������

Atlantic City Information

Atlantic City unveils new Sheila Y. Oliver Plaza - As reported by , on June 5 Atlantic City held a ceremony to celebrate the unveiling of the new Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver Plaza, also known as the City Hall courtyard. The plaza, named in memory of the late lieutenant governor, who died in 2023, has received several improvements including enhanced security and safety features at the main entrance, along with aesthetic improvements such as benches, a rain garden, a marble fountain, a pergola, the painting of existing concrete walls and the planting of trees, shrubs and grass, plus new main and north end parking lots.

Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) supports free summer entertainment in Atlantic City - In a June 13, the CRDA announced a summer entertainment lineup for 2025, featuring free live concerts at Kennedy Plaza, Chicken Bone Beach, and Gardner’s Basin from June through September. "The diverse and comprehensive series includes three distinct concert programs designed to attract residents and visitors to Atlantic City’s unique entertainment venues."

CRDA approves purchase of Renaissance Plaza shopping center - As reported by , the CRDA voted in favor of purchasing the lease of the shopping center on Atlantic Avenue in an effort to improve access to high-quality food in Atlantic City. Under the new development plan, existing food store Save-A-Lot is expected to remain in the Plaza. 

Latest issue of The South Jersey Economic Review (SJER) released - According to a ������ news release and as reported by on June 16, the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at ������ has released the Summer 2025 issue of SJER. Included in the report is an analysis of job growth in the Atlantic City area that was recorded at 4.2% during the first quarter of 2025. 

Nonprofit Skate AC breaks ground on second skatepark in the city - As reported by , on June 24, Skate AC broke ground on its second skatepark in the city. The new skatepark will be in Uptown Park at Melrose and Massachusetts avenues and include handrails, stairs with ledges, quarter pipes, ramps and flat rails. Skate AC said it expects the park to open in early August.

Part of former Atlantic Club casino is up for sale (again) - As reported by , the current owners of the former Atlantic Club casino, New York-based Colosseo Development Group, have divided the property into two real estate listings. Commercial real estate marketplace Crexi shows a listing for 3400 Pacific Ave. with an asking price of $55 million. The other hotel tower has not been listed. Further reporting from .

New Jersey Gaming News

Atlantic County to receive $15.7 million to resolve PILOT gaming tax dispute, Local Finance Board approves city plan to issue bond to pay settlement - As reported by , and , officials have reached a settlement in a lawsuit filed by Atlantic County against the state of New Jersey, alleging that by removing iGaming and online sports betting from the casinos’ property tax bill, the county received considerably less money. Through the settlement, Atlantic County will receive the $15.7 million as a lump sum and then return to collecting quarterly property tax payments through the PILOT with iGaming and online sports betting revenue included. The state will bridge the tax gap between what the casinos actually pay and what the county receives. To cover this gap/expense, Atlantic City Council introduced an ordinance to issue a bond which, as of June 11, had received approval from the Local Finance Board.

Beach replenishment project gives three casinos first decent beach in three years - As reported by , July 4 marked the first Independence Day in three years that casino operators at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Resorts Casino Hotel and Ocean Casino Resort have been able to offer a decent beach for their guests and locals to use. A $38.2 million beach replenishment project over the winter pumped sand onto the north end of the city’s beaches, widening them substantially in time for the crucial summer season.

New Jersey lawmakers pass $58.8 billion state budget including tax increase on online gambling and sports betting - As announced by the and reported on by , , and , the state of New Jersey has passed a new budget for fiscal year 2026. Included in the budget is an increase in taxes levied on online gaming, sports wagering and daily fantasy sports. The popular gambling products previously taxed at 13%, 15% and 10.5%, respectively, will all be taxed at 19.75%.The higher taxes are expected to generate an additional $250 million in revenue for the state. . 

New Jersey passes law prohibiting partnerships between sports books and universities - As recorded by the New Jersey Legislature and reported by , Bill that “prohibits sports wagering partnerships at public institutions of higher education,” has been signed into law. 

Ocean Casino Resort and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino celebrate seventh anniversaries - As reported by , Ocean Casino Resort Atlantic City celebrated its seventh anniversary by paying the tolls of all inbound motorists at the Pleasantville plaza of the Atlantic City Expressway from 7-8 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. According to , Hard Rock celebrated with charitable donations in the community, including a $10,000 gift to New Shiloh Baptist Church on Atlantic Avenue and $7,000 gifts to each of seven local organizations: Jewish Family Service, Covenant House, The Arc of Atlantic County, Veterans Haven South, AC Pride, Diabetes Training Camp Foundation and Chicken Bone Beach Historical Foundation.

Ocean Casino Resort fined $10,750, Hard Rock Bet honors $5,000 Live Trivia payouts after technical error - As reported by , the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement imposed a $10,750 penalty on Ocean Casino Resort after a blackjack dealer failed to shuffle cards and a player was allowed to alter bets in play. As reported by and , a technical oversight during a free-to-play trivia session led to every qualifying player receiving a $5,000 payout. Hard Rock decided to honor the payouts after discovering the error. 

Sweepstakes casino ban passes N.J. legislature - As recorded by the New Jersey Legislature and reported by , New Jersey lawmakers passed Bill that “prohibits sweepstakes model of wagering; establishes new penalties for unlawful gambling operations and practices; directs Division of Consumer Affairs and Division of Gaming Enforcement to enforce penalties.” Further reporting from .

National Gaming News

Connecticut becomes second state to ban sweepstakes casinos - According to , Connecticut bill , banning sweepstakes casinos has become law. Connecticut is the second state after Montana to enact such a ban. A ban introduced in Louisiana has been . Further reporting by .

Fifth member, Bet365, joins Sports Betting Alliance - As reported by , Bet365 has become the fifth member of the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a nonprofit trade group that advocates for legal, regulated sports gambling and iGaming. The SBA was founded in 2021 through a partnership between FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Fanatics. 

Florida seeks to dismiss lawsuit challenging sports betting in the state - As reported by and , the state of Florida has asked that a lawsuit challenging the legality of the $2.5 billion landmark gaming compact that allowed the Seminole Tribe to offer online sports betting statewide be dismissed.

Illinois imposes per-bet fee on online sports wagering, operators respond with surcharge - As reported by Illinois lawmakers have imposed a per-bet fee of 25 cents on the first 20 million wagers a sportsbook accepts annually, the fee jumps to 50 cents per bet for all bets beyond the 20 million mark. , and Fanatics have announced that they will pass the fee on to consumers by implementing an Illinois surcharge. Further reporting by .

Maine legislature passes bill legalizing online casinos - As reported by and , Maine lawmakers have voted to pass . This bill would provide the state's four Wabanaki Nations tribes — the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot — the exclusive rights to operate online casino games through third-party partners. Maine Gov. Janet Mills, along with representatives of the Maine Gambling Control Unit and Gambling Control Board, have testified against the bill. According to as of July 10, the governor had yet to take any action on the bill, which passed on June 26.

Massachusetts lawmakers consider legislation to authorize, regulate and tax online casino gambling - As reported by , Massachusetts lawmakers are considering legislation that would authorize, regulate and tax online casino gambling in the state. A hearing for Bill , which would regulate internet gaming, was held on June 23.

Missouri announces likely launch date for retail and online sports betting - As reported by , the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) has announced Dec. 1 as a likely launch date for the state's new sports betting market. 

National Football League (NFL) partners with International Center for Responsible Gaming student athlete innitiative - According to , the NFL is partnering with the International Center for Responsible Gaming to fund research and educational resources aimed at addressing growing concerns around gambling among college athletes and students.

New York's request for down state casino bids ends with eight applicants - As reported by , the New York Gaming Facility Location Board has fielded eight applications for casino developments in the downstate region. The eight casino bids come from or involve , , , , , ,  and .

Pensylvania Casinos break single month revenue record in May 2025 - According to a June 18 Pensylvania gaming operators realized their first $600 million revenue month in May 2025. At $601.8 million May set a new record for single month record for the state, beating out the prior record of $574.5 million set in March 2025. Further reporting by  and .

Hospitality & Tourism News

Caesars Atlantic City to host annual Miss’d America drag competition - As reported by , Caesars Atlantic City will host the Miss'd America competition on Sept. 6. Proceeds from the event will benefit several LGBTQ+ charities. 

Greenland invites world to 'come visit' - As reported by the Greenland is open to tourism. The nation's tourism industry is expected to boom in 2025 following the launch on June 14 of the first direct flights between the U.S. and Greenland offered by an American airline (United Airlines route between Nuuk and Newark, N.J.).

Most New Jerseyans think beach tag prices are too high - According to a poll conducted by the ������ Polling Institute of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at ������, half of New Jersey's residents think the cost of beach tags to access their nearest beach is too high. Regarding beach tags in general, a majority of those polled (65%) think beaches are a public resource, and that they should be free to New Jersey residents, while 30% think beachgoers should pay for access to generate revenue for essential services. Further reporting from .

Ocean City considers 3% tax on ‘transient accommodations’ booked through ;transient space marketplaces’ - As reported by , the Ocean City City Council has introduced an ordinance that would create a “transient accommodations fee” of 3% on accommodations booked through “transient space marketplaces." The ordinance, which targets online vacation rental platforms like Airbnb, could bring about $1.8 million in new revenue to the city. A hearing and final vote are scheduled for July 17.

Presidential proclamation bars nationals from 12 countries from entering the U.S. - On June 4 the White House released a presidential proclamation "" As reported by , , , and , as of June 9 citizens from 12 countries were prohibited from entering the U.S. and partial bans were placed on nationals from a further seven countries. As of June 15, officials were said to be considering expanding the travel ban to encompass as many as 36 additional countries. The ban mostly affects countries in Africa and the Middle East. 

Wildwood and Atlantic City announce schedules for 2025 air shows - Wildwood and Atlantic City have each announced plans to host airshows in 2025. The “” will be held on Sept. 5 and 6, and the runs July 14-20 with an airshow scheduled for July 15 and 16. 

Wildwood's Barefoot Country Music Fest a 'summer institution' - As reported by , Wildwood's fifth Barefoot Country Music Fest welcomed 60 musical acts over four days - June 19-22. Last year's event (2024) attracted an estimated 34,000 attendees per day with an economic impact of approximately $40 million. The festival has become a “summer institution” in a brief period of five years, beginning with the inaugural festival, which was supposed to take place June 19-21, 2020, but was postponed to Aug. 19-22, 2021, due to COVID-19.