Atlantic City Casino Workforce Faces Risk of Losing Over 8,100 Jobs

Atlantic City’s physical casino industry could see more than 8,100 casino-hotel jobs and nearly $1.3 billion in annual revenue placed at risk by 2035, according to an economic assessment released by the Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA). Titled The Greater Atlantic City Casino-Hotel Employment Exposure Assessment, the study details a set of compounding pressures – including new regional casino expansion, shifting consumer preferences toward digital gaming, and persistent macroeconomic headwinds – that threaten South Jersey’s hospitality sector.

Exposure Scenarios and Market Pressures

Authored by Dr. Max Slusher, Director of Business Development for the ACEA, the assessment evaluates multiple planning cases to establish potential economic exposure through 2035 rather than delivering a single static forecast.

Under the report’s baseline scenario – which excludes potential in-state casino developments in North Jersey – Atlantic County faces an estimated exposure of 5,105 casino-hotel jobs and $814.6 million in physical casino revenue. However, under a comprehensive stress scenario that incorporates three planned downstate New York City commercial casinos alongside potential North Jersey developments at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, total regional job exposure increases to more than 8,100 positions, alongside $1.8 billion in lost regional economic output.

The findings arrive as physical casino employment in Atlantic City sits at a nine-year low. Direct employment across the city’s nine resort properties dropped to 21,172 jobs in April 2026, falling below the pandemic-era level recorded in April 2021.

Disparity in Employment Impact Between Digital and Physical Gaming

A core finding of the report outlines the structural shift in gaming behavior from physical casino floors to online platforms. In 2025, New Jersey online gaming revenue reached $2.91 billion, surpassing Atlantic City’s physical casino revenue of $2.89 billion for the first time.

While digital gaming generates substantial tax revenue for the state’s Casino Revenue Fund, the report emphasizes that online channels support fewer local jobs relative to physical resorts:

• Physical Casino Operations: Every $1 million in spending at an Atlantic City casino-hotel supports an estimated 5.28 direct and supplier jobs within Atlantic County.

• Online Gaming Platforms: The same $1 million reallocated to online channels supports 3.66 full-time-equivalent jobs – a 30.6% reduction in regional employment support.

“This is a planning document, not a doomsday prophecy,” stated Dr. Slusher. “But the size of the exposure is real, and the region needs to see it clearly before more competitive pressure is added.”

Community Impact and Strategic Recommendations

The report notes that potential employment contractions would be heavily concentrated geographically. Approximately 69.5% of Atlantic City casino-hotel workers reside within five Atlantic County municipalities: Atlantic City, Pleasantville, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township, and Hamilton Township.

Danielle Norcross, President and CEO of the Greater Atlantic City Chamber, noted that potential reductions in employment and economic activity would extend beyond resort operations to impact the surrounding regional commercial ecosystem. ACEA President Lauren Moore added that strategic policy decisions affecting state gaming policy must be grounded in empirical data to safeguard South Jersey’s workforce and state-level social programs funded by brick-and-mortar gaming revenues.

To mitigate potential workforce exposure, the assessment recommends several strategic initiatives:

• Convention Market Expansion: Investing in convention and meeting infrastructure to increase midweek hotel room occupancy and absorb displaced hospitality personnel.

• Non-Gaming Infrastructure: Developing additional non-gaming leisure attractions and municipal enhancements to broaden market appeal.

• Property Reinvestment: Encouraging continued capital investment in existing resort properties.

• Workforce Diversification: Establishing targeted regional economic diversification programs and living-wage job creation initiatives.