Mac Seelig, (left) Founder and President of AC Coin and Slot and Mark Giannantonio, President and COO of the Tropicana Casino and Resort are shown at the ribbon cutting of the new Havana Rooftop Slots.
The Tropicana Casino and Resort officially opened the Havana Rooftop Slots Thursday. It is a 3,000 square-foot raised section of the Tropicana casino that has been completely transformed to help increase the slot revenue of the Casino.
The Havana Rooftop Slots was developed from slot manufacturer, AC Coin & Slot under the direction of Mac Seelig.
Visitors to the new slot area are greeted by specially uniformed staff and surrounded with the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Cuba. Authentic Cuban music, vivid artwork, specialty drinks and coffees, festive lighting, and the faintest aromas of citrus and fine cigars will entice the senses while players enjoy the latest in slot technology and entertainment, further distinguishing the Tropicana as the destination of choice for gaming enthusiasts. Players will also be able to try their luck with a series of exclusive Havana Gold™ progressive-link slots, which have been custom-themed for the project.
Tropicana COO, Mark Giannantonio was very pleased with the opening of the new slot the area. “The attention to detail in creating Havana Rooftop Slots has exceeded my expectations. We are delighted to be the first in Atlantic City to offer something like this and it will definitely be a competitive advantage in slot merchandising within the marketplace.”
Boardwalk Parade Saturday:
At 1:00pm on Saturday, May 17, Tropicana Casino & Resort will celebrate its opening of Havana Rooftop Slots with a parade on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. The parade will begin at 1:00 pm on New Jersey Avenue on the Atlantic City Boardwalk and will arrive at the Tropicana for a final celebration at approximately 1:45pm. Atlantic City Mayor Scott Evans, Grand Marshall, will lead the parade followed by the Edgardo Cintron and The Azura Band, a six-piece Latin Salsa band performing on a decorative float, Oakcrest High School marching band, 30 classic cars, string bands, dancers, entertainers, Mummers, Best of Broadway cast members and more!
Rumba Lounge:
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 24, 2008, alternative rock band Sister Hazel will cut the ribbon for the grand opening of a tempting new oasis right on the casino floor. The Rumba Lounge captures the essence of the islands with tropical cocktails and island music. Adding to the exciting are bar-top video poker slots, so gaming enthusiasts can keep the action going. The Rumba Lounge features a full panoramic view of the surrounding gaming floor along with Plasma TVs broadcasting the latest sporting events. This sultry new hot is open seven days a week and is home to live entertainment every weekend.
(Photo by Lew Steiner)

On Saturday, May 24, at 2pm, alternative rock band Sister Hazel will cut the ribbon for the grand opening of the Tropicana’s new Rumba Lounge on the casino floor. The Rumba Lounge will have an island theme with tropical cocktails and island music. The lounge will also offer bar-top video poker slots. The Rumba Lounge features a full panoramic view of the gaming floor along with plasma TVs broadcasting the latest sporting events. The Rumba Lounge is open daily and is home to live entertainment every weekend. Sister Hazel is appearing at the Trop Showroom that evening at 9pm.

Although there were some pretenders to the throne during the early weeks of American Idol (Michael Johns, for example until his shocking exit), we pretty much knew it would come down to David Archuleta vs. David Cook. It was rather remarkable that Syesha Mercado made it this far, but tonight will be the end of the road.
So who deserves the title? Whose record would you be willing to buy or download, David A. or David C? In my mind, David Cook wins that battle hands down. It would be nice to have a winner who actually breaks out as a major star. While Jordin Sparks will be appearing in A.C. May 31 on the bill with Alicia Keys and Ne-Yo, she hasn’t exactly skyrocketed to stardom since winning last May. She’s 18, which might be a bad omen for high-school student Archuleta. Taylor Hicks was a freak of nature to begin with, so his crash and burn wasn’t really that unexpected. The last winner who really mattered in the music biz was Carrie Underwood. Her ability to slip right onto the country charts was no surprise. Besides her fabulous voice, the American Idol fan base is right in the country music wheelhouse. Chris Daughtry used his fourth place finish to launch a major rock career.
But back to the Davids. The Disney Channel crowd would certainly buy his record. His handlers would be smart if they tried to parlay Archie’s Idol success into a deal for a Disney TV series. However, beyond the pre-teens, I don’t see him having any success in the recording industry until he grows up. He has a great voice but he needs more life experience.
David Cook should be the American Idol. But even it he winds up as the runner-up, expect him to actually have a successful music career. Visit the AI Web site here.

Madonna brings her Sticky & Sweet Tour to Boardwalk Hall, sponsored by Harrah’s Entertainment on Saturday, Nov. 22. Tickets range from $55–$350 and go on sale Monday, June 2 via Ticketmaster.

The 7th Annual South Jersey Sports Extravaganza and Wellness Expo takes place this Friday and Saturday, May 23-24, at the Sheraton Atlantic City Convention Center Hotel.
Free and open to the public, the wellness expo offers health and fitness information. You can get your body fat measured or get your teeth whitened while learning about how to get fit and stay fit. The South Jersey Expo will be filled with free medial screenings, health services and merchandise such as sports and fitness related clothing, supplements, as well as games and competitions.
The Sports Extravaganza component of the event will give audiences a taste of high caliber martial arts, weight lifting and physique competitions. The expo is free with a small fee for the separate competitions including the Arm Wrestling Tournament, a NAFMA kickboxing championship and the 7th Annual South Jersey NPC Natural Physique Championships. For complete info go here

I didn’t expect to write a blog about my sister-in-law Jan’s 50th birthday party, but then I saw the seashore-themed cake. It pays to have friends in the casino industry. Bally’s sous-chef Cyndi Denton also does pastry work as a side business. Pictured at left, she puts the finishing touches on the beach castle cake she designed for Jan. The “castle” is made of Rice Krispy material and the fish and seashells are white chocolate. The cake was as delicious as it was beautiful.

The Tropicana is opening a new slot area. Havana Rooftop Slots debuts Thursday, May 15 with a VIP/media event and official ribbon cutting.
Havana Rooftop Slots is a 3,000 square-foot raised section of its casino that has been transformed into a Havana-themed experience. Visitors to the new slot area will be greeted by specially uniformed staff and surrounded with the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of Old Havana, Cuba. Authentic Cuban music, vivid artwork, specialty drinks and coffees, festive lighting, and the faintest aromas of citrus and coffee will entice the senses while players enjoy the latest in slot technology. The slots available include 12 “Havana Gold™” progressive-link slots, which have been custom-themed by International Game Technology (IGT) specifically for the project. The Havana Rooftop Slots project was developed by slot manufacturer and casino supply company, AC Coin & Slot.

The Absecon Lighthouse is posting weekly photographs of the Revel Entertainment construction site on its Web site . If you’re not up for climbing to the top of the lighthouse to check out the view, you can take this virtual trip to the top. When you get to the web site, just click on pictures. Located in Atlantic City in the Southeast Inlet section, Absecon Lighthouse was first lit in 1857 and still stands as a sentinel watching over the many changes in Atlantic City over the decades. Hours of operation are Thursday through Monday, 11am-4pm, and daily in July and August, 10am-5pm.

In an effort to best accommodate their customers — smokers and non-smokers — the Borgata has submitted plans to the NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) that will make the resort the first 100% smoke-free casino in Atlantic City. To accommodate smoking guests, Borgata will offer several outdoor lounges that will be designated smoking areas. These outdoor spaces will offer guests a comfortable, climate-controlled environment. Subject to NJ DCA approval, the plans will take effect in compliance with the Atlantic City smoke free ordinance.
Besides being fair for customers, it is the best solution for Borgata’s employees. When the casinos went for a partial ban, the smoke was concentrated in a smaller gaming space, making the pollution even worse in those areas.