Bally’s Atlantic City Casino Floor to Close for 30 Hours Beginning February 16

Posted on: February 11, 2021, 11:33h. 

Last updated on: February 11, 2021, 12:19h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Bally’s Atlantic City will suspend its casino operations for 30 hours beginning next Tuesday, Feb. 16. The casino is going dark next week in order for the new company to switch over information technology systems to its networks.

Bally's Atlantic City casino Caesars
Bally’s Atlantic City, seen here, has new owners as of last November. The new company, Bally’s Corporation, will close the casino next week for an IT switchover. (Image: Shutterstock)

Caesars Entertainment sold the Boardwalk casino last year for just $25 million to Twin River Worldwide Holdings in Rhode Island. Twin River subsequently changed its name to Bally’s Corporation.

 The hotel and other areas of the resort will not be affected during the 30-hour the shutdown. However, Bally’s is not accepting new reservations for the 16th and 17th. 

[The shutdown is] to perform data system upgrades. Based on information received from Bally’s, it will accommodate a complete IT overhaul to modernize all electronic gaming devices and systems,” a statement from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office to the Associated Press explained. 

Atlantic City casinos are regulated by the attorney general’s office in New Jersey. 

Bally’s Atlantic City is continuing to use Caesars Rewards for its New Jersey gamblers. However, the tech switchover next week is expected to ready the casino for the forthcoming Bally’s Corporation program.  

Bally’s Needed Makeover 

In 1979, Bally’s became the third casino in Atlantic City to open. Today, the property features two casinos with approximately 225,000 square feet of gaming space, more than 1,200 hotel rooms, and several casual eateries. 

Over the years, the once-luxurious casino destination deteriorated. While other casinos in town invested tens of millions of dollars in property renovations and upgrades, Bally’s, owned by a company that filed for bankruptcy in 2015, aged and declined. 

A 2017 report from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said “the relatively low level of capital expenditures is, in the division’s view, one reason that the net revenues from Caesars and Bally’s remain well-below historical levels.”

When Caesars and Eldorado completed its merger in 2020, Bally’s was put on the chopping block. Selling the casino eased market concerns among New Jersey gaming regulators. The new Caesars still operates three casinos in Atlantic City. They include Caesars, Harrah’s, and Tropicana. 

Bally’s Corp. is planning to spend $90 million to renovate hotel rooms, upgrade its pool, spa, and fitness center, and bring new restaurants and entertainment to the resort.  

Customer Reviews Unapologetic

Bally’s Corp. knows its namesake Atlantic City casino is in desperate need of new life. And the guests who have recently stayed at the property are making that well-known.

Bally’s guests have ranked the hotel as the worst accommodations of Atlantic City’s nine casinos. Recent reviews on TripAdvisor have titles such as “Horrible customer service,” “Very disappointed,” and “Dirty room, poor customer service, NEVER AGAIN!”‘

“The shower had mold. The bathtub had particles in it. The toilet had pee stains all around it on the floor,” explained one review. “Just stepping near the toilet left the bottom of your shoe sticky. The rest of the room was not clean either. There was hair in the refrigerator.”