The Borgata is the first casino to be built in Atlantic City in over 13 years. Steve Wynn, who built the Mirage and much of Las Vegas, was offered just a single dollar to build their first super casino. With a price tag of over $1 billion, this is a serious venture if there ever was one.  If things go as planned, it will change Atlantic City forever. In early 2000, MGM MIRAGE partnered with Boyd Gaming to begin construction on it. It took 3 years to complete, plus years of planning earlier. The casino is staggering in size: The lot is over 233 football fields.  130,000 sq. ft. of casino space. 50,000 sq. ft. just for their spa. 70,000 sq. ft. of convention space. It houses a 43 story luxury hotel that has nothing comparable to it in the entire east coast.

A mix of classic architecture and contemporary spaces surround you when you walk in the hotel. It has over one million sq. feet of fine marble stone imported from around the world. The stone alone came to a staggering cost of $23 million. The designers wanted a classic and elegant look, but it still has a hip and contemporary feel so they could attract their targeted 25-39 crowd of affluent young trend setters. Unlike "traditional" Atlantic City casinos, which cater to the 60+ age group, the Borgata is geared towards a much younger crowd.  As a way to create the right vibes, it features a library of over 7,000 songs that can be controlled via computer for the entire hotel. Song selection and volume changes as one walks from one room to another.

Borgata may mean "little village" in Italian, but it can hold up to 20,000 guests and employees. The hotel could supply three small towns worth of water and electricity on a daily basis. It has over 8 miles of lights on the outside that are there to draw people in from afar.  CEO Bob Boughner, a veteran with experience opening six other casinos, was central to the successful opening of the casino. According to Bob, having fun while still being upscale was a prime concern and can be seen in every detail in the hotel in order to reflect this thought. Large ceilings decorated with massive glass sculptures can be seen in the lobby. The sculptures are by famed artist Dale Chihouly and are worth over $5 million. The main lobby is bright and airy, which gives people a feeling of relaxation when they walk in this oasis from the nearby city.

The casino floor is the size of 1.5 baseball fields. 145 table games await you. Built-in drink wells and leather seats add a nice touch to the Blackjack tables, which also have only 6 instead of 7 seats for an added level of comfort. 3,600 new slot machines should keep everyone happy. There over 500 one dollar machines for true slot fanatics.  Race track monitors cover the entire country. They have a 34 table poker room that can hold over 300 card players. The high stakes gambling area, called "The Salon," is a place for the most elite player.

$5 million in surveillance technology protects the casino. Over 2,000 cameras across the property are linked to 170 other casinos. They boast a super advanced facial recognition system to keep bad people out.

Some say this is one of the luckiest casinos around. Jennifer Lopez's (JLo) mom put in a $2 bet and won $2.4 million at a slot machine! Statistics also point to it being lucky with tables paying $1,500 more per table than average casinos, and slot machines paying $100 more.

The Borgata's 5,000 employees are essential to its success. Returning to its more exciting adult roots, the barely dressed "Borgata Babe" waitresses were selected as the best talent out of over 4,000 applicants. The skimpy cocktail waitress uniforms help reel in young affluent gamblers from all over the east coast.


Mixx is one of the main restaurants and hottest club in the casino. It has a fusion of Latino, Asian, and cotemporary tastes. The restaurant serves food until 10 pm and then turns into a world class nightclub. Expect at least an hour wait to get in. There are 10 other restaurants housed in 50,000 sq. feet to please every palate, including many high-end ones that cater to the most elite tastes. The hotel even has their own 200 acre New Jersey farm to deliver fresh produce on a daily basis.  14,000 bottles of wine valued at over $1 million can be found. If one is so inclined, you can find a few $40,000 bottles of wine waiting to be opened.

For the gambling giants, a private jet will fly anywhere and pick you up free of charge. The Residency Suite is over  5000 sq. ft. with 5 rooms and a 12 person banquette space. It also houses $20k worth of home entertainment. One can find a spa and workout room. Of course, you also get a private butler. The Residency Suite will cost you $4,000 per night, but is free for high rollers willing to risk enough. However, lots of comps for the more modest gambler are around, like free meals and shows.

The casino has had over 3 million visitors in their first year of operation and made $750 million in revenue, so they are doing very well for the investment. The $1 billion invested will most likely be earned back in a few years.  Since the casino was built, gambling in Atlantic City has risen by 12 percent. Other casinos, like Trump's investments, are needing to catch up or go down in flames. It is raising the bar for all of Atlantic City and helping to bring back its original old glory.

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