Nicole and I view gambling as a recreational activity. The math dictates that you aren’t going to win in the long term, so your best bet is to just go and have fun. When I ramp up for a weekend in Atlantic City, I like the feeling of playing with “House Money.” To do this, I usually employ a few side hustles to give me some cash I don’t mind throwing away. Whether it’s setting a few dollars now and again for the “Weekend Rainy Day” fund or hitting up my favorite Side Hustle Podcast for earning ideas, there are plenty of ways to earn some extra on the side for your trip. One of the easiest ways to do this is via online survey sites, which will compensate you for answering questions about habits, products, etc. online.

Boring, Sure, But Money is Money!

Our Recommendations

We’ve completed surveys on all of the sites below (and a variety of others that aren’t worth bringing up). Note that some of these are referral/affiliate links so we do receive a small commission should you choose to sign up. Full disclosure and all that. Anyway, let’s get to it!

Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is my favorite site currently, mostly because they run monthly “challenges” that allow you to earn additional money (Usually $5). There is rarely a shortage of surveys to complete, and I’ve found them to be mostly reliable. Cash outs have also never been an issue, so you can quickly get your earnings out once you’ve hit the minimum.

YouGov

YouGov may not have the plethora of survey opportunities that you’ll see on sites like Swagbucks and Survey Junkie, but sometimes quality is better than quantity. I qualify for these surveys more often, payouts are reliable, and they tend to be a good value for the time you put in.

Swagbucks

The “Old Reliable” of the survey world, Swagbucks has been around for years and there are tons of ways to earn rewards on the site. These include things like playing games, participating in live trivia, shopping, and earning free stuff for your next trip to Atlantic City as we described in our detailed tutorial here.

Get Out There and Earn For Your Next AC Trip

Earning money through online surveys isn’t going to make you rich and the hourly earn-rate can be..questionable, but it’s a great, simple way to earn some spending money for your next trip.

Atlantic City has been our go-to destination for Craps since I was old enough to legally play. Over the past few years, I’ve watched the table minimums continue to climb to the point where they often go above my pay grade. While you can’t beat the feeling of a real table, many casinos have been offering variants for games like craps that combine a traditional table and an electronic terminal. Harrah’s Atlantic City added this variant a few years ago, for example. It appears the Borgata is finally ready to catch up. On our most recent visit, we found a new combination of physical and virtual craps.

Roll To Win Craps Borgata
We Played With The Old Guys – A Cheery Bunch!

How It Works

As you can see, the table functions with only one staff member – a stickman. All players enter their bets through their terminal, while one player physically shoots the dice at the table. This process is particularly fun because the stickman will go around the room and select each player to shoot in turn. A prompt will pop up on your terminal asking if you’d like to shoot. If you accept, your terminal view will be transferred to a monitor on the front of the table, and you’re off! You can make new bets and manage existing ones between rolls. This takes away the soulless, “trouble bubble” dice pop of other craps variants, and there was a lot of cheering and banter much like you’d see at a real table.

The Game Tracks All of Your Favorite Stats

Borgata Roll To Win Craps Table Minimums

Since COVID, $5 Craps tables have largely vanished, and even $10 tables can be hard to find. For a low-roller like myself, it’s been discouraging. Thankfully, the rise of semi-virtual games like roll to win craps allows players to get the thrill of a real table without breaking the bank. The table minimum when we visited was only $5. The best part of this is that the minimum per bet is only $1. This led to a hilarious night of “systems” that we tried out for fun. Some worked a lot better than others, but we had a fantastic time with it.

Our Review

While some of the staff members still seemed to be getting a grip on how it worked, they were all friendly and everything worked seamlessly. This is a big draw for someone who wants to play craps for cheap or if you’re just looking to slow down your spend rate for awhile. We’ll definitely be back for some Borgata roll to win craps soon!

We brainstormed quite a few ideas for my 40th birthday, and we were coming up short until the idea of renting out a Jitney from Atlantic City came up. Now that we live in Cape May, we’ve gotten used to the little busses shuttling around town, particularly during the Summer season when they have free shuttles to various points. It seemed like the right amount of accessibility and fun. Our local relatives and friends could all come down, wouldn’t need a designated driver, and the jitney could safely drop us off at home at the end of the night. Here’s how our experience went.

Jitney Rental Process

I’ll be honest with you – as an introvert, I don’t like talking to people on the phone. Stupid, I know, but it’s a quirk of mine. So I was a little disappointed that the rental rates weren’t available on the official site. Not very surprising of course, considering they need just a few details before they can provide a quote. We called and spoke to a very nice salesperson, explained our needs (Chosen stops, mostly breweries, and total ride time) and they came back with a reasonable quote of $500. They sent us the paperwork, we got it back to them, and voila! Our own private shuttle service for a day.

AC Jitney Rental
A Little Lighthouse Humor From the Trip

Our Day With The Jitney

A Picture From One of Our Stops – Slacktide Brewing

Our total time with the Jitney rental was 5 hours (2pm-7pm), and the driver, Carlos, arrived right on time. He was very friendly, asked what we needed, and was always ready to assist my father, who has some mobility issues and needs a small scooter to get around. He loaded the scooter on and off the Jitney without complaint, and was very pleasant the entire time. We opted not to bring any alcohol on board as we had plenty to choose from at our stops and could use the break, but it is allowed. We spent about 45 minutes at each stop. By the end of the trip, we had a nice buzz and good vibes. Carlos dropped us off back at home, we provided a nice tip, and there were really no surprises at all with the whole process.

Thoughts on our Atlantic City Jitney Rental Review

While I would have preferred that we could book the jitney rental online without the hassle of needing to contact someone by phone, I’m sure much of that is just personal preference. We had a great time. If you need a driver for a day to take you around Atlantic City or the surrounding beach towns, I highly recommend getting a rental. Don’t forget to hitch a ride to your free night at the Borgata afterwards.

With our recent move to Cape May, NJ, we decided to write up an Atlantic City day trip guide based on our recent experience. Thanks to MyVegas, we managed a free dinner, slot play, and a fruitful craps session. In short, we had an absolute blast! Hours of fun for a jaw-droppingly low total. Want to join in? Here’s how to have an epic day trip.

Luck Helps, But it isn’t Everything!

Where to Go

It should be no surprise that the Borgata is our casino of choice, and for good reason. The infamous $5 Blackjack table may be gone, but you can find a lot of value in a day trip to Atlantic City’s finest casino. Our main reason for choosing the Borgata on this latest trip is that we used everything MyVegas had to offer loaded up. This included (Per person except for parking, which we only needed one of since we travelled with one car):

  • Free Parking
  • $10 Free Slot Play
  • $10 Free Dining

Sure, you aren’t going to get rich with these freebies alone, but an extra $20 in slots and $20 in free helped to subsidize our night of fun and gambling. They are also quite cheap in terms of loyalty points, so just a day or two of slot play on the MyVegas app (Free, of couse), will get you all of these. Best of all, you can use them every 30 days!

Where to Eat

Izakaya Borgata
We Always Sit at the Bar

We managed to arrive just as Izakaya, Borgata’s Asian Fusion restaurant, opened. We normally sit at the bar, order a few drinks, and get an appetizer or two. We splurged a little here and our tab ended up being around $100, but we had enough in MGM rewards points to cover the whole thing. It was a delightful surprise! With full bellies and some social lubricant in our systems, we were ready to gamble.

What to Play

We waltzed around the casino looking for our slot of choice – Lord of the Rings. The iterations on this slot have changed over the years, but we always manage to find one. The slots gods treated me poorly, as usual, but my wife managed to win $20 with her free slot play. Feeling brave, we wandered over to the craps table, which unsurprisingly stuck to the weekend minimums of $15.

Final Thoughts and Winnings Tally

We played craps for about 3 hours and ended up about $60 in total! If you like this content and enjoy our Atlantic City day trip guide, it’s definitely something we’ll be doing again in the near future. I highly recommend loading up on your MyVegas freebies, sticking to your budget, and monitoring your alcohol intake if you have to drive. Good luck out there!

Victory Dance!

I realize that the post title ($40 and Free Borgata Nights) sounds good to be true, but stay with me until the end and I promise we’ll get there. As someone who loves to gamble but doesn’t love to lose, earning free stuff is the best way to offset my (meager) gambling budget. Ready to earn some cash and stay at one of the best hotels in Atlantic City for free? Here we go.

Step 1: Sign Up for Swagbucks (Free)

Swagbucks (This is a signup link and will give us a small referral bonus) is a rewards site that serves as a shopping/deal portal. Advertisers put their offers on the site, Swagbucks gets their cut, and offers you a reward for shopping, playing games, etc. I’ve personally redeemed thousands of dollars worth of rewards (No, not with referrals but by shopping/deals) on Swagbucks and can happily confirm that they’re legitimate. One of the more popular offers is the app MyVegas, which allows you to play slot games and earn points for hotel stays in Las Vegas and, yes, Atlantic City. Signing up will allow you take advantage of these offers!

Step 2: Use the Pop Slots Offer and Download the App

Pop Slots is an app that has officially partnered with MGM. If you signup for Pop Slots through Swagbucks, you can earn $100 USD (10,000 Swagbucks) just for playing the game. You earn your rewards and you earn the cash, so there really isn’t any downside. Note that you’ll need to play consistently at first, which we’ll get to in the next step below.

Step 3: Reach Level 251 In 21 Days

Here is the most difficult task that awaits you, though it shouldn’t be too bad for most. Play consistently each day and gather XP (Be sure to send chips to friends and follow Pop Slots on Facebook for extra chips). I was able to do this in about 15 days of consistent slot play. Once you reach level 251, you should see your Swagbucks pending in your account. This will take 14 days to “settle,” but once done you are able to redeem those bucks for gift cards or directly to your Paypal account as cash monies.

There you have it! A quick and easy way to earn comps for the Borgata and a decent chunk of beer money in the process. If you run into any trouble during the process above, be sure to reach out to Swagbucks’ support team with any questions or concerns.

Let’s Make the Most of It!

I have to admit that, while I love our Atlantic City trips, I have a tendency to try and stretch out our non-gambling dollars as much as possible. Usually this includes redeeming as many MyVegas rewards as possible, keeping an eye out for the best hotel prices, and saving up points/miles so I can stay for free. Those shouldn’t be the only weapons in your frugal arsenal, however. You shouldn’t forget about sites like Groupon, which offer steep discounts for hotel rooms, drinks, and food! Here are our favorite Atlantic City Groupons for you to take advantage of.

Important Note: Be sure to use Rakuten (Formerly eBates) when buying anything on Groupon. Rakuten gives you 2% cash back on any purchases made there (Affiliate Link).

1. Little Water Distillery Tour

No Atlantic City trip would be complete without sampling some of the local flavor, and Little Water Distillery has you covered! This Groupon includes a tour, tasting, and shotglasses as a nice souvenir to remind you of the good times and (hopefully) some winning.

2. Hard Rock Cafe

The Hard Rock Casino has been a recent newcomer to the scene, and this Groupon gives you a good excuse to go and check it out. While not the best food in the world, the Hard Rock brand is recognizable and affordable. Go eat on the cheap so you can put that money to work on the tables!

3. Absecon Lighthouse

OK, so I might be a little biased with this one. I think lighthouses are awesome, and I’m a sucker for a good view. This little piece of history is still hanging out just outside the range of casinos, so why not take a break from gambling and check out this neat little Atlantic City Groupon? Worth a shot!

If you’ve visited AC as much as we have, you’ve probably noticed the Atlantic City Jitney shuttles at some point and wondered what their purposes is. Some of them seem to be circling around casinos while others have unique nameplates letting you know they’re for someone’s birthday or bachelor party. Well wonder no more! We’re here to let you know exactly what they’re for and how to properly utilize them.

You’ll See Them Around

Schedule and Routes

The Jitneys can be a great way to get around to Atlantic City if you know where (and when) to look for them. A full list of routes can be found here on their site, but the main routes of interest for casino goers are as follows:

Main Jitney Route: Travels along the boardwalk casino hotels (Ocean, Resorts, Tropicana, etc.) as well as the Marina (Borgata, Golden Nuggets, etc.).

Route 6: Stays specifically in the Marina, allowing you to jump between the casinos in that area (Borgata, Golden Nugget, Harrah’s). This one is particularly helpful because the hotels are an awkward distance apart. They’re too close to call an uber for, but too far to walk (And the walking paths are..not well marked).

Getting Tickets

Getting Jitney tickets always seemed to be the hurdle for me, but it doesn’t have to be! The process is very straightforward. You can check out your full array of payment options here, but the long and short of it is that you can pay to get on in cash ($2.50). You can also buy tickets in advance but the list of locations is…colorful. Mostly check-cashing places or a deli mart, so not my first choice. You can also use the Jitney app, which I’d recommend even if passengers have had some challenges according to the reviews.

When it comes to the best bar venues for sitting down with some friends and relaxing, the Borgata has no shortage of options. Many have a particular theme to focus on such as live entertainment, sports betting, or just having a nice view of the surrounding casino floor. Our Long Bar Borgata review takes a look at this rather unassuming little hole in the wall to find out if it’s worth your time or if you should move on to more exciting locales. Here we go!

Narrow but Fancy

Earn $40 USD and Free Nights At the Borgata With BetMGM’s Official Partner: MyVegas

Ambiance

Long Bar’s layout is small and narrow, so it can look a bit intimidating at first glance if there are plenty of patrons inside. If you have a large group with you, I’d steer clear of this one for that reason alone. Still, the smaller dimensions give it a more cozy feeling than some of the other larger, more sprawling venues that the Borgata offers.

Drink Selection

Long bar has a passable amount of drinks available, though certainly not as extensive as we like to see. Their menu contains about 12 cocktails with a bend towards the classics (Rob Roy stands out as an example). Their beer selection is decidedly sub-par, the best of which is Cape May’s Coastal Evacuation (Which runs at a steep premium of $10 USD). Wines are available as well, though I can’t speak to the quality as it isn’t our drink of choice.

Food Selection

Long Bar provides a number of snacky, pub-type appetizers on their menu, so don’t expect to grab dinner here. We have stopped in here for a quick bite before and found the pretzels to be good, though the sliders were nothing impressive, especially considering the cost ($20 USD). You can take a look at the full menu here.

Full Review Summary

While Long Bar is nicely tucked away and often flies under the radar at the Borgata (Which I like), it rarely comes up as a first choice when we visit. If the other bars are packed and Long Bar has some seats available, then have at it. Otherwise, I think you can safely skip this one.

I’ve been a big fan of craft beer ever since I was old enough to legally drink. It shouldn’t be surprising then that the Atlantic City Beer and Music Festival has been an annual staple for my wife and I. While we had to take 2020 off for obvious reasons (Pandemics are the worst), we were back in 2021 and returned in 2022 to once again see what the state of New Jersey had to offer beer fans. We also stayed at the Borgata, our favorite casino in the city. Here’s how it went!

Atlantic City Beer Festival Review

I look forward to this beer festival every year, and for good reason! Not only is it a fair excuse to spend the weekend in Atlantic City, it also brings together over 100 breweries from the region and puts them into one convenient place. Since the pandemic, the beer festival now takes place outside at Bader field, just a short (10 minute) Uber Ride from the Borgata.

Atlantic City Beer Festival Review
Nicole is always having fun!

The weather was perfect for the beer festival this year (2022). Nice and windy, just below 80 degrees, I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Seriously, go check it out if you have the chance.

Dress Up Time is Optional

Borgata Table Minimums

As always, the Borgata did not disappoint, which is probably why it’s our favorite casino in Atlantic City. Table minimums were definitely on the high side, however. Blackjack and Craps both came in at $15 per throw/hand. We came out ahead, though, which is more than anyone can hope for! Stadium Gaming is also an option for you frugal gamblers out there (hi).

Just about every smart Craps player out there knows the importance of the Odds bet, and Atlantic City is no different. It is the only bet in a casino that eliminates the house advantage (Meaning that the bet offers “true odds” and pays out accordingly) . The house knows this as well, of course, and limits how much a player can put behind their pass line bet. Given that knowledge, 100X Odds seems rather crazy then, right? Why would the casino allow the player such a huge advantage? It’s all about marketing. Casino owners would like to get as many players in as possible and hope that they play enough “dumb” bets to make up the difference.

In times past, 100x Odds Craps could only be found in a select few casinos in Atlantic City. These included the Wild West Casino and Bally’s AC (Bally’s changed hands 2 years ago. The new owners are Twin River Worldwide Holdings).

Where can I play 100X Odds Craps in Atlantic City Now?

Unfortunately, we have bad news for players on this front. Neither of these casinos offer 100X odds anymore. They’ve since lowered their maximum odds to 10x. While this is an unfortunate update, it isn’t all that surprising. A good streak at 100x odds could cost casinos a significant sum, though 10x is still very competitive for the area. Both Wild West and Bally’s also have the lowest craps minimums as well. Just about every other casino in Atlantic City will only cede 5X odds to players.