Atlantic City Report Projects More Than 8,100 Casino Job Losses and $1.3 Billion Revenue Decline by 2035
According to a recent economic report released by the Atlantic County Economic Alliance, Atlantic City could lose more than 8,100 casino jobs and nearly $1.3 billion in annual revenue over the next decade due to rising regional competition. Revenue declines might top 44% if multiple competitive threats emerge simultaneously. Economic planners recommend prioritizing non gaming tourism and infrastructure improvements.
SCCG Take — The projections illustrate Atlantic City casinos’ vulnerability to competitive expansion in adjacent jurisdictions and digital channels.
Atlantic City could lose more than 8,100 casino jobs and nearly $1.3 billion in annual revenue over the next decade due to rising regional competition. An economic report by the Atlantic County Economic Alliance outlines these risks and positions the findings as a planning tool for local and state officials.
The study projects that such job losses would represent more than one third of current casino employment in the municipality. Revenue declines might top 44% if multiple competitive threats emerge at once. This scale of disruption would match the industry crisis between 2013 and 2016 when five properties closed.
Baseline Projections and Identified Pressures
Under a baseline scenario that excludes proposed expansion in North Jersey, the coastal hub still faces potential reductions of 5,100 jobs and nearly $815 million in annual gaming revenue by 2035. The report identifies five specific pressures: the development of three downstate New York City casino licenses, potential gaming expansion in North Jersey, persistent inflation, a shift toward online gambling, and a proposed full scale convention center at the Meadowlands.
Approximately seven in ten casino workers live in neighboring South Jersey communities. This concentrates the potential disruption across Atlantic County. As detailed by This Week in Gambling, the combined effects could ripple through suppliers, contractors, and state programs funded by casino revenues.
Mitigation Pathways Ahead
Economic planners recommend prioritizing non-gaming tourism, strengthening meetings and conventions, and making infrastructure improvements throughout Atlantic City. Representatives from the Casino Association of New Jersey emphasized that state policymakers must plan for competitive impacts before job reductions occur. They noted that casino revenues fund key state programs for seniors and disabled residents while secondary sectors rely on stable operations.
Reporting: This Week in Gambling
Generated by SCCG’s automated editorial system from published source reporting. SCCG Management holds editorial responsibility.
Atlantic City's casino economy is under siege from every direction — New York, North Jersey, online, and Meadowlands expansion.
This is the canary in the coal mine for legacy gaming markets everywhere. We've worked across every regulated U.S. jurisdiction, and the pattern is clear: regional expansion and digital migration hollow out older hubs fast. Atlantic City survived 2013–2016, but this wave hits from four sides at once. Operators and suppliers anchored there need Plan B now.
- Baseline scenario: 5,100 jobs and $815M revenue lost by 2035 even without North Jersey expansion
- Worst case stacks NYC licenses, North Jersey gaming, online shift, and Meadowlands convention center — 44% revenue decline
- Seven in ten casino workers live in South Jersey; economic damage concentrates regionally beyond the Boardwalk
SCCG angle: SCCG has deep relationships across the Northeast gaming corridor and the online ecosystem reshaping it. We help Atlantic City stakeholders identify diversification plays — non-gaming entertainment partnerships, digital pivots, and market repositioning — and connect investors to the expansion opportunities pulling revenue away. We bridge both sides of this shift.
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