July 2022 Snapshots
In LIGHT of the data.
July 2022 showed indications of a strong summer season fueled by a return to normal operations and consumer behavior. At $299 million, July 2022 brick and mortar gaming revenues for Atlantic City鈥檚 nine casinos exceeded July 2021 by 8%. Unlike last summer, Atlantic City casinos in 2022 are operating without official public health restrictions, which were still in place at the start of summer 2021. There also isn鈥檛 the 鈥淐OVID-19 drag鈥 of persisting public health concerns that kept some visitors from returning to pre-pandemic behaviors even after an end to the COVID-19 public health emergency in New Jersey.
Meetings, conventions and trade shows are back in full swing this summer. Data provided by Meet AC show some of the clearest indicators of an end to the COVID-19 drag and a return to pre-pandemic (or better) levels of activity. In the six months ended June 2019, Meet AC facilitated 134 conventions, trade shows and meetings, and welcomed 345,000. In the same period ended 2022, Meet AC facilitated 138 conventions, trade shows and meetings, and welcomed 453,000 鈥 this represented a 316% and 1377% increase respectively over the same period in 2021. In 2021, Meet AC facilitated just 33 conventions, trade shows and meetings, and welcomed only 30,700 attendees.
Further, July鈥檚 2022 brick and mortar gaming revenues also exceeding July 2019 ($277.2 million) by 8% is a hopeful indication that the growth trend that we saw before the pandemic may be back on track. Seven months in, 2022 leads 2019 for total brick and mortar casino revenue by 4.4% and, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, there seems to be a real chance that 2022 year-end brick and mortar casino revenue will exceed 2019.
Consistent with an emerging trend, internet gaming revenue for the month shows signs of plateauing, likely due to a seasonally driven shift in gambling behavior or a potential preference for in-person gaming activities during the summer.
But this did not prevent July 2022 from turning in the strongest total casino industry revenue performance (excluding racetracks) in recent history (since 2011). At $453.1 million, July 2022 beat out July 2021 ($416.3 million) to set a new near-term record for single month industry total gaming revenue. Year to date 2022 total industry gaming revenue exceeds 2021 by 8.9% and, with another 40% at least of revenue still to be earned in 2022, indications seem to favor another year-end revenue total of over $4 billion.
Data from the South Jersey Transportation Authority suggests a promising, but still incomplete recovery for visitation to the city. Traffic through the Pleasantville Toll Plaza of the Atlantic City Expressway has increased 6.3% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, however, counts for the six months ended June 2022 still haven鈥檛 recovered fully to pre-pandemic levels. At 8.1 million, vehicle counts at the plaza lag the 2019 total from the same period (9.4 million) by almost 15%.
It is unclear if a portion of the lower vehicle counts may be attributable to less trips by locals who may be working from home or car-pooling to combat high gas prices, or drivers opting not to use the expressway due to a recent increase in the price of tolls. With brick-and-mortar revenue exceeding pre-pandemic levels the lower vehicle counts do not seem to be influencing economic activity at the casinos.
Atlantic City Gaming Win & Total Casino Revenue
Source:
| Monthly Revenue (Casino Licensees, $ In Thousands) |
July 2022 |
% Change from Prior Year | July 2021 | YTD July 2022 | % Change from Prior Year | YTD July 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Gaming Win (includes Internet & Sports Wagering) | 453,140 | 8.9% | 416,281 | 2,687,179 | 16.9% | 2,298,682 |
| Sports Wagering Revenue | 17,448 | -15.7% | 20,695 | 126,839 | -20.0% | 158,470 |
| Internet Gaming Win | 136,701 | 15.2% | 118,685 | 951,221 | 26.3% | 752,899 |
| Casino Gaming Win | 298,991 | 8.0% | 276,900 | 1,609,119 | 16.0% | 1,387,313 |
| Quarterly Revenue (Industry, $ In Thousands)** | Q1 2022 | % Change from Prior Year | Q1 2021 | YTD March 31, 2022 | % Change from Prior Year | YTD March 31, 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino |
$444,943 |
18.0% | $377,151 | $444,943 | 18.0% | $377,151 |
| Rooms | $119,399 | 32.3% | $90,224 | $119,399 | 32.3% | $90,224 |
| Food & Beverage | $103,714 | 62.8% | $63,720 | $103,714 | 62.8% | $63,720 |
| Entertainment & Other | $51,729 | 53.5% | $33,693 | $51,729 | 53.5% | $33,693 |
| Casino Licensees Total Revenue | $719,785 | 27.4% | $564,788 | $719,785 | 27.4% | $564,788 |
** Data agregated from New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement for individual properties, includes amended totals as of April 12, 2022. May not match totals from which represent a 'snapshot' of data at the time of publication and are not retroactively updated.
Atlantic City Hotel Lodging
Source:
| Casino Hotel Lodging Statistics For the Period Ended March 31, 2022 & 2021 |
Q1 2022 | Q1 2021 | YTD 2022 | YTD 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupancy percentage | 63.05% | 52.41% | 63.05% | 52.41% |
| Average Daily Room Rate (ADR) | $152.20 | $130.74 | $152.20 | $130.74 |
| Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR)* | $95.96 | $68.52 | $95.96 | $68.52 |
* RevPAR= ADR X Occupancy Percentage
Atlantic City Statistical Transportation Data
Source:
| Travel Mode | June 2022 |
Change from Prior Year |
June 2021 |
YTD June 2022 |
Change from Prior Year |
YTD June 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AC Expressway | ||||||
| Total Toll-Paying Traffic Pleasantville Toll Plaza |
1,579,702 | -5.3% | 1,668,829 | 8,060,996 | 6.3% | 7,582,127 |
| AC Airport | ||||||
| Scheduled Service Passengers | 74,248 | -9.1% | 81,645 | 412,700 | 9.9% | 375,634 |
| Charter Passengers | 11,084 | 252.1% | 3,148 | 60,227 | 329.0% | 14,038 |
| Total Air Passengers | 85,332 | 0.6% | 84,793 | 472,927 | 21.4% | 389,672 |
Atlantic City Meetings and Conventions Data
Source:
| July '22 | July '21 | % Change from Prior Year |
TOTAL 2022 YTD |
TOTAL 2021 YTD |
% Change from Prior Year |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventions/Tradeshows/Meetings* | ||||||
| # of Shows | 8 | 4 | 100% | 50 | 10 | 400% |
| # of Room Nights | 18,109 | 7,588 | 139% | 72,378 | 9,406 | 669% |
| # of Delegates | 80,665 | 37,510 | 115% | 348,806 | 44,806 | 678% |
| Delegate Spending | $19,861,473 | $7,057,118 | 181% | $112,543,055 | $9,239,404 | 1118% |
| Boardwalk Hall Bookings | ||||||
| # of Shows | 5 | 0 | N/A | 22 | 0 | N/A |
| # of Attendees | 21,405 | 0 | N/A | 110,152 | 0 | N/A |
| Hotel Bookings | ||||||
| # of Shows | 13 | 19 | -32% | 92 | 65 | 42% |
| # of Room Nights | 19,436 | 19,156 | 1% | 74,193 | 64,814 | 14% |
| # of Attendees | 29,311 | 25,785 | 14% | 125,374 | 75,846 | 65% |
| Delegate Spending | $10,809,254 | $10,032,078 | 8% | $47,973,481 | $37,258,326 | 29% |
| Monthly Totals | ||||||
| # Convs_Trade_Mtgs / Boardwalk Hall / Hotel | 26 | 23 | 13% | 164 | 75 | 119% |
| # of Room Nights | 37,545 | 26,744 | 40% | 146,571 | 74,220 | 97% |
| # of Attendees | 131,381 | 63,295 | 108% | 584,332 | 120,652 | 384% |
| Delegate Spending | $30,670,727 | $17,089,196 | 79% | $160,516,536 | $46,497,730 | 245% |
Notes:
January 2021 hotel attendees reflect virtual attendance numbers
March and August 2021 conventions/tradeshow numbers updated based on information received after reporting deadline
January 2022 conventions/tradeshow numbers updated based on information received after reporting deadline
March 2022 Boardwalk Hall Bookings updated based on information received after reporting deadline
*Includes Meet AC events booked at Boardwalk Hall
LIGHT Snapshots is a publication of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality
& Tourism, 麻豆传媒社区 School of Business
Jane Bokunewicz, Ph. D., Faculty Director and Associate Professor of Hospitality
Atlantic City Information
Atlantic City Free Public Library main branch to receive makeover - As reported by , the William K. Cheatham Building on Tennessee Avenue will receive its first extensive capital improvements in 37 years. Work will include remodeling of first-floor bathrooms, exterior cleaning, replacement of front stairs and sidewalk, and improvements to lighting, signage and railings. Work is expected to be completed Fall 2022. Library will remain open during construction. Total construction cost ($448,500) to be financed in part (50%) by New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act grant funding.
Atlantic City Police Department opens new substation on Boardwalk - As reported by , the Atlantic City Police Department has opened a new satellite headquarters at 1325 Boardwalk. The substation is intended to improve response times to quality-of-life and safety issues in the city's Tourism District.
City Council approves lease of Carnegie Library to nonprofit - As reported by the first-floor and half of the second, of the Carnegie Library will be rented to the National Action Network鈥檚 NAN Newark Tech World for use as a community and education center for youth in Atlantic City. NAN will pay $1 per year for five years and cover half the utility bill for the building, an estimated $50,000 per year.
No update on Atlantic City Supermarket Project - As reported by , an $18.5 million project to bring a 44,000-square-foot ShopRite to 1801 Baltic Ave. has made little progress since its November 2021 groundbreaking.
麻豆传媒社区鈥檚 Noyes Museum of Art receives $30,000 grant from Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation - According to a 麻豆传媒社区 press release, The Dodge Foundation has awarded the Noyes Museum of Art of 麻豆传媒社区 a $30,000 general operating support grant. Funds from the grant will be used to support museum programing and community access including: keeping access to programs and exhibitions at low-to-no cost for the local community, expanding a community garden, supporting student programing, expanding programs to individuals with disabilities, and providing cultural engagement opportunities to Hammonton's growing Latino population. Additional reporting from .
麻豆传媒社区 Phase II