Increase in Casino Revenue Persists in Atlantic City through 2025
Atlantic City, New Jersey, a major gambling, hospitality, and entertainment hub in North America, is witnessing a resurgence in its casino industry. The city's nine casinos, supported by nearly 52,000 jobs, have an economic impact of $11.88 billion.
In February 2025, the casino revenue stood at $484.8 million, marking a growth of 5.1% year-over-year. This positive trend continued into the first six months of 2025, albeit with mixed trends, as the industry showed a modest recovery compared to the declines in 2024.
After a 1.1% drop in total gross revenue retention (GRR) for 2024 relative to 2023, 2025 started with a 3% increase in January. However, February saw a downturn of 3.8% compared to the previous year. By July 2025, the nine Atlantic City brick-and-mortar casinos collectively generated $284.1 million, marking a 4.3% increase year-over-year for that month and the strongest monthly revenue for brick-and-mortar casinos so far in 2025.
Combining the first seven months, Atlantic City's casino revenue reached approximately $1.66 billion, the highest since 2013, reflecting a solid rebound in mid-2025 despite earlier struggles in late 2024 and early 2025.
The growth in revenue is attributed, in part, to newer casinos like Ocean Casino Resort and Hard Rock Atlantic City, which have contributed notably to the growth. However, older establishments still lag behind pre-pandemic figures.
Despite the positive trend in brick-and-mortar casinos, the growing dominance of online gambling revenue continues to increase significantly. In fact, online gambling revenue has surpassed physical casino revenue in recent months. For instance, in May 2025, the total iGaming revenue was $246.8 million, a year-over-year increase of 28.5%.
Sports betting revenue, however, saw a decline in July 2025, down 6.6% year-over-year, illustrating uneven performance across gaming sectors. Retail betting revenue in May 2025, on the other hand, saw a significant increase of 326.6%.
The overall New Jersey gambling industry hit record-breaking total revenues in 2025 through July, with combined revenues of $3.92 billion for all gambling categories.
In summary, Atlantic City's casino revenue for the first half and into July 2025 shows recovery and year-over-year growth compared with 2024, especially driven by newer casinos. However, the industry still faces challenges from shifting consumer habits towards online gaming.
References: [1] Atlantic City Casino Revenue Trends in 2025 [2] Atlantic City Casino Revenue in 2025: A Comprehensive Analysis [3] Atlantic City Casino Revenue Rebound in 2025 [4] Online Gambling Revenue Surpasses Physical Casino Revenue in Atlantic City [5] Atlantic City Sports Betting Revenue in 2025
