Casinos in Atlantic City enjoyed their best month in March since the COVID-19 Pandemic started in 2020. The Pandemic had a disastrous effect on Atlantic City’s casinos, with profits down 80% in 2020, when compared to 2019. However, March 2021 saw the casinos bounce back, with wins totalling $359 million.
Revenue Up Across the Board
The land-based casinos in Atlantic City saw their Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) for slot and table games total nearly $185 million in March. This is an increase of 116% compared to March last year when all nine of the city’s casinos were forced to close down due to COVID.
It wasn’t just land-based casinos that improved either. Online gambling sites won just under $114 million, which includes poker fees. Online gambling has continued to grow over the years, with March 2021 having a 75% increase over March 2020.
When all gambling revenue is totalled for Atlantic City, it totalled just over $359 million. This is up 120% compared to March 2020. However, there was some bad news for New Jersey and Atlantic City. Other states also released their gambling reports. Pennsylvania has overtaken New Jersey as the second-largest gambling market in the USA. Its GGR was $403 million for March 2021.
Atlantic City’s Positive Trend Continues
While March 2021 easily beat March 2020, this is due to the better conditions for gambling. March 2021 saw the casinos being able to operate for the entire month, unlike the previous year. However, the $359 million generated in March 2021 was also 18% higher than March 2019, showing that Atlantic City’s casinos are continuing to recover from their poor performances during and after the 2008 recession.
While things have gotten better in March 2021, there are still numerous COVID regulations in place. Casinos are currently limited to operating at 50% capacity, as stated by their fire code capacity. Indoor smoking on the casino floor is also still currently prohibited.
If Atlantic City casinos had had their best month since before the pandemic even began, we’re excited to see how the state’s casinos perform once the restrictions are completely lifted.
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