ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Tom Ballance, a senior vice president at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, will become president of Atlantic City’s top casino in December.
The move frees up the casino’s current president, Bob Boughner, to assume a larger role with parent company Boyd Gaming. Boughner has done double duty for the past four years as an executive with Las Vegas-based Boyd while also overseeing the Borgata as its president.
Ballance worked for Borgata for five years before it opened in 2003 as the casino’s vice president of development. Before that, he worked for 17 years at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City.
He said he doesn’t plan any major changes in Borgata’s operations.
“Borgata is an incredibly successful operation with the best product in the market,” he said. “I think we want to stick to what we are.”
His promotion to president needs to be approved by New Jersey casino regulators.
Keith Smith, president and CEO of Boyd Gaming, said Ballance’s promotion frees up Boughner to take a larger management role with Boyd Gaming, which is in the process of acquiring Peninsula Gaming.
Ballance will be responsible for the Borgata’s day-to-day operations, and will report to Boughner at the corporate level.
The Borgata is Atlantic City’s top casino in terms of monthly gambling revenue. It took in $55.3 million in September, more than $20 million better than its next closest competitor.
It has 2,000 hotel rooms, plus an additional 800 at The Water Club, its non-gambling hotel next door.
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Wayne Parry can be reached at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC
