On Wednesday, Borgata Director of Poker Operations Kellie de Celis posted a farewell message, saying she’s out. According to her LinkedIn, she had spent 12 years on the job.
As a lot because it breaks my coronary heart, as we speak is formally my ultimate day with @BorgataPoker. It has been an unbelievable journey and Poker will at all times be my old flame! Thank you to MGM Resorts for giving me the chance to be the first Female Director within the firm’s historical past and in…
— Kellie deCelis (@PokerBabeBoss) October 28, 2026
Players largely reacted with shock and disappointment. Ryan Eriquezzo referred to as it a “huge loss for Borgata.” Ari Engel mentioned de Celis can be “greatly missed.”
Responses to the news were more mixed on Reddit. Some mentioned de Celis’ heavy give attention to tournaments was to the detriment of the money sport scene.
What does de Celis’ exit imply for the way forward for Borgata and its place within the East Coast poker hierarchy?
Borgata: A Rich Poker History, But A Watered-Down Present
Borgata was as soon as arguably the flagship East Coast poker site. The MGM property has a 52-table money sport room and has hosted a number of the largest tournaments within the area, together with a longtime affiliation with the World Poker Tour.
In Atlantic City, particularly, Borgata had all however taken over the native market. But an space as soon as teeming with poker, which served because the setting for iconic scenes in Rounders, is now down to only three poker rooms: Borgata, Tropicana, and Harrah’s. Borgata’s room dwarfed the others in dimension, and its tournaments had been the most important ones within the space, rivaled solely by seasonal World Series of Poker Circuit stops at Harrah’s.
Local reports paint an image of rooms which might be pretty sleepy throughout the week earlier than turning into busier on weekends. That’s a mirrored image of a number of elements, a few of that are endemic to Atlantic City at giant.
When Atlantic City was one in every of only a handful of playing locations within the U.S., it was simpler for gamers to justify the expenditure of a visit there. But the town is just not that simple to succeed in, typically requiring a flight into Philadelphia, adopted by another type of transport to get to the boardwalk.
As retail and tribal casinos have develop into extra commonplace throughout the nation, it has made progressively much less sense to leap via the hoops required to get to Atlantic City for poker. Online playing in New Jersey has been a little bit of a lifeline for the struggling resort city, however the market has slowly contracted, with 9 casinos remaining after as many as 13 as soon as operated concurrently.
That actuality has hit Borgata as properly. Despite its dominance domestically, hints of bother had cropped up with current tournaments.
Recent Tournament Series Bombed
In January, Borgata held its customary Winter Poker Open event competition. The $3,500 championship occasion sported a $3 million assure. Unfortunately for organizers, they solely tallied 895 entries. So whereas the occasion did produce greater than $3 million, that determine counts the whole monies collected, together with rake. At a roughly industry-standard rake, there would have been about $115,000 in overlay.
Borgata responded with extra conservative ensures for the principle occasions in its subsequent two festivals.
Then got here September’s Big, Big Series. Borgata tinkered with the principle occasion construction, returning to the $3 million assure however upping the buy-in to $5,300. With 519 entries, it overlayed about $250,000, together with rake. Subtract industry-standard rake, and the quantity was about $480,000.
Card Player estimates that the whole shortfall was about $740,000 all through the sequence, with 5 occasions overlaying outright and two extra overlaying as soon as rake was subtracted out.
For the upcoming Fall Poker Open, which begins subsequent week, Borgata has returned to the conservative $1 million assure and $2,700 buy-in, which produced prize swimming pools of about $1.3 million previously two runnings. However, the harm might have been accomplished, within the eyes of administration.
There’s No Reason To Think AC Is Done With Poker
While some alarmists on social media have expressed fears that Borgata is angling towards a closure of its poker site, it’s far too early to see that type of writing on the wall.
Borgata remains to be operating the aforementioned Fall Poker Open.
More importantly, poker stays part of MGM’s on-line technique going ahead. While it doesn’t produce the type of income that the net on line casino does, poker on BetMGM remains to be contributing to the corporate’s coffers. It’s on tempo to ship about $34 million in income this yr. Moreover, MGM is the market chief over the previous yr, with a few 37% share, in accordance with Card Player’s knowledge.
Giving up that type of place wouldn’t appear to make a lot sense, and abandoning poker at Borgata wouldn’t monitor with a want to stay in that place.
If something, MGM has proven alerts that it needs to proceed to put money into poker. It not too long ago employed away Jason Heidenthal from Seminole Hard Rock in Florida to develop into MGM National Harbor’s poker site director. He’s already onerous at work organizing and selling new event sequence on the Maryland property.
Competition for poker {dollars} within the Northeast has heated up these days, and extra could also be coming. Rumors have percolated a few poker site being added to Resorts World NYC, however they’ve but to manifest. Given the rising reputation of some easier-to-access rooms and the continued decline of Atlantic City, Borgata might have misplaced its place because the dominant poker site of the area. But there’s additionally little purpose to assume the room has reached the tip of its lifespan.
The image will certainly develop into clearer within the coming months if and when new hires are introduced, together with future event sequence. If that doesn’t occur, then critical concern shall be warranted.
Mo Nuwwarah is a employees author for Card Player and a extremely profitable event poker participant. Not solely has he coated the sport since 2013, however he additionally racked up north of $1 million in profession event earnings. He received a WSOP bracelet in 2024, taking down the $1,000 on-line pot-limit Omaha six-max occasion, and not too long ago added a second MSPT trophy to his assortment. He additionally owns two WSOP Circuit rings.
