Across the city a green and red sign lit up the night sky. ‘Borgata’ it proclaimed, brightly launching the casino era in Atlantic City into a new phase. The gleaming gold Borgata opened in 2003 and quickly became the symbol of a region's hope for its soul and sustenance. Would it finally be the solution to the city's long inability to restore itself as a ‘destination resort’? Since the Resorts International casino opened in 1978, Atlantic City and its surrounding communities linked their fortunes, dreams and enduring vision of a bright future to casinos. As many have documented, that vision has been tested and, despite the money, often been viewed as bringing more problems to the people of the region than benefits. Yet, the story of Atlantic City in the casino era is a largely positive one, most clearly demonstrating an incredible faith in the power of energetic capitalism. The casino floor is a blur of market transactions, successes and failures. Money flies around in all directions, and always, the casino wins more than it loses due to the ironclad laws of probability. But money is just a means to an end. Money alone cannot bring happiness nor make a community whole. The story of Atlantic City in the casino era is therefore not just a story about making money. It is not a story about rich and poor, the community-haves and community-have-nots. Rather, the story of Atlantic City in the casino era is a story about people. It is a story about hopes and disappointment, opportunity and loss. It is a story about determination and desperation, strength and weakness. It is a story about brash, individualistic entrepreneurship and compassionate concern for others. It is an American story.

Before casino legalization in 1976, Atlantic City's economy was in shambles. Young people were leaving as soon as they left high school because there were simply no jobs to keep them around. The city had a three-month economy where residents tried to earn as much money as possible to get them through the long, cold winter, often relying on unemployment or public support to make it through each year.