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Atlantic City's nine casinos placed a nearly $200 million bet on the summer of 2026, pouring that sum into renovations and property upgrades over the past year. As peak season opens, the payoff hasn't shown up at the tables yet: the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) reports June in-person gaming revenue of $257.3 million — down 0.7% from a year earlier.
The composition of the dip tells its own story. Slot machines actually performed well, with gross gaming revenue up 1.7% to $186 million; the drag came entirely from the tables, where win fell 6.4% to $71.3 million.
Winners and Losers on the Boardwalk
Five of the nine properties posted year-over-year declines — including market leader Borgata, whose gaming haul dropped 5.9% to $72.2 million, a shortfall of more than $4.5 million. Golden Nugget slid 10.3%, Resorts fell 9.1%, Bally's dropped 7.7%, and Ocean dipped a marginal 0.2%.
The month belonged to Caesars Entertainment, whose three properties swept the top gainers: Harrah's surged 15.7%, Tropicana climbed 8.5%, and Caesars rose 8.1%. Hard Rock rounded out the positive column with a modest 0.9% gain.
The Glass-Half-Full Reading
Regulators pushed back on the gloom. James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, noted the $257.3 million result was still the second-best June in 14 years — and that first-half momentum remains historically strong. Casino win crossed $1.4 billion faster than in any year since 2012, he said, while total gaming revenue — boosted by online casino and sports wagering — reached $3.5 billion sooner than in any prior year.
iGaming Extends Its Reign
The clearest growth engine remains online. New Jersey's iGaming platforms generated more than $271 million in June, up $40.3 million year-over-year — marking the tenth consecutive month that online casino win has exceeded in-person revenue. FanDuel, operating with land-based partner Golden Nugget, led the market with $62.5 million, while DraftKings, partnered with Resorts, followed at $47.1 million.
Sports Betting's Rough Stretch
The sportsbook column was June's ugliest line. Revenue totaled $57.2 million, a 37.7% plunge worth $34.6 million — a slide driven partly by bettor-friendly results — and the weakness isn't just one month: year-to-date handle is down almost 10%, or $386.3 million, while first-half sportsbook revenue of $917.2 million is off 7.1%. The declines come despite the US hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the Meadowlands in North Jersey staging this Sunday's final between Argentina and Spain.
The Battle Ahead
Looming over all of it is New York. Three casinos with slots and live dealer tables — two in Queens and one in the Bronx — are set to open in the coming years, threatening Atlantic City's grip on customers from North Jersey and downstate New York. The $200 million refurbishment wave is the market's opening move in that fight; June's numbers suggest the return on that investment will need the full summer, and perhaps longer, to materialize.
Source: Reporting via Casino.org (Devin O’Connor), based on New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement data.
