They must have gotten lost in the mail. I never got the multiple invitations to the lavish New Year’s Eve parties that every casino throws for its best players. Darn! I guess I’m on my own again.

   If you’re in the same boat, there are plenty of places in Atlantic City where you can ring in 2010 with style. Two that I know of are even free.

   The Tropicana is holding a party in the Fiesta Plaza of The Quarter. There’ll be a countdown to midnight, dance music, and they’ll and out hats and noisemakers. It’s absolutely free, and a LOT warmer than Times Square.

   Another freebie is in the atrium lobby at Trump Marina. It’s the same kind of deal. There will be plenty of dancing and the countdown until midnight.

   If you want a little more, just about every casino, nightclub and restaurant in town is having a party. Costs range from about $50 for a dance party with a semi-well-known DJ and a champagne toast at midnight to hundreds of dollars for gourmet meals. Check the two free weekly papers, At the Shore and Atlantic City Weekly for the ads.

   One warning. If you want to spend the night of December 31 in Atlantic City, or even a nearby town, be prepared to spend beaucoup bucks for the privilege unless you’re a bona fide high roller. Most casinos will be booked solid with their premium players, and those with rooms available will charge $500 or more. Even the cheaper motels on the roads leading into town will charge abut $200. So crash with a local friend or prepare to drive home when the party’s over. 

   And please don’t drive if you’ve had too much to drink, or you’ll soon regret it. Every cop in the county will be out on the road looking for drunks, and a DUI ticket, or even worse, a wreck, will give your New Year a lousy start.

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