The legalization of casino gambling in 1976 by approval of the voters of New Jersey has attracted nearly $2.0 billion of private investment capital to Atlantic City. The opening of the first casino. Resorts International, was eagerly awaited as a step toward revitalizing the city. Four years and eight casinos later, it is quite apparent that the use of the casino gambling industry toward this end suffers from many of the same inadequacies as past renewal programs.
As many studies have concluded, urban policies of the past failed to spread benefits to the urban poor and lower‐income population (e.g., see Friedan and Kaplan, 1975; Weiss, 1980). The history of Atlantic City's decline offers a case study of how federal programs were unsuccessful in both addressing the causes of decline and aiding those most adversely affected by it. The evidence to date suggests that the direction of urban redevelopment in Atlantic City is presently following the pattern established by past programs. The legalization of casino gambling has spread its benefits unevenly, benefitting the already well‐off while excluding the poor and elderly of the city.