button in SafariHow New York Casino Expansion Could Devastate Atlantic City
Atlantic City, albeit with many ups and downs along the way, has been a gambling hotbed for those in the Northeast, and not just for New Jersey residents.
Many New Yorkers have made the short trek to A.C. to play poker, hit the slots, or test their luck at various table games. But those days could come to an end due to casino expansion taking place in the Empire State.
Is Atlantic City Doomed?
Resorts World New York City, on Monday, added table games for the first time, and became just one of three New York City casinos to receive a full commercial casino license. The popular resort held a ceremonnial first toss of the dice to kickstart a new amenity for its customers.
The casino added 240 table games and over 2,500 slot machines. While this is positive news for gamblers in NYC and Northern New Jersey, it will certainly have a negative impact on the Atlantic City economy and casino scene.
For years, New Jersey residents have driven to Atlantic City to gamble. New Jersey's Constitution does not permit gambling outside of Atlantic City, leaving South Jersey with minimal competition outside of Philadelphia, which is right across the New Jersey border in Pennsylvania.
There's likely to be a change in where many gamblers in the area visit now that Resorts World has added a full complement of casino games (minus poker). But this is just the start, a potentially crushing blow to Atlantic City, a town once considered the "Las Vegas of the East Coast." Two additional casinos in New York City — Queens and the Bronx — are planned to open by 2030.
Horse race track operators in NYC are also looking into expanding to offer slot machines and table games, although obtaining such a license isn't a guarantee and would take time to get approval. But Resorts World and two other future casinos could steal away thousands of longtime Atlantic City customers.
The casino expansion in New York City is expected to cause some Northern New Jersey lawmakers to push for gambling expansion in the state, so as to keep the gambling revenue in the state instead of across the border in NY.
Atlantic City has played host to major poker events, including the United States Poker Championship, which originated in 1996 at now-President Donald Trump's iconic Trump Taj Mahal.
Resorts World New York City does not currently have plans to add a poker room. The resort's sister property in Las Vegas recently closed its card room due to declining business.
