Atlantic City Struggles Persist, Casino Revenue Down Almost Three Percent in April
Posted on: May 17, 2025, 09:32h.
Last updated on: May 17, 2025, 09:32h.
- Atlantic City casinos continue to struggle
- iGaming maintained its growth trajectory in April
- Oddsmakers are fielding fewer bets
Summer cannot come soon enough for the nine casinos in Atlantic City, as in-person play continues to lag behind 2024.
On Friday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement revealed that brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue (GGR), or money kept by the casinos on their slot machines and table games, amounted to $211 million. That represented a 2.7% decline from April 2024, a difference of almost $5.9 million.
Table games powered down the month, as dealers kept less than $48.8 million of players’ bets, a year-over-year loss of roughly $9.3 million. Slot revenue was up 2.1% to $162.2 million.
Through the first four months of 2025, Atlantic City casino revenue is 2% lower than it was at this time last year. Casinos pocketed $17.5 million more money from retail gamblers from January to April 2024.
Oddsmakers Struggling, Too
Legacy casino gambling isn’t the gaming sector flailing in New Jersey’s commercial gaming industry, the second richest in the country behind only Nevada. Oddsmakers are generating considerably less revenue for the casinos and their third-party operators, as many Garden State bettors have pulled back their bets.
In 2024, New Jersey sports bettors risked almost $5.2 billion from January through April. In 2025, total bets for the four months amounted to $4.2 billion.
Whether that’s because bettors have grown frustrated with sportsbooks’ poor odds compared to offshore platforms and are migrating back to unregulated ops, if inflationary and economic pressures have reined in their betting, or responsible gaming messaging is finally resonating, could be culprits.
Sportsbooks won $90.5 million off sports bettors in April, a 15% drop, or $15.7 million. Year to date, oddsmakers’ win is down 18% to $357.6 million. Books won $76.6 million more at this point in 2024.
Unstoppable iGaming
Atlantic City and sportsbooks labor, but the state’s many online casinos continue to prosper.
iGaming win, inclusive of online slots, table games, and poker rake, totaled $235.2 million, a surge of 25%. Online casino GGR was $47.2 million richer. Year to date, iGaming revenue is north of $908.4 million, up 21%, or over $157.7 million.
Summer Season
Summer is Atlantic City’s busy season, as many visitors arrive from Philadelphia, North Jersey, and New York. The casino town thinks 2025 will be better than 2024, as beach restoration projects on the northern end of the Boardwalk have returned ample space for sunbathing.
James Plousis, who heads the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, says another draw for Atlantic City guests is the casinos’ thousands of workers who provide exceptional service.
Tourists who visit Atlantic City receive first-class service from dedicated workers in the casino hotels,” Plousis told Casino.org. “Last week, I attended the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority’s ‘Host Awards,’ which acknowledged team members who provide exemplary service and outstanding hospitality. The enthusiasm of that celebration was remarkable and it foreshadows a promising summer season.”
With New York set to soon decide where three multibillion-dollar casinos with slot machines, live dealer table games, and sports betting will operate, the next two or three summers are critical to Atlantic City establishing its ability to compete with the forthcoming properties that will surely keep some Atlantic City regulars closer to home.
Last Comment ( 1 )
All the AC casinos should be scared because they are NOT promoting and marketing people to make a trip there. They use to have buses from PA everyday with the best incentives as a good voucher, free play off the purchase price of the ticket of bus fare so maybe you would make trip 1-2 times a week…most people going 2 times a week have at least $250 budget if not more so the incentive given pays for itself..now the MARTZ BUS goes on Saturday only in the summer months… the casinos need to work deals out with the bus companies for these day trips because they pay for themselves and generate the volume of people needed at brick and mortar. They also need to stop nickel and dimeing to death…Golden Nugget charges an 18% gratuity and a service fee for TAKEOUT.. gratuity is a “thank you” for great service not handing a bag to someone and unfortunately the person is guaranteed the tip and now it seems they don’t care about if everything is in the bag….napkins….utensils etc. which is very poor customer service…and you do not want to go back. The casinos job by these big wigs is to promote guests to WANT to come to the brick and mortar and yes …right now online is succeeding over in-person due to no added expenses that the gambler incurs but that can soon end too if they are on a constant losing streak…what I think that NJ casinos have forgotten is that they need to romance and entice people (in volumes) to come to the casinos…use their budgets to go to the restaurants and play slots or tables and to have a good time at least a percentage of the trips so they want to return and feel they got their bank for the buck. That is marketing and it is their jobs to compete with other casinos and attract the business because you get more with volume. That means food and buffet offers…comp rooms and free play…player tier incentives and this seems to be a lost service of the Atlantic City Casinos…and that is why you read constant reviews that people will not return to AC…no comps…no wins…no fun. The writing is on the wall if the top management does not get their act together! MMP