent that some sort of job action (a massive call-in sick procedure) could be coming early this month.

Caeasars Atlantic City was one of the hosts of a boxing doubleheader between Miguel Cotto and Carlos Quintana, and Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey, and there was some speculation that the job action might occur on December 2nd, the night of the boxing doubleheader at Boardwalk Hall. Harrah's Entertainment now operates Harrah's Atlantic City, Caesars Atlantic City, Bally's and the Showboat in Atlantic City, making it the largest single casino employer in Atlantic City.

The employees were also upset about changes to their 401K policies, according to industry sources. Stay tuned to this one as it will be interesting to see how Harrah's reacts to this....

Streetwalker Strangler Strikes In AC...

Meanwhile, in Atlantic City, everybody seems to be holding their breath about the murders of four women found in a drainage ditch along the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township. Now that all four women have been identified, and it has been confirmed that at least three of them were involved in prostitution, the story has been receiving the kind of national attention that is not good for Atlantic City.

As a result, there is a tremendous amount of pressure on local police and the Atlantic County DA Jeffery Blitz to solve the case.

The case involves the seedier side of Atlantic City; drugs and prostitution. Every city has those same problems but since Atlantic City is also a gaming capital it makes for more sensational headlines.

Right now the story is dominating everything that is coming out of Atlantic City, and has become a major source of frustration for those trying to get positive messages out about Atantic City and its growth.

Still, The Insider has grown increasingly agitated by the fact that the prostitutes seem to be increasing in and around the casinos in Atlantic City. The world's oldest profession is always going to be around casino gaming, but does it have to be so blatant that the majority of the people you see walking the street on Pacific Avenue after midnight on a Saturday are prostitutes and hookers?

Here's a plea to local police in Atlantic City: try and get these women off the street, if possible. It is so bad for the city's image and there is so much good that has happened in the last three years in Atlantic City with The Walk, the Quarter and The Pier at Caeasars. And here's a question for somebody: How come, it seems, you never see prostitutes in and around Borgata? Maybe that's just an Insider observation.

No Sale For Sex Video...

And speaking of the city's image, it certainly took another hit when a local female talk show host released a video that allegedly shows Atlantic City councilman Gene Robinson in a compromising position with a female.

Talk about bizarre story; this is a classic. At first the talk show host was going to sell the videotape to the local media, then that changed when many outlets balked at paying for it.

In the wake of the bribery scandal that will send former Atlantic City Council president Craig Calloway to jail, this is the last thing Atlantic City needs.

And the woman in the video was alleged...with alleged being the key word here - to be a prostititue. Whoops.

There's that word again.

Needless to say, the ladies of the night were certainly big news in Atlantic City in the month of November....

Stones draw Baby Boomers for bigger Bang...

The Rolling Stones finally played Boardwalk Hall last month and one thing thing struck The Insider; the amount of money Stones baby boomers spent in and around the venue prior to the concert. Some bars were ready for the revenue, like the Atlantic City Bar and Grill which hosted a party for Stones fans, while others were not. The boardwalk bar at Trump Plaza only had three bartenders on and nobody could get a drink. There was a lot of lost revenue there. And that's why the next time, if there is a next time for the Stones, look for Borgata to keep the show inside its own Event Center to insure that all that added revenue stays in the house. The Who also played at the Event Center of Borgata last month, and the show was ten times better than when the band opened its tour in Philadelphia in September. The Who will return to the Borgata in March.

The Insider is written by a prominent local business person who chooses to remain anonymous at this time. The opinions and news bites are that of The Insider and do not necessarily reflect the positions or views of this magazine, it's staff, or its publisher.