Reel Lives: Journalist David Danzis On Las Vegas’ Regulatory Mess, Ocean Casino’s Rise, And Affiliate Media’s Room For Improvement
The former Jersey reporter, now with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, talks gambling from AC to LV
5 min
Every gambler has a story to tell. And so does every person who chooses to make a living in this unique industry.
In our “Reel Lives” series, Casino Reports shines a spotlight on people working in the gaming business, from executives, to analysts, to media members and communications pros, and all points in between.
The subject in this interview: David Danzis, who covered the gaming industry in New Jersey from 2018 through this June, when he headed west to take a job as a business reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Casino Reports (CR): Based on your resume, the first time you appear to have had a professional involvement in the gaming industry was in 2018, when you went to work for The Press of Atlantic City. Prior to that, what was your engagement level with gambling, personally or professionally?
David Danzis (DD): Before I started working at The Press of Atlantic City, I had been inside a casino exactly twice in my entire life. Once, right after I turned 21, I took a bus from North Jersey to AC with $200 in my pocket. I walked into Caesars and was out of cash after a few hands of blackjack. Thank goodness for that $10 food voucher or it would have been a wasted trip. The second time, I went to a casino in the Poconos and I lost my bankroll in minutes. I’m not a gambler; I’m a donor.
CR: In your time covering gambling in AC, what would you say was the most fascinating story you worked on?
DD: For my money, the most fascinating story in Atlantic City is the remarkable turnaround of Ocean Casino Resort. I wasn’t there for the Revel days or the Glenn Straub saga, but I never really understood how that property wasn’t the most popular casino in town. The executive team who took over Ocean right before COVID deserve all the credit in the world for figuring out how to properly market that property and for finally turning that casino into one of the best in the country — as it should have been all along.
CR: What do you think was a bigger factor in online casino finally taking off in New Jersey: online sports betting coming along, or COVID closing all casinos for a few months?
DD: Is it a cop-out to say both share equally in iGaming’s success? Because that’s the truth. There’s no doubt that mobile sports wagering introduced a whole new demographic to online casinos. The crossover data is indisputable. But COVID was more than just an accelerant — it was rocket fuel for internet gambling. Before COVID, I remember cynically telling a colleague that New Jersey iGaming would never reach $70 or $80 million a month. Not only was I wrong, but that figure looks quaint compared to what the market is doing now.
CR: You were a lifelong Jersey boy. How difficult — or not difficult — was the decision to relocate to Las Vegas?
DD: From a professional standpoint, it was a no-brainer. Covering casinos and gaming in Las Vegas is the pinnacle for someone in my position. Personally, it was the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my life. My wife and I struggled for months about whether moving to Las Vegas was a good thing for our children. We wondered if saying yes was a selfish choice. But certain opportunities in life are just too good to pass up, and we ultimately decided we could provide our kids with a better life by moving to Las Vegas. We love it so far. Vegas has been very good to us in the short time we’ve been here. Jersey has my heart and I’ll always call it home.
CR: You’ve worked for newspapers, and you’ve worked for affiliate sites. Is there an appreciable difference in your opinion in terms of the journalistic rules and limitations?
DD: Yes and no. Both newspapers and affiliates do a really good job of keeping the editorial/content production side of things separate from the business side. I’ve never had an editor or supervisor tell me I couldn’t write something because it might jeopardize the company’s relationship with an advertiser or partner. As a reporter, that’s not my concern anyway. However, the big difference between legacy media and affiliates is transparency. Affiliates need to do a much, much better job of being forthright about their partnerships. In my three-plus years working for an affiliate, I never actually knew for certain who our partners were or what those deals entailed. Neither did our readers. Ethically, that’s a big problem.
CR: If you hadn’t become a journalist, what are the other top possibilities for what you’d be doing with your life right now?
DD: I worked in restaurants and bars for more than a decade before I went to college to become a journalist. From hole-in-the-wall dive bars to big-name corporate chains to mom-and-pop shops to a Michelin-star resturant on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, I’ve worked at them all. And I’ve done every job there is to do in restaurant, from dishwasher to manager. So, I’d probably either be a beaten-down mid-level restaurant manager or drowning in debt running my own joint. Either way, I don’t see a happy ending for that storyline. I think I’ll stick to writing about the gaming industry, please and thank you.
CR: Same question about Vegas as I asked earlier about AC: I know you haven’t been at the LVRJ long, but so far, what’s been the most interesting story you’ve covered?
DD: What is happening from a regulatory standpoint in Las Vegas is, arguably, the biggest thing to happen in the domestic gaming industry in decades. The lack of anti-money laundering compliance at some of the biggest names in the casino world is jarring, and it will undoubtedly have a ripple effect on the entire industry. People are going to be barred from the industry, companies are going be paying millions of dollars in fines and penalties, and there’s a high probability that more people are going to be charged with federal crimes. It’s a mess. And, based on what we know, it’s far from over.
Reel fast!
Make a prediction: On Jan. 1, 2030, there will be how many casinos in Atlantic City?
Seven.
Giants or Jets? Yankees or Mets?
Jets. Yankees. (And Knicks and Rangers, although you didn’t ask.)
When you close your eyes and picture a casino, what’s the first casino you see?
Tangiers. Just kidding. Resorts in AC.
What’s your pop culture guilty pleasure?
Naked and Afraid.
Name one thing that’s much better about living in Vegas compared to Jersey.
The weather. I loved the 110-plus degree days this summer in Vegas.
Name one thing that’s much worse about living in Vegas compared to Jersey.
Driving. It’s a combat sport out here.
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You can keep up with David on Twitter/X or LinkedIn, where you can win him over with praise for his reporting or perhaps with a $10 food voucher.
Previous installments of Reel Lives:
