Ocean Casino Resort Makes Waves With $14M Transformation of High-Limit Slot Lounge

Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City is investing $14 million to expand and enhance The Cove, the Boardwalk property’s high-limit slot lounge that’s exclusive to rewards players.

Ocean announced on Thursday, Oct. 1, that the resort is transforming and enlarging The Cove. The high-limit slot lounge is moving to an 11,935-square-foot space located between the Asian Table Games area and the High-Limit Table Games room.

Set to open early next year, the new Cove will expand from approximately 140 slots to 192 gaming machines. The venue will feature dedicated sitting areas and an interior design that “takes its cues from the ocean just beyond the property’s Boardwalk setting.”

“This transformation of The Cove is another significant investment in the future of Ocean Casino Resort and the experiences we deliver to our guests,” said Ocean Casino Resort General Manager Bill Callahan, adding that the expanded lounge will offer a “sophisticated and distinctly Ocean experience.”

VIP Focus

Ocean Casino Resort has heavily invested in appealing to Atlantic City high rollers. The Cove is a major component of its VIP focus, with the high-limit slots lounge reserved for Reserve, Prime, and Preferred Ocean Rewards cardholders Sunday through Thursday, and Reserve and Prime members Friday through Saturday.

The Cove allows high rollers to keep their play going without interruption when they hit jackpots up to $39,999. Through The Cove’s “Self-Pay” program, a slots player can automatically have the jackpot funded to their bankroll on the same machine. When the player decides to stop playing, a slot attendant closes their Self-Pay session.

The Cove isn’t the only gaming space at Ocean restricted for VIPs. Forty-four stories above the Boardwalk is The Loft, a private 2,000-square-foot luxury gaming suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The Loft is accessible only by invitation and comes with a full-service complimentary bar, dedicated butler service, and a personal security detail.

Corporate Ownership & Market Share

In June, Ocean Casino Resort became fully owned by the billionaire Ilitch family, whose fortune stems from the late Mike Ilitch and his wife, Marian, founding Little Caesars. With the transaction, Ilitch Companies announced a new holding company for its casinos, Ilitch Gaming.

Along with Ocean, Ilitch Gaming owns and operates MotorCity Casino Hotel in Detroit and Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in Mississippi.

Through August, Ocean Casino reported gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $329.9 million from its slot machines and table games, a 5.4% gain on the prior year. Ocean is one of only three casinos in Atlantic City to report higher GGR year-to-date.

Ocean generated the third-most GGR behind Borgata at $556.7 million and Hard Rock at $376.4 million.