Bally’s Atlantic City Unprofitable Through First Half of 2025
Posted on: August 23, 2025, 08:26h.
Last updated on: August 23, 2025, 08:26h.
- Bally’s Atlantic City has not been profitable in 2025
- Bally’s is the only casino in AC losing money this year
- Q3, however, has been strong for the New Jersey casino town
The future of Bally’s Atlantic City remains murky after the Boardwalk casino resort revealed it lost money running the place through the first six months of 2025.
On Friday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) posted second-quarter and half-year net revenue and gross operating profits for the nine casinos in Atlantic City. While all were profitable during the April through June period, most casinos showed their profit margins shrinking year-over-year.
Bally’s profit of just $2.3 million represented a 14.7% drop from Q2 2024, though the period was a substantial improvement on Q1.
For the year, Bally’s remains in the red, with an operating loss of $896,000 for the six months. Bally’s gross operating profit, which the DGE says is a “widely accepted measure of profitability in the Atlantic City gaming industry,” has plummeted 439%.
Gross operating profits are before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, affiliate charges, and other miscellaneous items.
Bally’s Struggles
The New Jersey DGE reports additionally show that Bally’s is accommodating far fewer guests and getting far less money per room.
In 2024, Bally’s 1,121 guestrooms were occupied 62% of the time on an average nightly rate of $154. Through six months of 2025, those same guestrooms were occupied just 55% of the time at an average rate of $142.
Bally’s net revenue in 2025 through six months, inclusive of gaming, rooms, food and beverage, totaled $90.6 million. That’s down 7.7% from a year ago. By comparison, market leader Borgata reported net revenue of $385.1 million. Hard Rock was at $284.7 million, and Ocean was at $243.1 million.
With additional competition soon coming by way of downstate New York, Bally’s needs a quick turnaround. It’s a bet few would likely want to make on the aged, tired property.
Positive Elsewhere
While Q2 showed tightening profit lines for most of the casinos down the shore, the outliers being Borgata with a profit increase of 16% and Ocean Casino with a profit surge of 67.9%, the report represents the springtime period before Atlantic City experienced a summer comeback.
Gaming revenue this summer has soared, with brick-and-mortar casinos reporting year-over-year gains in May, June, and July.
Even before the summer surge, eight of the nine properties were profitable, with the eight managing to bridge the Bally’s gap to report a 1% industrywide profit gain on the prior year’s six months. The casinos have gotten creative in limiting overhead and increasing margins, as revenue during the first half was flat.
All operators were profitable, despite continuing pressure from higher costs for the goods and services they purchase,” said James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
Plousis said the $179.9 million Q2 profit was the second-best second quarter in four years.
“Quarterly results from the spring season, coupled with July’s strong monthly figures released last week, reveal that Atlantic City has been competing well for regional gaming and leisure tourists. The casino hotels have raised the bar for positive visitor experiences, with more than $1.1 billion reinvested over the past four years to elevate the properties with first-class gaming, leisure, dining, and entertainment,” Plousis added.
Last Comments ( 10 )
I heard that Bally's appointed a new general manager at Bally's Atlantic City on October 1, 2024. Who knew? Good luck trying to find those details anywhere.
If Bally's Atlantic City struggles like this, how can Bally's expect their permanent Bally's Chicago casino hotel to be truly successful when it opens in 2027? Oh, didn't the City of Chicago contractually require them to open by September 2026? Is that delay a matter of concern for the leaders of the Windy City? Ask them. Expect silence. They do not want to mention unforeseen circumstances.
Bally's AC ain't a casino, it's a fixed game. If you lose, you lose. And if you win, you still lose - sometimes $2.5 million. (Moreover, AC is a moist dump compared to Vegas. And it's a sh-t sandwich kinda deal that the local kommissars choose to run AC like a kleptocracy in the 70s, 80s, 90s, etc., rather than investing to make it a "Vegas East".)
Ric, most if not all casinos void payouts due to malfunction. It's stamped on the the machines.
Aren’t they also supposed to be bidding for that new casino in Da Bronx too? They’re aligned with corrupt mayor Eric Adams who has set the stage for NYCs next mayor?
In addition to the boondoggles already mentioned, perhaps Bally's management is too distracted by its proposal for a multi-billion dollar casino in the Bronx to care about what happens at its other properties....
Wait, wait, WAIT ... Vegas now offers quad-zero roulette?! Weak. Might as well make every slot on the wheel a green zero and rename the game from Roulette to Suckas. ... Anyway, back on topic. ... Bally's has a tough niche to fill. It's not quite a low-end joint (and a couple other AC casinos already are) and it can't compete on luxury. It doesn't have the player database of larger companies, can't rely on being a Caesars Palace sidekick anymore, and -- with 5 other oceanfront casinos as neighbors -- is not an unique location. Maybe there's a nostalgia play to make, or catering to locals on a staycation.
Why would anyone play at a casino that declares a jackpot invalid due to an alleged machine malfunction?
So a company that either won't, or can't afford to, invest in an existing property wants us to believe that it will deliver a billion-dollar casino in Chicago, as well as a billion-dollar replacement for the Tropicana in Las Vegas, both on-time and on budget? I'm think I have better chances at making money at the new Quad-Roulette (that's FOUR zero's) tables at the Palazzo than believing the cow-cookies assurances from Bally's!!
Yeah Devin, but it's gonna be all sunshine and daffodils for Bally's when Bally's Chicago opens in 2027. They are going to have a brand-new 500-room hotel tower. Just think of the hundreds of Bally's Chicago casino patrons who will now have a place to sleep at night. It'll be difficult to find a vacancy at Bally's Chicago on weekends. They will follow a 180-degree opposite team member training plan than Bally's AC. Their resultant 5-star reviews will greatly help accelerate their incoming monthly casino revenue in the Windy City. Or perhaps not.