Why are Hard Rock Casino execs 'disappointed' in AC?

Running a casino in a major in gambling destination like Atlantic City has got to be pretty easy work, right? All you have to do is put up a pretty building with a few amenities and customers will come in droves, right? As it turns out, running a casino in Atlantic City isn’t that tough but running a successful casino in Atlantic is really tough. Atlantic isn’t just a place where you can set up shop and watch the money roll in.
The aforementioned lesson is one that the executive board at Hard Rock International is learning the hard way. In a recent interview with Global Gaming Business, Hard Rock International Chairman and CEO Jim Allen lamented the condition of his company’s new Atlantic City operation saying that he’s quite “disappointed” in how things are working out on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.
Allen’s complaints don’t have to do with the Hard Rock Casino’s staff or the customers, presumably they’re just fine. It’s the Atlantic City government he’s got a beef with saying, “Candidly, we’re disappointed with Atlantic City. There’s no other way to say it. It’s a shame that they did not rise to the occasion of a company coming in, putting $500 million into that city.”
It seems as though the HRI executive is hurt because he thinks Atlantic City didn’t do enough to promote the Hard Rock Casino’s opening and generally haven’t been as supportive as he would like. Given the chaos of the Atlantic City market over the years and its improbable comeback as a sports betting and online casino mecca, maybe Allen should take a new perspective and focus on the good things that a casino owner can experience there.