A tale of two cities: Las Vegas vs. Atlantic City

The lure of the Atlantic City Boardwalk: fresh air breaks between gambling. Credit: autiscy.

By Vince Font

If there’s anything that true gamblers find more important than getting the best odds, it’s finding the best casino in which to practice their passion. After all, being able to look around at glorious surroundings has a way of lessening the blow of losing your shirt, just as much as it has a way of accentuating the thrill of a comeback from thebrink. In America, there are two gambling meccas: Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But if you have to choose between the two, which one’s better? Here’s a quick rundown on how Las Vegas vacations and Atlantic City vacations stack up.

Las Vegas: Sin City

Savings in numbers: Las Vegas has many more hotels, so your odds of scoring cheap, rock bottom-priced lodgings or all-inclusive vacations are much higher here than in Atlantic City.
Staying cool vs. warming up: The Las Vegas climate is more accommodating to an erratic vacation schedule. Although temperatures in the Nevada desert can reach highs during summer that would make most people wince, the weather in winter is temperate enough to keep the throngs coming 365 days a year. Atlantic City, on the other hand, gets a light snowfall in winter and is only really preferable in spring and summer.
Bright lights, big city: Sure Atlantic City’s got lights too. But they’re nothing like those you’ll see on the Vegas strip. And while outside of the casinos Atlantic City holds a far more laid back feel, Vegas is constantly abuzz.

Atlantic City: America’s playground

Small but mighty: Atlantic City hotels aren’t as populous as those in Vegas, but there are some mega hotels that try to compensate for that lack, and do so ably.
The fresh air factor: Need a break? Hit the shore. If there’s one thing that Atlantic City has that’s sadly lacking in Las Vegas, it’s a beach that you can retreat to if you need to get in some meditation time between visits to the craps table. All Vegas has is desert, and far too much of it.
The vibe: Atlantic City’s boardwalk environment has been described as “Mardi Gras 24/7,” a vibe you don’t really get in Vegas.

The final verdict
In the end, it’s really personal preference that matters the most when determining whether Las Vegas or Atlantic City will offer you more (or less) of what you’re looking for. As far as the odds go, you’ll find that most gamblersare evenly split among which city brings them the best “luck”– but all are united in their affinity for both as destinations that all lovers of the game should visit at least once, if not as often as possible. Explore the two cities for yourself by planning a Vegas vacation or Atlantic City vacation online. Don’t forget to book your airfare, hotel and rental car together to save even more.

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Vince Font is a freelance writer born in Puerto Rico and currently escaped to Utah. When not dreaming of interstellar travel, he’s on the hunt for weird, wacky, and off-the-beaten-track vacation destinations. Next stop: The Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast.

Tagged: Las Vegas