Atlantic City casinos stayed in profit in 2025, though rising costs and growing competition are putting more pressure on the sector. The city’s nine casinos and two online-only gambling entities posted gross operating profit of $681.6 million in 2025, down 3.9% from a year earlier. For the nine casino hotels alone, profit fell 1.4% to $665.4 million.
Profit is falling even as revenue holds up better
Profit gives a clearer picture of how much money operators are really keeping. Atlantic City casinos have been dealing with higher labour and operating costs, and those costs are eating into margins even when revenue holds up better than expected. New Jersey regulators reported that 2024 gross operating profit fell 9.2% to $709.1 million, while net revenue slipped just 0.5% to $3.31 billion.
Casino companies have also said in filings that accounting changes can affect how revenue is shown. Even so, the main picture has not changed much. Atlantic City casinos are finding it harder to turn revenue into profit.
New York competition is getting closer
Atlantic City operators have warned for years about the risk of full-scale casinos in New York City. That risk now looks much more real.
New York’s Gaming Facility Location Board set out a timetable for the downstate casino process and later selected three applicants to move forward in the licensing process: Bally’s Bronx, Hard Rock Metropolitan Park and Resorts World New York City. The board has described the downstate market as one of the strongest in the country.
For Atlantic City, the concern is clear. New York City casinos would compete for many of the same regional customers, especially day-trip visitors who currently travel to New Jersey. That could make it even harder for Atlantic City operators to protect margins.
Atlantic City faces a tougher market ahead
This is not only about one weaker year. Atlantic City is moving into a more competitive market at a time when profits are already under pressure.
That gives casino operators a harder task in 2026. They need to protect margins, keep investing in their properties and hold on to customers while a new rival market takes shape just to the north.
