Atlantic City casino operating profits fall 9.3 per cent in the second quarter
Analysts attributed the drop in profitability to inflationary costs for labour, energy and goods,
US.- In the second quarter of 2026, Atlantic City’s nine casinos generated an operating profit of $162.4m. That’s 9.3 per cent decrease from Q2 last year, according to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. While all nine properties were profitable, only Ocean Casino Resort and Caesars Atlantic City saw a rise in operating profit compared to the second quarter of 2025.
Brian Tyrrell, faculty director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University, attributed the drop in profitability to inflationary costs for labour, energy and goods, a higher tax burden on internet gaming and online sports wagering, and the rising expense of attracting patrons through complementary rooms, food, entertainment and promotional credits.
He said: “The second quarter of 2026 release from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement illustrates once again that revenue at Atlantic City casinos does not always translate to profitability. Even allowing for seasonal variation, there appears to be a clear trend in declining GOP even as the relatively mature integrated casino resort market in Atlantic City has produced steady net earnings year over year. This relationship between earnings and profits suggests that something more complex is happening.”
