The large, expansive beaches that were open for play during the July 4th holiday last year delighted casinos, their patrons, and the general public. The city has a sizable beach for the important Independence Day weekend for the first time in three years. However, most of that sand has already disappeared from the northern portion of the beach a year later. The majority of the sand in front of Ocean Casino Resort and Showboat Resort Atlantic City has been eroded away by persistent erosion according to officials.