Even as the coronavirus pandemic continues to make doing business difficult, Atlantic City’s casinos are pushing ahead with big new projects in 2022.
In the coming year, non-casino ventures integrating family entertainment, education, and the offshore wind industry will take off.
However, there are obstacles to overcome.
When compared to the year before the epidemic, in-person gaming income at seven of the nine casinos is lower. Some of the vacuum has been filled by sports betting and online gambling revenue, but that money must be split with third parties, such as technological platforms and sports books, and is not completely for the casinos to keep.
A bill approved by Gov. Phil Murphy in December provides some relief to the casinos from large increases in payments owing to Atlantic City, Atlantic County, and the education system in lieu of property taxes.
The length and severity of the COVID19 pandemic, particularly the fast-spreading omicron form, will have a significant impact on customers’ willingness to bet in person in 2022.
And a major hurdle awaits when New York allows consumers to wager on their phones or other mobile devices anywhere in the state, possibly as early as January but virtually probably in time for the Super Bowl in February.
Executives in the gambling industry and analysts predict that New Jersey will lose at least 20% of its sports betting volume as New York citizens who previously had to cross into New Jersey to gamble will now be able to do so at or near home.
Resorts casino president Mark Giannantonio expressed “tremendous optimism” for a “fantastic year” in 2022.
Resorts is remodeling its rooftop pool starting in February, adding a retractable roof so it can be utilized all year. In addition, Resorts is investing $5 million in new table games and slot machines, as well as refurbishing its high-limit slots area and constructing a new VIP Asian-themed room.
In the spring or summer, the Ocean Casino Resort expects to start a $75 million renovation to complete 12 stories of hotel rooms that were never finished when the casino first debuted as Revel in 2012.
In 2022, Caesars will begin construction on a new theater and resident show, which will open in the first quarter of 2023. The former Warner Theatre facade, which is currently part of the casino’s front facing the Boardwalk, will be incorporated into the project.
In 2022, Caesars will also build a new restaurant run by a hospitality firm founded by actor Robert De Niro, which will also remodel hotel rooms. Caesars Entertainment is collaborating with Nobu Hospitality on the Nobu Hotel Atlantic City project.
In 2022, Bally’s will open 750 renovated hotel rooms, a remodeled hotel lobby and bar, as well as an indoor-outdoor entertainment area.
The old Showboat casino, which is now a nongambling hotel, is planning to break construction on a $100 million indoor water park in early 2022.
In August, Luke Bryan and Morgan Wallen will headline a three-day country music extravaganza on the beach in Atlantic City.
A new ShopRite supermarket is set to open in Atlantic City in 2022, ending the city’s status as a “food desert” without a major supermarket. The project is expected to begin in 2023.
In 2022, Stockton University plans to finish a new student residence hall in the city.
The developing offshore wind energy industry will see Atlantic City play a significant role. In the fall, Atlantic Cape Community College wants to launch a wind energy workforce training center on its city campus, while wind developer Orsted hopes to begin construction on an Atlantic City maintenance and operations center in 2022 to support its offshore wind projects in the area.
A strategy that has received little notice outside of Atlantic City but would effect the majority of visitors is set to start in 2022.
In the interest of pedestrian safety, the city plans to cut Atlantic Avenue, one of its two main north-south thoroughfares, from two lanes in each direction to one lane in each direction.
Many people and businesses, however, are opposed to the idea, predicting that traffic will grow even worse with only one lane in each way, which is already tough to handle under existing conditions.