Casino Closings Have Different Impacts on Atlantic, Cape May Counties

While casino closings are having a negative impact on Atlantic City industry and Atlantic County residents as a whole, the Ocean City real estate market looks to remain largely unaffected, the Ocean City Gazette reports.

The Revel closed both its hotel and casino this week, and the Atlantic Club closed in January. The Showboat is scheduled to close on Sunday, and Trump Plaza will close Sept. 16, leaving about 8,000 former casino employees out of work.

There are about 181 casino employees currently living in Ocean City, and about 33 of them are expected to lose their jobs, according to the report. Just over 5,000 employees reside in Atlantic County.

By contrast, 5,100 casino workers live in Atlantic County, mostly in Atlantic City, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway, Pleasantville, Hamilton Township and Absecon.

The impact on business may already be felt, as the beaches and boardwalk were nearly empty in Atlantic City on Wednesday, according to nj.com.

While beaches and the boardwalk are usually empty around this time as children go back to school, the impact is expected to be devastating.

Revenue in Atlantic City is down by 50 percent from eight years ago, and one city-run museum worker recognizes the casino closings as a “wakeup call,” according to the report.

Perhaps the Miss America Pageant, scheduled for Sept. 14 at Boardwalk Hall, can help. Contestants told my9nj.com they hope to bring back some of the glitz Atlantic City is known for with this year’s pageant. It is the second consecutive year the pageant will call Atlantic City home after a brief hiatus.

Even if it helps the City, there’s already at least one venue it won’t aid. Boardwalk Hall is connected to Trump Plaza, which already announced its closing will take place two days later.

For more on the impact of the casino closings on Ocean City, visit shorenewstoday.com.

For more on the impact on Atlantic City, visit nj.com.