Atlantic City

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.

The Tropicana's strongest asset could be its familiarity and price-point efficiency: You'll find recognizable restaurants (Hooters, P.F. Chang's) and practical shops (Brooks Brothers, A Time for Wine) in The Quarter. Casino hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Games to play: There are 170 table games including craps, roulette, blackjack, baccarat and more. Asian games, including Pai Gow poker and Pai Gow tiles, take place in Jade Palace. Tropicana offers more than 2,600 slot machines.

In an effort to make guests' experiences more "distinctive," the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J., is undergoing a $51 million face-lift that includes refurbishing poker and guest rooms. The Borgata opened in 2003, but hotel officials said it was time to freshen up. "Having such high customer volumes and almost 50 percent of the poker market share in Atlantic City, it was simply time," said Joe Lupo, the hotel's senior vice president of operations. Renovations to the poker room, which opened in 2006, include new carpeting throughout the 21,500-square-foot area and installation of 23 flat-screen TVs. The hotel also introduced The Boardroom, a high-limit poker lounge that requires a minimum buy-in of $10,000.

For the seventh time in history, WrestleManiawill be hosted in New York/New Jersey. At a press conference Thursday, MetLife Stadium, the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the NFL, was announced as the venue for WrestleMania 29, taking place April 7, 2013. In attendance for the press conference were WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Jets owner Woody Johnson, Giants owner John Mara and notable WWE Superstars John Cena, Triple H, Sheamus and Mark Henry.

While Ocean City and Wildwood and other mid-Atlantic beaches allow horses on the beach, Atlantic City has plans to take things just a step further. The casino town, in desperate need of a makeover, has embarked on a revitilization master plan. That's great news for visitors and tourists. The plans call for better lighting, landscaping, new rides, infrastructure upgrades and a complete overhaul of the historic Steel Pier by 2015. The idea is to create a year-round entertainment attraction.

Among arenas seating between 10,000 and 15,000 people, 1st Mariner was the year's highest grossing with nearly $16 million, Billboard magazine said in its year-end issue. It's the second year in a row the 1960s venue has received the honor. In 2009, it came in third behind Boardwalk Hall Arena in Atlantic City, N.J., and the MGM Grand's Garden Arena in Las Vegas. 1st Mariner opened in 1962 as the Baltimore Civic Center, and has drawn the Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen over the years despite its age. After nearly 50 years in business, city officials are seeking funding to replace it with a bigger, slicker facility.

Savor Borgata What: Savor Borgata – A Taste of American Classics is a star-studded culinary event aimed at showcasing the American culinary classics Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa has to offer. Hosted by Food Network's Claire Robinson, the event features Borgata's restaurants and their chefs. Guests can mingle with world-renowned chefs, including Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck and Geoffrey Zakarian. Experience live cooking demonstrations at each chef's exhibition kitchen and sample their take on American cuisine, paired with the finest wine, beer and spirits.

State slot machine revenue declined in May for the first time this year, officials reported Monday, as another month of gains at the Casino at Ocean Downs was weighed down by a $446,000 drop at the larger Hollywood Casino Perryville. Officials at the Perryville casino, the first of Maryland's two slots parlors, say they are still figuring out the rhythm of business in the first year. The 1,500-machine casino, which opened in September and had reported gains each month since December, took in $9.61 million in May, down from $10.05 million in April, the Maryland Lottery reported Monday.

Concerts Live'n'local Replaced By Robots can be heard Sat., June 4, 9 p.m., at the Second Chance Saloon in the Oakland Mills Village Center. The band plays a mix of classic rock and original songs and is made up of veteran musicians previously from other area bands. Admission is free. Go to http://www.2ndchancesaloon.com. On Stage A new, new 'Nannette' A local theater company called No Boundaries will perform a revival of the 1925 Broadway musical comedy "No, No, Nannette" Fri.-Sat., June 3-4, 7 p.m., and Sun., June 5, 2 p.m., in the Black Box Theatre at the Howard County Center for the Arts (8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City)

•Start the day with a stroll along the Atlantic City Boardwalk, taking in the stores, casinos and hotels that loom above the planks. The boardwalk was built in 1870, and the street names have been immortalized as part of the Monopoly board game since 1935. Download walking tours at atlanticcitynj.com. •Don't miss Garden Pier, home to the Atlantic City Art Center and the Atlantic City Historical Museum, both open to the public with no admission charge. •Stop by the Pier Shops at Caesars for high-end shopping and dining.