Atlantic City casinos saw an increase in gaming revenue in April, and experts say the momentum will keep on rolling once two new casinos open in less than two months. The Division of Gaming Enforcement released figures Monday showing total gaming revenue for April was $214.4 million, up 1.3% as compared to April 2017.
With the highly anticipated opening of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Ocean Resort scheduled for June 28, experts say the inpouring of visitors will keep those numbers moving up, despite adding competition to the market. “I think the momentum is definitely going to continue,” said Rummy Pandit, Executive Director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University.
“With these two casinos opening up, there’s going to be a huge influx of people wanting to see what these properties are bringing to the marketplace,” Pandit said. Pandit says the strength of the Hard Rock entertainment brand along with Ocean Resort’s affiliation with Hyatt hotel chain are enough to keep visitors frequenting Atlantic City. “We are looking at two market segments that are set to visit us and they are very distinct. The Hard Rock is music centric, while Ocean Resort is known for leisure and high-end meeting and conference crowds. They both will bring a new type of clientele,” Pandit said.