It also started at a huge disadvantage by not having a pre-existing database of gamblers to solicit, in the way that casinos owned by nationwide companies like Caesars Entertainment or Tropicana Entertainment can. At the same time, Revel didn't have a plan to successfully market to the traditional Atlantic City customer.' But the market that Revel foresaw for its property just didn't materialize, partially because of the growing perception that the city wasn't ready for that kind of customer. 'That's certainly what happened with Borgata more than 10 years ago. In mid-March, 2020, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy ordered the casinos closed indefinitely due to COVID-19. 'If there had been a range of new attractions and potential customers with enough discretionary income, I think that Atlantic City could have absorbed the new capacity,' said David Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. After its casinos, Atlantic City’s main draw has always been its beach and boardwalk, but increasingly, there are better places for fans of either up and down the East Coast. High room and restaurant prices hurt, too. By the time those decisions were reversed, it was already too late.
That included Atlantic City's only total smoking ban, which alienated many gamblers the lack of a buffet and daily bus trips to and from the casino and the absence of a players' club.
The idea behind Revel was to open a totally different resort, a seaside pleasure palace that just happened to have a casino as one of its features.
