Tropicana is now No. 2 casino in Atlantic City

After years of decline, landmark regains reputation.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Ten years ago, Atlantic City’s Tropicana casino was on the verge of death, having been stripped of its casino license after its then-owners laid off vast swaths of the workforce, leading to filthy rooms, insect infestations, hourlong waits for slot machine payouts and food and drink orders that often never arrived.

Now, after years of reinvesting in and renovating the casino floor, hotel rooms and eateries, the Tropicana has become the No. 2 casino in the city in terms of gambling revenue — a position it will need to fight to retain as two additional casinos open on the Boardwalk this summer.

“It’s an incredible difference and transformation,” said Tony Rodio, president of Tropicana Entertainment.

The Tropicana ended 2017 second among Atlantic City’s seven casinos in terms of total gambling revenue with $390 million, trailing only the perennial market leader Borgata, which had more than $800 million.

Internet gambling winnings worth $42.5 million helped Tropicana pass Harrah’s, which had long been the city’s No. 2 casino in overall revenue.

Ten years ago, the trouble started under the Tropicana’s former owners, Kentucky-based Columbia Sussex Corp, which laid off 900 workers — about a quarter of the staff — leaving it dirty and understaffed.

In March 2010, billionaire investor Carl Icahn bought the Tropicana from bankruptcy court and began reinvesting in the property and hiring a new management team.

Since 2012, Tropicana Entertainment has plowed $200 million into the property, re-doing most hotel rooms and the casino floor, adding restaurants, and buying the adjacent 330-room Chelsea hotel.

Bob McDevitt, president of Local 54 of the UniteHERE union, waged a bitter labor war with Icahn over another of his casinos, the former Trump Taj Mahal, where a strike over benefits ended with Icahn closing the casino in October 2016, putting nearly 3,000 people out of work.