But, it turned out, gamblers missed the lounges. In response, a number of gaming halls reopened their musical bars. There will always be a place for the lounges that spotlight local bands covering contemporary and vintage pop and rock hits, but the 1999 opening of Resorts' Eleven33 suggests there's more that can be done. In the nine months the club has been open, it has appeared to have been a decent, if modest, marketing success. And, of course, success breeds imitation.
Small spaces devoted to jazz also seem to be making inroads in the casinos.
Veteran sax man Michael Pedicin Jr. has found a home at the intimate Top of the Trop at the Tropicana, while the lounge at Resorts' new Asian Spice restaurant offers jazz several nights a week. Both venues have no cover or admission charges. A jazz club is also on the drawing board at the Borgata, the complex that will share the H-Tract with Steve Wynn's Le Jardin Palais. Again, don't be surprised if other properties jump on the jazz bandwagon. Restaurants Dining may turn out to be Atlantic City's real growth spot in the years ahead.