Atlantic City Casinos Stumble Into Summer With June Gaming Revenue Down 1%

Atlantic City’s nine casinos wagered heavily on the 2026 summer season, collectively investing nearly $200 million in renovations and upgrades over the past year alone. As the peak tourism months get underway, those capital investments have yet to translate into stronger gaming revenue.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reports that June casino revenue was $257.3 million, or 0.7% less than in June 2025. While slot machines fared well, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) up 1.7% to $186 million, table win was down 6.4% to $71.3 million.  

Five casinos, including market leader Borgata, posted year-over-year GGR declines. Borgata’s gaming haul plunged 5.9% to $72.2 million, a difference of more than $4.5 million.

Bally’s was down 7.7%, Golden Nugget was 10.3% lower, Ocean marginally declined 0.2%, and Resorts revenue plunged 9.1%.

The winners were Caesars Entertainment’s three properties, with Harrah’s jumping 15.7%, Tropicana up 8.5%, and Caesars 8.1% higher. Hard Rock was the fourth casino in the black, though slightly at 0.9%.

Atlantic City Market

Atlantic City is bracing for new competition in the coming years when three casinos with slot machines and live dealer table games open in New York City. The impact of two casinos in Queens and one in the Bronx won’t be known for some time, but Atlantic City has invested in the forthcoming battle for customers from North Jersey and downstate New York.

While June in-person casino revenue was down slightly year-over-year, James Plousis, the chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, highlighted that the $257.3 million mark was still the second-best June result in 14 years.

Through the first half of 2026, casino win eclipsed $1.4 billion faster than any year since 2012, and with the help of statewide online gaming and sports wagering, total gaming revenue reached $3.5 billion sooner than any other year.”

New Jersey Casino Control Commission Chair James Plousis.

iGaming, as Plousis cited, again posted strong numbers in June, with online casino platforms reporting GGR of more than $271 million, or growth of $40.3 million from June 2025. Online gaming win has eclipsed in-person casino revenue for 10 consecutive months.

FanDuel, with its brick-and-mortar partner Golden Nugget, is the iGaming leader in New Jersey, accounting for $62.5 million of the June GGR. DraftKings, through a partnership with Resorts, was a distant second at $47.1 million.

Sports Betting Woes

June sportsbook revenue totaled $57.2 million, a steep 37.7% year-over-year decline, or a difference of $34.6 million. Oddsmakers are taking far fewer bets in 2026, with year-to-date handle down almost 10%, or $386.3 million.

The downfall comes despite the US hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Meadowlands in North Jersey hosting this Sunday’s final between Argentina and Spain.

Sportsbook revenue, or the amount of money kept from the bets after paying out winnings, totaled $917.2 million from January through June 2026. That’s down 7.1%, or $39 million.