The question of how many slot machines the Showboat in Atlantic City had cannot be answered with a single stable number, because the property's slot floor existed in two distinct eras. The Showboat opened as a casino hotel in 1987 and operated its casino until 2014, when the casino closed. The hotel portion reopened in 2016, but the casino did not. Any slot count therefore belongs to the pre-2014 casino era, and that count changed repeatedly over the property's nearly three decades of casino operation.
This article explains why a specific slot count is not available in this article's documented reference material, what kinds of figures did exist for the property, and how a reader can find the authoritative historical count if they need it for research or personal interest. The property is owned by developer Bart Blatstein, and the hotel reopened in 2016. The Showboat sits in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at latitude 39.36166667 and longitude -74.41805556.
The two eras of the Showboat
The Showboat's history divides into a casino era and a post-casino era. The casino era ran from 1987 to 2014. During those years, the property operated slot machines as part of its casino floor. The post-casino era began in 2016, when the hotel reopened without a casino. Since 2016, the property has operated as a hotel and entertainment complex, home to the Island Waterpark at Showboat and the largest arcade in New Jersey, as well as the Residences at Showboat Apartments in the Premier Lite Tower.
Because the casino did not reopen in 2016, the question "how many slots did Showboat have" refers to the casino era only. The slot count from that era is a historical figure that varied over time. No single slot count for the Showboat appears in the publicly published reference sources available for this article.
Why slot counts change
A casino's slot machine count is not a fixed attribute like a building's street address. Casinos add and remove machines as floor layouts change, as older machines are retired, and as regulatory approvals for new machines are processed. A count published in one year may not match a count published five years later, even for the same property.
For the Showboat specifically, the casino operated for 27 years. Over that span, the slot floor would have been reconfigured many times. The number of slots on the floor in 1987, when the casino opened, would not be the same as the number in 2014, when the casino closed. Any answer to "how many slots did Showboat have" must specify a date, and the answer for that date would come from a contemporaneous source such as a state gaming commission report, a casino industry directory, or a news article from that period.
What the documented record shows
The documented reference material for this article contains no slot count for the Showboat. The material confirms the opening year of 1987 for the casino hotel, the closing of the casino in 2014, and the reopening of the hotel in 2016. It confirms the owner, Bart Blatstein, and the property's current non-casino amenities. It does not contain a slot machine count for any year of the casino era.
This absence is not unusual. Slot counts are operational details that change frequently and are typically published in regulatory filings or industry reports rather than in general reference material. A reader who needs a specific historical slot count for the Showboat would need to consult the New Jersey gaming authority's historical records or contemporaneous industry publications.
How to find the historical slot count
A reader researching the Showboat's historical slot count should look for sources that published slot counts during the casino era. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is the state agency that publishes casino statistics for Atlantic City properties. Historical monthly and annual reports from that agency would contain slot counts for the Showboat during the years it operated a casino.
Industry directories and trade publications from the casino era also published slot counts. These sources are often available in library archives or through commercial database subscriptions. A reader should specify the exact year they are asking about, because the count changed over time.
What to confirm before you go
If you are planning a visit to the Showboat today, the slot count question is moot. The property does not operate a casino. The hotel, waterpark, arcade, and apartment rentals are the current offerings. You should confirm current amenities, hours, and pricing directly with the property, because those details change and are not part of this article's documented material.
If you are researching the historical casino era, confirm the exact year you need and look for a contemporaneous source. Do not rely on a single number from a general reference source, because slot counts changed throughout the casino era.
| Field | Value | Source type |
|---|---|---|
| Casino hotel opened | 1987 | Publicly published reference source |
| Casino closed | 2014 | Publicly published reference source |
| Hotel reopened | 2016 | Publicly published reference source |
| Owner | Bart Blatstein | Publicly published reference source |
| Slot machine count | Not documented in this article's sources | No source available |
Distance context for the Showboat
The Showboat sits on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Its documented coordinates place it at latitude 39.36166667 and longitude -74.41805556. The straight-line distances below are great-circle measurements, not driving miles. Road distance is always longer than straight-line distance, and this article does not publish road mileage.
| Reference point | Straight-line miles | Measurement type |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Casino Resort | 0.2 | Great-circle |
| Atlantic City | 0.4 | Great-circle |
| Philadelphia | 56.9 | Great-circle |
| Parx Casino | 59.5 | Great-circle |
| Manhattan | 95.9 | Great-circle |
| Washington DC | 142.8 | Great-circle |
| Foxwoods | 195.0 | Great-circle |
| Toronto | 392.1 | Great-circle |
These straight-line figures describe the physical position of the Showboat relative to other documented points. They do not describe travel time or road distance. A reader measuring from their own location should use a mapping tool to calculate road distance and travel time, because those figures depend on route, traffic, and mode of transport.
Why slot counts are hard to compare
Even when a slot count is available for a casino, comparing counts across properties is difficult. Different sources count slot machines differently. Some counts include electronic table games, which are slot-like devices that simulate table games. Other counts exclude them. Some counts include machines in high-limit rooms, while others report only the main floor.
The definition of a slot machine also varies by jurisdiction. A device that one state counts as a slot machine might be classified differently in another state. For a historical property like the Showboat, the counting methodology used in 1987 likely differed from the methodology used in 2014. Any comparison of slot counts across casinos or across years must account for these definitional differences.
FAQ
How many slot machines did the Showboat have when it closed in 2014?
The documented reference material for this article does not contain a slot count for the Showboat at any point in its casino era. Slot counts changed throughout the property's operation from 1987 to 2014. To find the count for a specific date, consult the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement's historical reports or contemporaneous industry publications.
Does the Showboat have slot machines today?
No. The Showboat's casino closed in 2014, and the hotel reopened in 2016 without a casino. The property currently operates as a hotel and entertainment complex with a waterpark, an arcade, and apartment rentals. It does not operate slot machines.
Why do different sources give different slot counts for the same casino?
Slot counts change as casinos add and remove machines, and sources use different counting methods. Some include electronic table games, others do not. Some report only the main floor, others include high-limit rooms. The date of the count also matters, because slot floors are reconfigured frequently.
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