I don't know why you would think it a "pro-Vegas production"?There may have been a time, back when AC ad Vegas were the only gambling cities that Vegas considered AC 'competion', but I don't think they do or have for a while.
I'll take you at your word that the video is not 100 accurate and purposely highlights the negative side of things. And really I hope that is the case. I have a soft spot for AC. Below are some of my thoughts that I posted on another site after I saw the video a few days ago.
When I saw this clip on Norm's voodoo site the other day, it literally brought a tear to my eye.I began my blackjack career playing Atlantic City. I was living in Philadelphia, but I visited and played Atlantic City 5 days a week for 5 and half years from March 2004 until Dec 2009 when I moved to Vegas. In my early days, I took those daily bus trips for free transportation...the one's where you get back in casino bonus the cost of a round trip ticket...sometimes even a little more (slightly +EV). The greyhound tickets had a 72 hour open ended return. Towards the end of my AC days, I splurged and took the train. It was $6 at the time, with no casino bonus reimbursem*nt, but was a nicer trip, nicer people...many of them casino workers...some of the same faces I was playing against almost daily.
As those that know me and/or my story know, I began my career with a $4300 bankroll.As a 21 year old, that was every dollar I had to my name at the time.So needless to say, I started out playing the $5 tables. That really limited my table/playing time. Weekday mornings was my best opportunities as there was $5 tables at 5 or 6 different casinos until about noon when the daily buses travelers were arriving in force and table limits increased. There also was a couple hours early evening (weekdays only) that a few casinos opened a couple extra tables and they were $5 for the first hour or so. Other than weekday mornings and early evenings, there was one option....fighting for a seat at the one always $5 table at Borgata and often those seats were hard to come by.
With such limited playing opportunities, my actual table time was limited and this is precisely why my BJ career was such a low limit grind those first few years. In my first 3 years, I made a profit of $31,000......That's not per year....that was total for the 3 years.I lived off of that income which is why it took so long for my BR to begin to grow.
But eventually it did grow. In early 2007 (my 4th year), I hit some strong positive variance and this was really my beginning. This allowed my bankroll to grow just enough that I could play with a small spread at the $10 tables.....and then the $15 tables. This opened up more tables and opportunities. In 2007 I made more than my first 3 years combined. 2008 was my first year with earnings of more than 50k. And by early 2009, I was thinking about relocating to Atlantic City to avoid those 90 minute train rides.
There is (or was) a two building high rise on the southern end of the boardwalk called Ocean Club Condominiums, between Tropicana and what was then Bally's Grand and later Hilton. In the reality office windows on the first floor as you walked past you would see pictures of the condos that were for sale. Studio's were going for 85-90k, a few under 80k with motivated sellers. I figured by the end of 2009, I would have down-payment necessary to buy without tying up all my bankroll.
But a funny thing happened in 2009. I had a great year...my best up until that time, that wasn't the problem. The problem was as the year progressed, I had begun to wear out my welcome. Mostly at the Borgata...but that was my big store....best rules and conditions and about 50% of my play. I guess the guys at the big B had watched me go from playing that lone $5 table to spreading green to mid black and while that was still fairly low limit for the B, they weren't going to let me sit there and do so, 5-6 hours a day during the weekdays when that level was more noticed.
As most know, NJ can't bar players for counting. For a while NJ could preferential shuffle although that never happened to me. What Borgata did was pull out a special minimum bet/max bet plaque that applied only to me (or whoever they were counter-measuring). The card read $5 minimum and $50 maximum, despite that it was a $25 table with normal maximum of $5000. I later learned this 1-10 spread ($5-$50) was the law at the time. As summer turned to fall, it became very apparent, even to someone as dense as me that my days of Atlantic City as my home base were coming to an end. I sure am glad I didn't buy a condo there. By the end of the year I had bought a condo In Vegas and was heading west, where I have lived happily ever after.
I only returned to AC one time after 2009, simply because I wanted to check out the Revel after it had opened. During my time in AC, the Revel stood half built, and it looked like it would never be completed, so I wanted to check it out. I wasn't impressed.
So my time in AC was very special to me. I will always have a soft spot for AC. I launched my career there, built my bankroll and really learned what I needed to do to win. So watching that video with many casinos that I played regularly closed was really hard. It felt like a funeral to me.
There may have been a time, back when AC ad Vegas were the only gambling cities that Vegas considered AC 'competion', but I don't think they do or have for a while. 