Casinos in Atlantic City are aiming for major new project in 2023, finally getting back on track after the COVID pandemic struck nearly three years ago.
The new year plans include multiple upgrades at several land-based casinos as well as the long-awaited Water Park, which will be open throughout the year next to the Showboat hotel.
Earlier this month, CEASE has urged Phil Murphy to end smoking at Atlantic City Casinos by 15 April 2023, which could reveal more major changes.
“I’m looking forward to the new year, we’re past COVID now,” said president of the city’s casino workers union, Bob McDevitt. “Our industry has survived that, and with that kind of momentum growing, it could be a good year for the residents of the city and for the casinos.”
Stating that he is fairy optimistic, Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino said “In 2022 we were buffeted by a difficult economy and very high inflation, and we’re beginning to see that come down,”
Aiming to Exceed Pre-COVID Levels
For the nine land-based casinos in AC, the main goal remains to win more from in-person gamblers. In 2019 (pre-COVID), casinos managed to win $2.47 billion within the first 11 months of the year. While the same period of 2022 reached $2.56 billion.
While keeping gaming fairness at a peak, casinos are aiming to apply various upgrades to experience in and around casinos. Caesars Casino aims to include new hotel rooms, a restaurant, and various other projects revolving around entertainment. These upgrades are expected at three of their establishments in the city.
Other upgrade projects include a new $30 million live entertainment project at Hard Rock. Casino floor and hotel upgrades to the value of $10 million is expected at Resorts Casino, while Golden Nugget aims for multi-million dollar renovations on the infrastructure and hotel rooms.
Aiming for various upgrades, Ocean will include seven additional hotel floors and a private helipad. And finally, as mentioned, the Showboat Hotel is going forward with a $100 million project to launch the indoor Water Park, which is set to open by the Memorial Day weekend.
Strong Headwinds are Expected for AC Land-Based Casinos in 2023
Faced by various challenges, the road ahead is bound to challenging in 2023 for land-based casinos.
Online casinos are showing incredible growth in New Jersey, further boosted by lockdowns and the closure of land-based casinos in the state. Many casinos are also concerned about the possible ban of smoking as the legislation has been pending for over a year.