After starting 2023 with a bang, land-based gambling revenue from Atlantic City casinos began 2024 with a whimper.
The city’s nine casinos collectively reported $205 million in revenue from slot machines and table games in January, according to state gambling regulators.
Based on data from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, monthly in-person revenue was down 3.1% from January 2023.
Three AC casinos keep industry afloat in January
Last month’s in-person gambling revenue reports are somewhat disappointing for Atlantic City considering its strong start to 2023, when all nine casinos were up year-over-year and the entire market increased by more than 15%.
January 2024’s results could have been even worse if not for three of the city’s casinos — Golden Nugget Atlantic City (+2.3%), Hard Rock Atlantic City (+3.9%), Ocean Casino Resort (8.3%) — posting marginal year-over-year gains.
Despite a record-setting month from NJ online casinos and legal sports betting, January’s financial returns are emblematic of a yearslong trend in Atlantic City, in which only a handful of casinos are responsible for growth in the brick-and-mortar market.
Here is a breakdown of January 2024’s in-person gambling revenue reported by Atlantic City casinos:
Casino | Total Gaming Win | Table Games | Poker | Slot Machines |
---|---|---|---|---|
Borgata | $57,643,081 | $18,535,281 | $2,799,512 | $36,308,288 |
Hard Rock | $37,317,001 | $10,329,846 | --- | $26,987,155 |
Ocean Casino | $33,065,542 | $11,612,284 | --- | $21,453,258 |
Harrah's | $15,949,106 | $3,408,031 | $268,136 | $12,272,939 |
Caesars | $15,492,519 | $5,745,611 | --- | $9,746,908 |
Tropicana | $13,318,129 | $2,518,988 | $150,712 | $10,648,429 |
Golden Nugget | $11,240,595 | $1,933,267 | --- | $9,307,328 |
Resorts | $10,948,036 | $1,997,329 | --- | $8,950,707 |
Bally's | $10,070,386 | $2,791,254 | --- | $7,279,132 |
Total | $205,044,395 | $58,871,891 | $3,218,360 | $142,954,144 |
Comparing Atlantic City casinos to Nevada
Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa joins Hard Rock and Ocean as the only properties in town generating more in-person Atlantic City revenue today than before the 2020 market shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Contrast that to Nevada, where land-based gambling revenues have exploded in the post-pandemic era.
Las Vegas Strip casinos have been up yearly since 2021, including an all-time monthly high of $909.6 million in December 2023. Even local markets off the famous Strip — such as Downtown LV, Sparks, Reno and Mesquite — are continuously growing, according to state gambling data.
Nonetheless, NJ gambling officials remain optimistic. James Plousis , chairman of the Casino Control Commission, lauded last month as the second-best January result in 11 years. Both online casinos and online sports betting have helped provide a “competitive advantage” for Atlantic City operators, especially during the traditional offseason.
“The operators have invested millions of dollars adding attractions and amenities, as well as enhancing their world-class hotels, to create memorable in-person experiences for the upcoming tourism season.”