Atlantic City Beach Erosion Threatens Destination’s Defense of NYC Casinos
Posted on: June 29, 2026, 01:32h.
Last updated on: June 29, 2026, 01:32h.
- Atlantic City’s beaches are considered the resort’s biggest advantage against future New York City casinos, but severe erosion is shrinking the shoreline
- Casino operators say the loss of beach in front of Resorts, Hard Rock, and Ocean is hurting tourism and business despite a nearly $40 million restoration project completed last year
- With New York casinos expected to intensify competition, Atlantic City leaders warn that protecting the beach is critical to the resort’s long-term appeal
The Atlantic City beach is considered the New Jersey casino town’s greatest defense in fending off the forthcoming gaming competition in New York City. There’s only one problem: the sand continues to erode along much of the Boardwalk.
The 2026 summer was supposed to be Atlantic City’s best since COVID-19.
Many millions of dollars have been invested in upgrades and renovations to the nine casinos, and the nearly $40 million sand restoration project on the northern end of the Boardwalk was completed last year. However, the beach restoration project, which included moving 1.2 million cubic yards of sand, has reportedly failed.
The Press of Atlantic City reports that much of the transplanted sand has washed away into the Atlantic Ocean, greatly narrowing the beach in front of the Resorts, Hard Rock, and Ocean casinos.
Beaches Needed
In the coming years, New York City will have three full-scale casinos with slot machines and live dealer table games. Resorts World, Metropolitan Park, and Bally’s Bronx are expected to poach some play from Atlantic City, as the New Jersey casino town has for decades relied on customer traffic from New York.
Analysts believe Atlantic City’s best defense against the downstate New York gaming market is its ocean, with its beachfront setting being a major draw for families. Queens and the Bronx don’t have that luxury, but there are growing concerns about the beach on the northern part of the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
Beach erosion has hit the northern inlet end of Absecon Island harder than the wider beaches to the south. Because the beach is part of these businesses’ product, a washed-out shoreline undercuts their seaside appeal and limits the attractions,” said George Goldhoff, president of Hard Rock Atlantic City and of the Casino Association of New Jersey.
“Leadership executives at Resorts, Ocean, and Hard Rock have taken the case directly to federal, state, county, and local officials, laying out the economics and documenting how the lack of beach is hurting operations — a sign that this is a concrete business threat, not an abstract environmental worry,” Goldhoff continued.
Further down the Boardwalk, Caesars is all-in on the 2026 beach season. The casino resort, for the first time in its nearly 50 years in business, opened a beach club earlier this month.
North Beach Issues
Atlantic City’s beaches are eroding due to a combination of factors, including rising sea levels, increasingly frequent coastal storms, and the natural vulnerability of its geographic shape.
The northern end of the Atlantic City beach is a natural bottleneck where ocean currents aggressively strip away sand faster than in other parts farther south.
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