Atlantic City Casino Leader Doubles Down on Belief Town Primed for ‘Renaissance’
Posted on: July 23, 2025, 08:19h.
Last updated on: July 23, 2025, 10:08h.
- Resorts Atlantic City’s expanded LandShark Beach Bar is open
- Resorts President Mark Giannantonio continues to forecast a “renaissance” for Atlantic City
- Giannantonio’s prediction seems to be being fulfilled
The Atlantic City casino industry’s key official, Mark Giannantonio, who is president of Resorts Casino Hotel and the Casino Association of New Jersey, continues to declare that the gambling capital of the East Coast is nearing a “renaissance.”
When Casino.org conducted a wide-reaching interview with Giannantonio in April about the state of Atlantic City, we were a bit skeptical when he said “a true renaissance” was approaching.
“It’s an easy drive for many. Gas prices have been relatively stable. And our room rates, relative to some of the bigger nongaming markets, are really of value,” Giannantonio said at the time, adding that many of the nine casino resorts are “better capitalized” than they’ve been in decades.
Giannantonio’s outlook is indeed coming to realization. June marked Atlantic City’s second consecutive month of year-over-year in-person casino growth, and through the first half of 2025, revenue from physical slots and table games is up almost 2%, a difference of nearly $23.6 million for the nine properties.
Giannantonio doubled down on his rebirth philosophy this week during the opening of Resorts’ $2 million expansion of the LandShark Beach Bar. The oceanfront area across the Boardwalk from Resorts includes a tiki bar and deck, a live music stage and dance floor, beachside lounge chairs, firepits, and private beach cabanas with bottle service.
The LandShark Bar & Grill and Beach Bar is a partnership between Resorts and IMCMV Holdings, an Orlando-based company that operates Margaritaville and LandShark locations throughout the United States. IMCMV supplied the $2 million capital for the beach project.
Time to Invest?
Speaking during the LandShark Beach Bar ceremony, Giannantonio, an Atlantic City native who has led Resorts since 2012 and the Casino Association of New Jersey since 2022, repeated his sentiment that only better days are ahead for the town. Giannantonio thinks there is no better time for businesses to invest in Atlantic City than now.
This is a great time to invest in Atlantic City. Those investing in Atlantic City are going to be on the verge of a great renaissance that I don’t think Atlantic City has seen,” Giannantonio declared.
“I was at this beach yesterday. It was packed. That’s what investment does,” Giannantonio said in remarks reported by the Press of Atlantic City.
The LandShark Beach Bar is Atlantic City’s only year-round beach bar.
Possible Further Investment
The nine casinos have poured tens of millions of dollars into recent upgrades and new amenities, and the nongaming Showboat Hotel has invested more than $100 million to make its former casino a family-friendly destination with an indoor/outdoor waterpark and the world’s largest arcade. A little more than a half-mile inland from the Atlantic City Boardwalk, a massive development seeks to transform the casino town’s livability.
Taking a page out of Giannantonio’s playbook, a group of real estate developers has pitched the “Renaissance at Bader Field,” a so-called “motorsport living, entertainment, and lifestyle hub.”
With a Formula One-graded racetrack the centerpiece of the municipal airport’s redevelopment, the $3.4 billion phased plan includes 4,000 luxury residences where homeowners would be able to speed around the track in their race and sports cars before driving directly into their living rooms.
The venture, which received the blessing of the Atlantic City Council this week, would also include a hotel, restaurants and bars, retail shops, a marina, and a live entertainment venue. Renaissance is now being considered by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.
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