Atlantic City casinos seem to be on a roll
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Summertime’s nearly here, and the living is getting easier for Atlantic City’s casino operators with the busiest and most profitable time of the year arriving as the industry is on a roll.
Atlantic City’s casinos saw their gambling revenue increase by 4.3 percent in May compared with a year ago, to more than $229 million. And if the shuttered Trump Taj Mahal were removed from the equation, the seven surviving casinos would have posted a 12-percent increase last month.
Figures released Wednesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement also show the continued steady rise of Internet gambling revenue in the largest online market in the country. Online gambling revenue was up more than 27 percent in May to $21 million, just below the record monthly total set in April.
The numbers show the Golden Nugget surging to the top of New Jersey’s hotly contested Internet gambling market in May, blowing past a crowded field of competitors to take the lead.
Only Bally’s saw a revenue decrease in May, and it was a minuscule decline of 0.3 percent, to $18.1 million.
The figures are the latest indication that after a brutal period of contraction in which five casinos shut down and more than 11,000 jobs were lost, the Atlantic City casino industry has regained its footing in a smaller market with less competition — at least for now.
“That’s a great start to the summer,” said Matt Levinson, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. “With all of the events planned around the city for the summer, I anticipate we will see casino revenues continue to increase.”
“The Atlantic City casino industry seems well positioned to capitalize on these positive trends,” said David Rebuck, director of Gaming Enforcement.
