“The fat lady ain’t singing.”

Several billboards with that cryptic message have sprung up along the Atlantic City Expressway and other local highways recently. The billboards, with red letters above a graphic of ocean waves, include no brand names or other identifying features; some observers have speculated that they are teasers for the Atlantic City Alliance, which has been charged with revitalizing the casino city, or the new Revel gaming hall, set to open in mid-May.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, both assumptions were proved wrong. The billboards are part of a promotional campaign for the newly rebranded ACH, the former Atlantic City Hilton hotel and casino. At a news conference, Chief Operating Officer Michael Frawley announced that the casino is being renamed the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel. The billboards are a reply to anyone who believes the city’s smallest casino, which has faced its share of financial problems over the past few years, is on its way out.

“It’s a big day for ACH,” said Frawley. “Our aim is to be the casino for savvy consumers. We’re going to offer, plain and simple, a better deal.”
Though the name change does not take effect until March 13, a public relations outreach targeted at “locals” is already under way. Signs inside and outside the casino say “A better bet for locals.” Commercials on the property’s public address system talk up rewards for locals, including the ability to use casino comp dollars at other businesses in the vicinity. However, Frawley said, “locals” doesn’t necessarily mean “right around the corner.”

“It is an operating philosophy, not a geographic commitment,” he said. The initial marketing outreach will encompass a 40-mile radius, Frawley said.

The locals demographic could be an important one for the newly minted Atlantic Club, which has seen its market share spiral with the recession and new gaming competition in Pennsylvania. The property, which is no longer affiliated with the Hilton hotel chain, faced foreclosure before it went up for sale last year; it found no buyers. Analysts predicted almost certain demise for the casino hotel. But Frawley said cheap slots, low minimum wagers on table games, inexpensive room rates, competitive restaurant tabs and free parking will draw “the smart consumer.”

As for those billboards, Frawley said the best thing to do is say out loud what everyone has been thinking about the struggling Boardwalk casino. “It’s better to meet it head-on,” he said, and added that the struggling property is not "on the gallows." Anyone who calls ACH, or the Atlantic Club, a “cut-rate” property is wrong, Frawley continued.

“We will offer a very high-quality product for an affordable price,” he said. "The Atlantic Club will be a casino for the rest of us."