Struggling Atlantic City Is Likely To Face Two New Regional Challenges

The New Jersey gambling mecca of Atlantic City has always paled in comparison to Las Vegas, but it’s not Sin City that represents the biggest threat to those East Coast casinos.

Neighboring New York has secured licenses for casinos of its own … and now there’s new competition looming from within the Garden State.

Bad news piling up

Gaming has suffered some serious setbacks across the board in the wake of the pandemic, with losses during the shutdowns compounded by the impact of reduced foot traffic in casinos over the several years since.

And Atlantic City is acutely aware of this trend. According to recent data, seven out of the resort town’s nine casinos are taking in less revenue from in-person gambling than they did prior to the COVID outbreak.

As New York plans to build up its own gaming footprint, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is sounding the alarms.

“Now more than ever, we know there’s a threat coming with New York gaming coming,” he said. “We understand the threat. We want to continue to work together to do things right to put Atlantic City in a prime position, no matter where these casinos are, that we diversify our options.”

The Meadowlands question

Casino operators and employees might be looking across the state line, but the next big threat to their revenue might be brewing in their own backyard.

According to Jeff Gural, who operates a racetrack in East Rutherford, casinos are likely to pop up in the Meadowlands shortly after New York casinos open, which means another Atlantic City alternative within the same state.

“I’m just waiting for New York to open,” he said. “People will say, ‘Why am I driving over the George Washington Bridge and paying an $18 toll and sitting in traffic to go gamble?’”

Chris Agee April 19th, 2024

Share this story: