The state ran lotteries to help fund war efforts until they were made illegal in 1844. New Jersey had long held a reputation for being more permissive than other states when it came to gambling. Add in a powerful city boss who allegedly controlled everything from the smuggling operation to the law enforcement to the restaurants where alcohol was served, and Atlantic City was essentially a wide open town, flagrantly violating the federal law.” Enoch ‘Nucky’ Johnson The city’s beachfront location and docks allowed rum-runners to bring their goods onto shore. The tourist-based economy of the resort encouraged business owners to provide whatever was needed to make the visitors happy. “Atlantic City was a well-known haven for those seeking alcohol. “In Atlantic City, Prohibition was essentially unenforced by the local authorities,” the site relates. The World’s Playground (1870-1970)Īccording to The Atlantic City Experience, Prohibition simply didn’t apply in Atlantic City. Play Our Top Rated AC Online Casinos for Free The early 1900s saw a boom in hotel construction, and by the time the 1920s arrived and the era of Prohibition (1920-1933) came upon the United States, Atlantic City was firmly entrenched as the premier summer resort destination on the East Coast. The first Boardwalk was constructed in 1870 as a means to keep beach sand out of hotel lobbies, and was at that time a temporary, seasonal structure. The hotel, which boasted a capacity for 2,000 guests, was owned by the railroad and was the biggest in the country at the time. Hotel construction started with the United States Hotel, a 600-room resort spread over 14 acres of prime Atlantic City real estate. IN the 1850s Pitney convinced railroad investors to build rail lines from the Philadelphia/Camden area to the beachfront city he helped engineer Richard Osborne design. This barrier island was used primarily for shellfish harvesting and light farming, until a doctor named Jonathan Pitney became convinced it was the ideal location for a health resort. The resort city has withstood numerous legal and economic shifts as a major tourist location, and is finally currently again on the upswing. New Jersey has a long and storied history of gambling centered around Atlantic City and its historic Boardwalk on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean.

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