IT WAS a drizzly morning, but the group of aunties and uncles at Brooklyn’s Chinatown did not seem to mind as they waited for the bus that would take them to a gold mine, so to speak.
That’s Atlantic City in New Jersey, a seaside resort better known for its 11 casinos.
Throughout the journey, passengers stayed glued to the onboard TV screen, which was airing a TVB drama, To Love With No Regrets starring Amy Kwok, that had been dubbed in Mandarin.
A return ticket for the two-hour bus ride from New York City costs just US$15 (RM51). For this bunch of middle-aged people, there really isn’t anything to lose.
One casino, in a tie-up with the bus company, provides US$20 (RM68) cash for each customer as an inducement to visit this mini sin city, whose official slogan is “Always Turned On.”
Visitors are not required to show proof that they had spent the money at the casino. They are also given a voucher for a free bowl of noodles.
Thus, it is no big gamble at all for these “coupon-carrying retirees,” as one newspaper puts it, to come to Atlantic City. They could spend their day at leisure there, besides taking a stroll along its boardwalk.
This particular bus company runs four daily trips to Atlantic City; the last bus back to New York is at 4.30am.
However, the stakes are higher for the casinos, some of which face declining returns. Although the casinos collected US$5.2bil (RM17.7bil) in revenue last year, there is stiff competition from gambling machines in nearby states.
More recent reports stated the New York state government had closed a deal that would allow for a Las Vegas-type casino in Catskills, about 137km from the Big Apple.
“A number of my parents’ colleagues were laid off early this year. They had worked at the casino from day one,” said Ashley Joanne Sunder, who runs a coffee stand at Trump Taj Mahal.
Another of her mother’s friends opted to retire, she said.
Growing up in Atlantic City, the 18-year-old Sunder saw the town change through the years.
“New stores came up, and some neighbourhood shops disappeared,” she said.
It was tough for her to say whether she was okay with its reputation as a gambling city.
“The casinos have provided jobs for the people here,” she acknowledged.
A plaque outside Trump Taj Mahal was unabashedly complimentary of real estate tycoon Donald Trump, praising him for being kind and caring.
“He has provided amenities that enhance the quality of life for our residents,” it said.
Besides Trump Taj Mahal, two other casinos here carry the name of The Donald, by which he is sometimes known; there’s the Trump Plaza and Trump Marina.
A number of these casinos look quite similar, with endless rows of slot machines and rather flashy themes.
It isn’t all about gambling, though. There is golf, shopping and night entertainment. At the tourist information centre, there are even flyers promoting “Malaysian cuisine” at a place called Melaka Restaurant.
Its menu offers dishes in interesting language and spelling. There’s “bobo cha cha”, “kari ikan kepala”, “lady finger belacan” and “achat”, described as Malaysian pickled vegetables with peanut sauce.
Families come to Atlantic City for day trips, too.
“I am here to see what it’s all about,” said hairdresser La Toya Augustine, who drove from Connecticut to celebrate her sixth wedding anniversary.
While her husband tried his luck at blackjack, she explored the sprawling casino with their two children.
“I would certainly come again, at least to gamble and have some fun,” she said.
It is clearly a gamblers’ paradise. Giant billboards shouting out the names of the casinos greet visitors, while others promote poker tournaments.
“Let’s play!” one of them boldly declared.
It’s a bidding no gambler can say no to.
