Atlantic City has been dealing with a homelessness epidemic, which has had side effects on the city’s brick-and-mortar casinos as unhoused individuals seek shelter on their premises. Tropicana Atlantic City has been the only casino to publicly voice its frustration with the matter.
VP of casino operations, Chris Downey, told the Press of Atlantic City that his property is “completely overrun,” and that security has been removing roughly 20 people a day from the premises.
PlayNJ reached out to other Atlantic City casinos to ask whether they’re experiencing a similar situation. Hard Rock Atlantic City was the only property to respond, saying it was “unable to comment.”
A.C. homeless population displaced by encampment dismantlement
Atlantic City had been known for its homeless encampments underneath the boardwalk. Dozens of people were able to set up makeshift lodging with beds, heaters and hot plates.
However, back in September, Atlantic City officials ordered to break up the encampments under the boardwalk, according to the New York Times. From that point on, the affected people have been seeking shelter elsewhere. That may be contributing to the problems experienced by the casinos.
The encampments had their share of problems as well. The New York Times reported that a fire had killed a 67-year-old man before the dismantling. It’s also possible that the encampment was related to a fire that began under the boardwalk in November 2023 that impacted Resorts Atlantic City.
Homelessness has been a longstanding issue for Atlantic City, which appears to be getting worse. The Monarch Housing Associates reported that there were 326 homeless people in Atlantic County in 2021. That has increased to 427 in 2024.
Of those 427, 168 were without shelter, and that was before the boardwalk encampment had been disassembled.
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