Atlantic City growth continues in April

(PRESS RELEASE) -- The Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ) today announced that Atlantic City continued to see growth in the month of April, according to the most recent Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) gaming revenue results report. Atlantic City saw gains in gaming revenue and sports betting, building upon a surge in tourism last year.

“The April 2019 DGE numbers are a promising sign of Atlantic City’s continued growth as the summer season quickly approaches,” said Kevin Ortzman, President of the Casino Association of New Jersey. “Sports betting without question has provided a major boost to the local economy, and we believe this excitement will translate into increased revenue and tourism throughout the summer.”

The DGE report released on Tuesday indicates that April gaming revenue for Atlantic City was over $250 million. This reflects a 16.9 percent increase over the same period last year. April reflects a continuation of growth for Atlantic City in 2019, marking the 11th straight month of year over year growth for the industry.

Other highlights from the DGE report include:

• Total gaming revenue in Atlantic City for 2019 is nearly $1 billion
• Online gaming revenue was over $36 million in April 2019, up 58.9 percent over April 2018
• Sports wagering revenue for Atlantic City casinos was over $6.5 million in April 2019
• The industry generated over $21 million in taxes and fees collected by the state in April 2019

The State of New Jersey is seeing tourism growth in large part thanks to Atlantic City. A new report on the 2018 Economic Impact of Tourism in New Jersey indicates the state saw a 7.4 percent growth in tourism. Atlantic County saw 20.61 million person-trips in 2018, by far the most of any county last year. The opening of two new casinos also increased economic activity in Atlantic City, increasing total room supply by 25 percent.

“Atlantic City was a key factor in New Jersey’s tourism boom in 2018, attracting new visitors to the Garden State,” said Debra P. DiLorenzo, President & CEO at Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. “The passage of sports wagering helped create new jobs, generated economic growth and provided an important boost to the casino industry. As we ready for the 2019 tourism season to begin, we are confident that Atlantic City will continue to thrive and grow.”

The casino industry continues to work to solidify the seaside resort’s comeback by diversifying Atlantic City’s offerings, as well as investing hundreds of millions of dollars in redevelopment projects and non-gaming services to attract new visitors. The industry’s efforts have advanced the revitalization of Atlantic City, transforming the city into a business conference destination and first-class resort that features great restaurants, entertainment and shopping.