Atlantic City

With no table games, will Maryland Live casino draw young gamblers? Last month, David Tewell gathered a group of friends and headed north to Atlantic City's new Golden Nugget casino and resort for two nights of eating well, club-hopping and, of course, gambling. For the 27-year-old Annapolis resident, hitting the poker tables makes the three-hour trip up I-95 worth it. "A successful Atlantic City trip is going out at night and playing poker during the day," Tewell said.

Last month, David Tewell gathered a group of friends and headed north to Atlantic City's new Golden Nugget casino and resort for two nights of eating well, club-hopping and, of course, gambling. For the 27-year-old Annapolis resident, hitting the poker tables makes the three-hour trip up I-95 worth it. "A successful Atlantic City trip is going out at night and playing poker during the day," Tewell said. "Nothing around Baltimore rivals it. " That may change tonight, with the grand opening of the roughly $500 million Maryland Live Casino at Arundel Mills Mall.

National Harbor, just outside of our nation's capital, is a wonderful place for day-trippers from Baltimore ("Vegas on the Potomac? Some see it as a sure bet," May 29). I have been there several times and I'm sure that others from the area will eventually discover what is has to offer. What National Harbor does not need is casino gambling. Maryland's current law calls for five casinos. Two locations are currently open, with one at Arundel Mills opening on June 6. We do not need a sixth location.

Do you ever find yourself wishing for a stylish and luxurious beach resort within a reasonable drive from home? Meet the new Revel Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. Atlantic City? Seriously. Ditch the image of a traditional casino packed with cigar-puffing high-rollers and day-trippers wielding free buffet coupons. Atlantic City's 12th casino opened its oceanfront doors to the public April 2, pioneering an innovative concept: a health-minded resort that also happens to have a glamorous casino targeted to the "beautiful crowd.

Formerly Atlantic City Hilton and ACH, this newly renamed casino and hotel forgoes the glitz of newcomer Revel and offers a more cost-effective take on the fun Atlantic City offers. Casino hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Games to play: There are 58 live table games, including blackjack, roulette, mini baccarat and various versions of poker. Close to 1,500 slot machines line the floor, too. Entertainment: Atlantic Club's priority is gaming, so don't expect too many options.

Home to high-end boutique shopping and the Boardwalk Beer Garden, Caesars has remained one of Atlantic City's most popular resorts since the Roman Empire-themed casino opened in 1979. Casino hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Games to play: There are more than 135 table games, including blackjack, poker, craps, roulette and more. There's also Keno and more than 2,300 slot machines. Entertainment: Concerts ands shows range from TV host Bill Maher (June 2)

Formerly Trump Marina, Golden Nugget Atlantic City - the east coast version of the Las Vegas staple - officially opened in April after a $150 million transformation. Casino hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Games to play: There are 68 table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat, et al.), 22 poker tables and 1,560 slot machines spread over the 70,000 square-foot casino floor. Entertainment: Concerts and shows range from the power-pop quartet the Smithereens (June 16)

As a sometime visitor to Atlantic City casinos because of rebates, comps and free rooms, I know Maryland has to find a better way to get better activity than building more casinos. Just look at Atlantic City and its struggle with the casinos it has. There are too many and volume of gambling is down - otherwise, they wouldn't give rebates and free rooms. If we go ahead and build more casinos than what has been agreed to, owners and customers will not receive their best value. Leave well enough alone and go for the time being with Ocean Downs, Arundel Mills, Perryville, Rocky Gap and the future Baltimore City casino and see what happens.