April’s Gambling Revenue Up At (Most) Atlantic City Casinos

Atlantic City casinos are heading into the busiest time of the year riding a winning streak. Once again, Atlantic City casino revenue from in-person gambling exceeded pre-pandemic levels in April.

According to data released Monday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, Atlantic City’s nine casinos reported nearly $235.3 million from table games and slots last month. That represents an increase of more than 24% from 2021 and more than 13% from 2019.

April 2022 was the sixth time since September 2021 in which monthly land-based gambling revenues collectively reported by the industry were higher than before COVID-19 forced a 107-day shut down in 2020.

NJ Casino Control Commission Chairman James Plousis noted last month was the Atlantic City casino industry’s best April in a decade.

“Regional tourism is rebounding and momentum is building for a promising start of the summer season later this month,” Plousis said Monday.

Atlantic City casino revenue going up for most of the market

As has frequently been the norm since the industry’s re-opening in July 2020, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Ocean Casino Resort are performing significantly better than pre-COVID.

Hard Rock’s $40.6 million reported last month is a nearly 74% increase over April 2019. Ocean increased in-person revenue 73% over the same time, going from $15.2 million to $26.2 million.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa continues to lead the Atlantic City market by a wide margin. The Marina District casino reported $61.6 million in revenue from tables and slots in April, a year-over-year increase of almost 60% and a 15% jump from 2019.

Land-based gambling revenue at Bally’s Atlantic City (+1.8%) and Resorts Casino Hotel (+12%) also increased in April 2022 compared to April 2019.

Casino	Table & Other	Poker	Slot Machines	Total Gaming Win
Bally’s	$5,003,408	$ –	$9,415,408	$14,418,816
Borgata	$16,964,065	$1,303,760	$43,336,023	$61,603,848
Caesars	$4,298,327	$ –	$15,897,900	$20,196,227
Golden Nugget	$1,742,904	$ –	$10,569,197	$12,312,101
Hard Rock	$13,180,550	$ –	$27,410,262	$40,590,812
Harrah’s	$3,379,226	$297,120	$19,496,056	$23,172,402
Ocean Casino	$6,161,488	$ –	$20,080,583	$26,242,071
Resorts	$3,277,115	$-	$11,049,135	$14,326,250
Tropicana	$4,300,058	$179,196	$17,948,804	$22,428,058
Total	$58,307,141	$1,780,076	$175,203,368	$235,290,585

Summer at the Jersey Shore

Year-to-date, Atlantic City casino revenue from in-person gamblers is up 24.2% and 5.4% compared to 2021 and 2019, respectively.

“We see the continuation of an overall pattern of recovery for Atlantic City’s casino operators,” said Jane Bokunewicz, faculty director of Stockon University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism.

Atlantic City casino operators are betting big on a busy summer in 2022. More than $600 million has been used or is earmarked for projects all across the city. Several Atlantic City casinos are debuting renovated hotel rooms, updated gaming floors, and new restaurants and entertainment this summer.

“With the return of warmer weather and the promise of a solid summer tourism season on the horizon, we should expect to see brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue numbers gradually increase month-to-month as we head into the peak summer season,” Bokunewicz said.

Online, sports betting add to the bag

Combined with online gambling ($136.9 million) and sports wagering ($14.6 million), total gaming revenue reported by Atlantic City casinos was nearly $386.8 million in April. According to the NJDGE, last month’s total gaming revenue increased 20.7% year over year.

Including sports wagering revenue from NJ’s licensed racetracks, statewide gambling revenue was $422.5 million last month.

Through the first four months of the year, online casino revenue has exceeded $545.3 million and is 30% higher than last year. NJ online gambling is on pace to eclipse $1 billion in annual revenue for a second consecutive year.

NJ sportsbooks continued to take a significant amount of bets in April, reporting just shy of $927 million in legal wagers. More than $863 million were bets placed online or via a mobile app, according to the state’s data.