New name, lower prices in Atlantic City

The casino at the end of Atlantic City's Boardwalk got its third name in less than a year.

But a new identity for the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel is the easy part: The struggling casino, which came perilously close to closing last year, is going for the bottom of the market, with some hotel rooms going for $19, 25-cent gambling chips and a discount-every-day mentality to attract people who want to have fun without spending a lot of money.

It's literally at the opposite end of the Atlantic City universe from Revel, the $2.4 billion casino opening next month.

At The Atlantic Club, some hotel rooms go for as little as $19 a night and the casino recently got state permission to use 25-cent and 50-cent gambling chips -- the lowest denominations ever offered in Atlantic City. The casino's six restaurants are slashing prices by 40 to 50 percent. Beer will go for $2 ($3 for imports), and a martini AND a hamburger together will cost $10 during the two daily happy hours. The casino is even waiving parking fees, eating the $3 state-mandated parking assessment on each car that enters its garage.

This is not a temporary promotion; it's what The Atlantic Club will be every day of the week.