Former owner of Atlantic City Ocean Resort Casino, Bruce Deifik, dies in a car crash

Bruce Deifik, the Colorado property developer who ran Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort for six months, died Sunday in Colorado. He was driving home from a Colorado Rockies baseball game in his hometown of Denver when he died in a car crash, his attorney Paul O’Gara said. The Denver Police Department confirmed a traffic fatality Sunday in which a motorist had an “apparent medical condition” and swerved over two lanes of traffic before crashing into a light pole. An official cause of death is pending a medical examination.

“We are saddened to learn that Bruce Deifik, former owner of Ocean Casino Resort, has passed away,” said Diane Spiers, a spokeswoman for the property, via email Monday. “The Ocean family is grateful for Bruce having the vision to reopen this beautiful oceanfront property and employing over 3,000 members of our community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Deifik, 64, was the face of Ocean Resort, where he would often be seen on the casino floor interacting with guests and employees. His likeness was plastered on promotional gaming dollars, known as “Bruce’s Bucks,” during the initial days of the casino’s opening. He and his wife, Nancy, maintained a temporary residence in a top-floor suite; the family had no comment Monday, as reported by Press of Atlantic City.

Deifik’s effort at resurrecting the former Revel Casino was part of the city rebirth drive last year, as Ocean and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino raced to open in the summer of 2018, with a June opening that included celebrity appearances from Mark Wahlberg and Jamie Foxx at Ocean. But while popular, the property failed to generate enough profits to satisfy investors. Allegations of sexual harassment and mounting debt led to his exit as investors took control of the property in mid-January.

Deifik and his company AC Ocean Walk LLC paid USD 229 million for Ocean Resort in January 2018, purchasing the former Revel Casino Hotel from Florida-based real estate developer Glenn Straub. Under his control, the property, which had been closed since 2014 after only two years of operation, reopened on June 27 along with Hard Rock.

But Ocean struggled to gain a significant market share among Atlantic City’s nine properties. In February, state gaming regulators revealed Ocean had lost nearly USD 23 million in the final months of 2018 and that the property was not in compliance with strict financial conditions.

Deifik left the business with a USD 25 million lawsuit from nightclub operator Joey Morrissey looming. Morrissey contended that Deifik forced him out so he wouldn’t have to cut him in for a share of the casino if he managed to sell it before departing.

In mid-January, Luxor Capital Group, a New York-based hedge fund which had financed a significant portion of Deifik’s original investment, assumed control of Ocean Resort. A trustee is overseeing the property until the ownership transfer is completed, something that could happen within the next few weeks.