The month of May was a good one for casino operators in Atlantic City. It seems the economic recovery is in full swing, after months of doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The nine operating casinos in the city were able to generate over $213 million from slots and table games. Last month was the highest revenue total for the casinos since the virus shutdown.
Individual Operator Numbers
The market leader was Borgata, once again taking the number one spot in the land-based gambling sector. The company generated just over $48.6 million for the month. Slots brought in the majority of earnings; total just over $34.1 million. Table games came in at $13.1 million.
The Hard Rock Atlantic City came in second, earning $34.9 million. Slot games generated $25.4 million while table games provided $9.4 million. For the Borgata, the operator has been able to secure a nice lead above the competitors and it does not look like they will lose the top spot anytime soon.
Ocean Casino pulled in the third-place finish, seeing a huge turnaround over the past few months since opening a few years ago. The brand generated $19.4 million in slots and $5.1 in table game earnings to pull just over $24.6 million for the month. Both Hard Rock and Ocean have seen major growth over the past few months, which has been tremendous considering where they started, with less than $1 million in monthly earnings in the very beginning.
Close behind Ocean is Caesars, bringing in $22.4 million for May. Just over $15.2 million was provided via slot gameplay while table games generated $7.1 million. Nearing Caesars is Harrah’s, with $21.5 million in earnings.
Lower down the list is Tropicana with $19.9 million in earnings and Resorts with $15.3 million. Rounding out the numbers is the Golden Nugget with $13.1 million and Bally’s with $12.3 million.
Will the Recovery Process Continue?
Now that casinos are offering full-service options and there are no longer strict regulations in place, it seems travelers are visiting more than ever. For months, Atlantic City suffered from low tourism numbers, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Players just were not ready to travel to a facility that thrives on social interaction.
Over the past few months, vaccination efforts have increased, and people seem to be more willing to travel now. For those who took the virus seriously, being vaccinated changes everything. Many people did not feel comfortable going outside the home for dinner, much less visiting a casino with high touchpoints.
With some measures still in place at Atlantic City, such as cleaning protocols, travelers now feel better about visiting. The summer months should be a busy time for the nine casinos as people will be traveling for weekend getaways and vacation.
The June totals will give a better indication of the recovery process. Was May just a fluke or is the casino gaming industry finally about to see a major turnaround? Hopefully, May was the start of a full economic recovery and casinos in Atlantic City will continue to bring in revenues, and getting back to normal totals, such as those seen pre-pandemic.