New York Casinos Threaten Atlantic City: Should Slots Be Allowed at The Meadowlands?
Posted on: December 3, 2025, 09:47h.
Last updated on: December 3, 2025, 10:15h.
- New Jersey lawmakers are mulling slots in North Jersey
- New York has approved three casinos in NYC
- The NY casinos threaten Atlantic City
New York greenlit three downstate casinos this week, with one in the Bronx and two in Queens. The three projects, totaling a combined investment of $17.5 billion, greatly threaten the future of Atlantic City.
After decades of struggle and a pandemic, Atlantic City has only recently stabilized. All nine casino properties are profitable, with in-person gaming revenue from slots and table games totaling $2.44 billion, up 3.4% year over year, through October.
Atlantic City’s most important feeder markets are North Jersey and lower New York. With Resorts World New York City near JFK International transitioning from a racino with video lottery terminals and electronic table games to a traditional Las Vegas casino, Hard Rock bringing a gaming resort complex to the Mets’ Citi Field in Queens, and Bally’s prepping a casino in the Bronx at Ferry Point, Atlantic City’s outlook could be grim.
Some New Jersey lawmakers believe the solution is to allow casinos, or, at the very least, slot machines, in North Jersey. The Meadowlands would be an ideal site, those proponents say, and could help keep some gaming money inside the Garden State.
Racino Resolution
New Jersey Sen. Joe Pennacchio (R-Morris, Passaic) has been fighting to allow slot machines in North Jersey since the 2014-15 legislative session. With the downstate New York casinos approved, time is becoming of the essence to authorize racinos at state horse racetracks.
New York is charging ahead with three new casinos while New Jersey sits on its hands and watches our gaming revenue drift across the river. It’s unacceptable,” Pennacchio said.
“A Meadowlands racino would be an immediate economic engine for our state, yet leaders refuse to act. I’m renewing my call for racinos because New Jersey can’t afford to keep falling behind while our neighbors eat our lunch,” the deputy Republican leader continued.
The 2026 legislative session begins January 13 and runs through the end of the year.
During the previous session, Pennacchio’s Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 14, co-sponsored with Sen. Joseph Cryan (D-Union), proposed slots at horse racetracks. The statute, which stalled in the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation Committee, would have allocated 30% of the state’s tax money from the racino slots to the Atlantic City casinos. An additional 7% would have been set aside for “programs dedicated for the purposes of the recovery, stabilization, or improvement of the city of Atlantic City.”
Casino Bill
Pennachio’s racino bill won’t be the only North Jersey gambling bill in Trenton come January. Sens. Vin Gopal (D-Monmouth) and Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), two Democrats representing counties where they seek to allow slot machines and table games, are likely to reintroduce their concurrent resolution to allow casinos at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park.
State voters have the final say on whether any form of casino gambling expands outside of Atlantic City. A legislative-led constitutional referendum would need a simple majority support of a statewide referendum to amend the New Jersey Constitution.
Last Comments ( 2 )
NJ voters have turned down North Jersey casinos by more than 3/4's of voters the last time it was proposed, so any second attempt will also likely be met with the same opposition. When 3 new casinos open in New York, a few things will likely happen in Atlantic City. I would expect that Ballys which has struggled with profitability would be the first casualty. Then, given Caesars operates 3 casinos in the city, I bet one of them would be shut down. The closure of 2 possible 3 AC casinos would keep those that remain afloat. I also believe that Union efforts to end smoking in designated areas of AC properties will be silenced. Players from North Jersey and New York will still go to AC if they smoke if NYC properties open as non smoking venues. Let's also keep in mind the airport in Atlantic City. Properties will benefit from AC International, which I am sure sees it's share of business with high end players. Last, but not least, AC still has that narrow strip of sand they call a beach and the boardwalk, Steel Pier and whatever goes on at the Showboat for alternative entertainment options in the summer months that will still attract a decent amount of family business. Those families need rooms to stay in and restaurants to dine in, so the boardwalk casino properties will benefit. So bottom line, NYC casinos will take some of the icing off the AC cake, and will cost AC 2 or maybe 3 casinos. That said, for the properties that survive there will still be a market that will keep them going. It's not the end of the world for AC. And who knows, if AC could ever elect leadership that is focused on actually improving the city instead of personal power and enrichment, maybe new development would take place to enhance the overall appeal of the city.
Why not just develop an entire integrated resort at that site? There is enough room. But that will certainly be the end of Atlantic City.