UNITE HERE Local 54 has closed labour agreements with all nine Atlantic City casinos, including Bally's Atlantic City. Every contract runs for one year instead of the usual three or more — the last round of negotiations took place in 2022.
The short term reflects market uncertainty. Atlantic City faces competition from New York and online gambling within the state. Resorts World NYC posted $30m weekly GGR in its first three months, equivalent to around $1.5bn over a full year. The nine Atlantic City casinos generated $2.8bn GGR in 2025 and $1.5bn in the first half of 2026.
Two other New York licensees, Metropolitan Park and Bally's Bronx, plan to open in 2030, though timelines are in doubt. Metropolitan Park is behind schedule; Bally's faces financing problems on the $4bn project.
A new economic report from the Atlantic County Economic Alliance models three scenarios. The 'Stress' case — the worst — anticipates the loss of more than 8,000 jobs by 2035, a third of the current 21,100. The 'Central' scenario puts 5,100 positions at risk; 'Blue Sky' around 1,500. Casino employment now sits at a decade low, below the post-pandemic level.
The internal threat is online. New Jersey iGaming brought in $2.9bn in 2025, overtaking land-based casinos for the first time. Over seven months of 2026 online grew 14.5% to $1.8bn. Operating profit at Atlantic City casinos fell 15% in the first half of 2026 despite rising revenue — costs hit a nine-year high.
One-year contracts buy time to assess the real scale of New York competition and adjust strategy.
