Resorts Casino Opens $35M Margaritaville Expansion; Revel 'Bamboozles' Gamblers

Resorts Casino—once considered the lowest rung on the rusty Atlantic City gambling ladder—recently debuted a sparkling $35 million entertainment expansion called Margaritaville, inspired by America's favorite beach bum, Jimmy Buffett.

In addition to a bunch of island-themed table games and slots, Margaritaville's 17,000 sq ft. space brings a new tiki bar complete with bottle-flipping flair bartenders and a menu full of umbrella-accented drinks. There's a new a live music stage (complete with daily performances), and a massive al fresco patio for beachfront dining and drinking. Sadly, they missed an opportunity to open an all-you-can-eat restaurant called The Buffett Buffet. Maybe that'll come next season. Either way, the Margaritaville expansion is a must-see for you AC regulars and brings a beach party vibe that was surprisingly missing from the coastal gambling town.

It's not all good news in Atlantic City, though, as the problems continue to mount for Revel Casino, which has become an epic money pit fraught with almost weekly disasters. This time around, the local news is attacking Revel's new promotion that promises to refund all slot losses greater than $100. Before you gas up the car and head east, do yourself a favor and read the fine print.

If you watch the video above, it appears as though Revel will give you back the cash you lose at the slots all throughout July. It looks pretty cut and dried, right? Not so fast. Instead of handing you hard currency on your way out the door, the casino gives customers "free play" slot dollars to cover their losses. These slot dollars work the same as real money on the slot machines, but they can't be cashed out.

To make matters worse, gamblers don't receive their "refund" all at once when they leave. Instead, Revel doles them out in 5% increments over 20 weeks (starting August 5), which means you have to visit Revel every week until the end of December to get your full "refund."

While it's normal to have some sketchy catches when it comes to promotions (especially at a casino), consumer law advocates are saying that this ad is more than just misleading, and could very well be illegal. The good news, though, is that they're not getting away with it, as the state of New Jersey and the Federal Trade Commission are looking into the promotion, and investigating whether or not it targets the elderly, as well. Stay tuned.

· All Revel Coverage [~EPHI~]
· Margaritaville at Resorts Casino [Official]
· Revel Resorts [Official]