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Casinos expand beyond gambling9 May 2007ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey -- As reported by the Press of Atlantic City: "...Shopping, dining and entertainment now overshadow the gambling operations as more and more casinos transform themselves into megaresorts catering to increasingly fickle guests, according to the results of a national survey released Tuesday. "Twice as many Americans now say the overall 'casino experience' — the food, the shows, retail shops and everything else — is more fun than the actual gambling, the American Gaming Association found. "...Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., the AGA's president and chief executive officer, noted that Atlantic City's casinos have been adding Las Vegas-style nongaming attractions to help them fend off new competition from Pennsylvania's slot parlors. "...The emphasis on nongaming attractions has helped to improve the public perception of the gambling industry, with 82 percent of Americans now saying that casinos are an acceptable form of entertainment for themselves or anyone else, the survey found. "...Despite the trend for more restaurants, shopping and entertainment, the casino floor remains a strong draw. In 2006, gross gaming revenue for the casino industry climbed 6.8 percent to a record $32.42 billion, the survey found. In Atlantic City, gaming revenue rose 4 percent to $5.2 billion, second in the U.S. market to the nearly $6.7 billion for the Las Vegas Strip casinos..." copyrighted material written for and appeared exclusively in The Press of Atlantic City |