Union’s President Calling on Officials to Address Atlantic City Casino Visitor Decline

After recent revenue reports showed a visitor decline at Atlantic City’s brick-and-mortar casino resorts, the city’s largest casino workers union and the Casino Association of New Jersey have called on the city and state officials to urgently address the issue. The crucial segment for the land-based casino industry is also a key driver of the city’s tourism economy, as Press of Atlantic City (PAC) reports, and the casino industry representatives request immediate action.

Reduced Number of Land-Based Visits:

”Alarm bells should be ringing in Atlantic City and in Trenton,” Donna DeCaprio, president of Unite Here Local 54, reportedly said after the state Division of Gaming Enforcement released the February 2024 gaming revenue result on March 15.

On April 3, DeCaprio said that the reduced number of visitors reported for Atlantic City’s land-based gambling facilities “confirms what those of [them] have been warning about over the past year — that attendance in [their] brick-and-mortar buildings is going in the wrong direction,”  PAC reports. “It is incredibly troubling to see that six of the nine gaming properties have posted declines of casino-win compared to February 2023 and year-to-date compared to 2023.”

Union President Calling on City and State:

The Unite Here Local 54 union reportedly represents more than 10,000 casino workers in Atlantic City. The union’s president recognizes the recent downward trend as an issue that should be dealt with not only by the industry but also by city and state authorities, as the reduced visits to casinos may reflect in the number of tourist visits to the city and the state.

“As lawmakers continue to proceed with the annual state budget process, representatives in the New Jersey Legislature must understand the perilous economic situation at hand for my members, and indeed all workers in Atlantic City,” DeCaprio reportedly stated. “Not only is the overall in-person revenue troubling — but the size of the declines at some of the individual properties portends some serious instability for thousands of workers. The legislators need to take this into consideration as they consider policies that could compound the downward trends.”

1.6% y-o-y Casino Revenue Decline:

According to the state report that prompted the casino industry stakeholders’ reaction, Atlantic City’s nine land-based casinos generated $211.6 million in gross gaming revenues in February 2024, 1.6% less than in the same month of 2023. On the other hand, online gaming service providers reached $182.3 million revenue level, almost 28% higher than the one seen in February 2023, as reported by PAC.

Key City Economy Driver:

The same source reports that casino officials and state lawmakers share DeCaprio’s opinion. Mark Giannantonio, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, said that DeCaprio’s observations align with the casino industry’s view on the matter. Giannatonio reportedly said that the industry has also been pointing to the matter for  “quite some time” and called on the city and the state to deal with these important issues for the city’s economy.

“This is not the time to enact laws, such as a full smoking ban, that will further erode customer visitation and revenues to our properties,” Giannantonio reportedly stated. “It is time for the City of Atlantic City and the State of New Jersey, in its oversight capacity over the City, to address the issues that are preventing economic growth and develop solutions that will increase visitation to Atlantic City.”

Reduced Visitor Issue Pending Solution:

Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, agreed with DeCaprio’s views, noting that the problem has been pending solution for quite a while. Polistina said the “alarm bells” have been ringing for years now, “but some in the city choose to sleep right through them.”

As reported, Polistina stated: “Without safety, cleanliness and lighting, the city will continue to lose tourists along with brick-and-mortar revenue. The city has never been in a more precarious situation than it is right now, given that many parts of the city look worse than they ever have, and the city has essentially bankrupted the CRDA.”

The ball seems to be in the city’s field now, waiting for the Atlantic City officials to develop the game strategy.