Atlantic City Information

Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) board votes to approve acceptance of grant, sale of former strip club - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, on October 21, the CRDA board voted to approve the acceptance of a $5 million grant from the state Department of Community Affairs aimed at putting on events to attract tourists. The board also plans to accept a $175,000 bid for a former Pacific Avenue strip club that it owns. The property, Delilah’s Den, which has fallen into serious dispair would cost the CRDA $250,000 to demolish.

City Council votes unanimously to cap number of canabis dispensaries in the city - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, members of City Council voted 8-0 to establish a cap on the number of retail cannabis dispensaries in the resort. The recommendation was for 16 total licenses including 12 annual licenses and four micro licenses, which are for business owners who are restricted in space and employees. There are presently 15 cannabis retailers in Atlantic City, along with two cultivators and one manufacturer. Two of the retail businesses include an approved consumption lounge. Approvals are in place for a further two businesses and more than 60 businesses are actively seeking licenses through the state Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

City names block for philanthropists Rita and Anthony Mack - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, the city honored local philanthropists Rita and Anthony Mack by nameing a block of Arctic Avenue in midtown (near the Tanger Outlets) in their honor. Before retiring in 2024, the Macks operated two McDonald’s franchises in the city for 38 years while donating their time and money to local causes. In addition to serving on numerous community boards, the couple have also established scholarships for Tennessee State University, where they met, Atlantic Cape Community College and Stockton, where they were recently recognized for donating $150,000 to create a new scholarship through their A&R Mack Foundation.

Park in Atlantic City's Westside neighborhood dedicated - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Weekes Memorial Park on Oct. 28. The park commemorates the legacy of George Weekes Sr., the first Black man to own a business on Atlantic Avenue. Years of work to restore the Indiana Avenue site included new landscaping, improved lighting, sustainable design elements, public art and full accessibility.

State to invest $20 million in Renaissance Plaza - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, the state of New Jersey is committing $20 million to redevelop Renaissance Plaza. The investment includes $11 million to acquire a land lease for the property and $8.9 million to be spent on other improvements, including new roofs for the buildings at the plaza; new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; facade improvements, and beautification and landscaping. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has voted to allow its executive director to negotiate and sign a lease with the owners of the Save A Lot located in the plaza. The lease and support from the state Economic Development Authority is expected to allow the store to expand by about 30% and upgrade its offerings. Work is expected to be completed by December 2026. Additional reporting from The Press of Atlantic City.

Stockton University host Community Day - As shared in an October 27 press release, Stockton University's Atlantic City campus hosted its fourth annual Community Day. The day's activities included a city wide clean-up initiative and a celebration in O'Donnell Park. 

New Jersey Gaming News

Caesars’ $400 million Atlantic City revamp nears completion - As reported by PlayNJ, Caesars is nearing completion of a 4-year, $400 million capital investment campaign. Included in the campaign was the renovation and rebranding of the 604 room West Tower located in the west wing of Tropicana Atlantic City. The newly named 'Solana Tower', is expected to open in January 2026. Caesars also recently upgraded 2,500 rooms at Harrah’s Resort, 600 guest rooms and suites in Caesars’ Centurion and Ocean Towers, as well as Harrah’s Atrium Tower. It also opened a Nobu Hotel at Caesars Atlantic City and renovated the pool. Additional reporting from The Press of Atlantic City.

Caesars, Harrah's and Tropicana casinos raise $129K for breast cancer research - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, Caesars, Harrah's and Tropicana casinos joined together to raise $129K for breast cancer research. The three properties, operated by Caesars Entertainment, raised the funds through the American Cancer Society’s Men Wear Pink campaign. 

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) fines two operators for numerous violations - As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, the DGE fined SBOpco LLC (SuperBook) and Digital Gaming Corp. (SuperGroup brands including Betway) $20,000 and $112,188 respectivly for numerous violations. Superbook unilaterally changing five bets on a Feb. 12, 2022, UFC match between William Knight and Maxim Grishin and also took bets on several unapproved events, including college basketball games involving New Jersey teams. Betway violated regulations pertaining to the state's self-exclusion list multiple times between March 2024 and January 2025 and was accused of allowing patrons to exceed maximum monetary limits they had set for themselves. Superbook stopped doing business in New Jersey and seven other U.S. states — Colorado, Arizona, Tennessee, Ohio, Iowa, Maryland and Virginia — in July 2024. Betway sportsbook ceased operations in New Jersey in August 2024; its online casino brands Jackpot City and Spin Casino stopped operating in the U.S. on Oct. 16.

New Jersey legislators introduce bill banning sports wagering 'micro bets' - According to the state legislature and as reported by Play NJ, state legislators have proposed a bill (S4794/A5971) which "Prohibits sports wagering licensees from offering micro bets" and establishes penalties for violators. The bill establishes a distinction between common prop bets and micro bets, defining a micro bet as "a proposition bet which is wagered live, while a sport or athletic event is ongoing, and concerns the outcome of the next play or action occurring in the sport or athletic event."

National Gaming News

Missouri Gaming Commission issued the temporary sports betting licenses - According to Legal Sports Report, Missouri regulators have granted temporary licenses to 10 sportsbooks ahead of the state's December 1 launch of legal sports betting. Missouri sports betting will mark the first new online betting market since North Carolina opened in March 2024. Two brands, DraftKings and Circa, have won 'untethered' licenses which will allow them to operate without a market-access partner.

NCAA to allow college athletes, staff to wager on pro sports - According to an October 8 Governance Update from the NCAA, members of the DI Administrative Committee have adopted a proposal to allow student-athletes, staff to bet on pro sports. As reported by ESPN, the rule change which would have gone into effect November 1 was delayed to November 22. Even if the NCAA permits student-athletes to wager on pro sports, they are still forbidden to wager on college sports ot to share information about college competitions with bettors. Additional reporting from Casino.org.

Pennsylvania legislators eye increase to sports betting tax in 2026, operators expected to pass costs on to customers - According to Legal Sports Report and PlayPennsylvania, Pennsylvania legislators are considering an increase to the states sports betting tax rate. At 36%, the rate that Pennsylvania currently levies on operators is the second-highest in the US behind New York’s 51%. Higer costs resulting from a tax increase are likely to be passed on to consumers. 

Hospitality & Tourism News

Air Traffic Control staffing shortages begin delaying flights, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) calls for travel reductions - As reported by NPR and Reuters, beginning early October, several FAA facilities begn seeing staffing shortages resulting from the government shutdown. According to Reuters and CNN as of November 7, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had ordered a 4% cut in flights at 40 major U.S. airports warning that the percentage could soon rise to 15-20%. Duffy cited safety concerns resulting from persistent staffing shortages. The shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, has forced 13,000 air traffic controllers and 50,000 Transportation Security Administration agents to work without pay. As reported by The Press of Atlantic City, Atlantic City International Airport (ACY) is not included on a list of 40 U.S. airports expected to reduce flights.

Booking.com releases 2026 Travel Predictions - According to an annual prediction report produced by Booking.com and shared by Lodging Magazine, travelers are expected to "lean into their passions" next year seeking travel experiences that focus on personal milestones, fostering relationships and getting hands on with nature focused hobbies.

Hospitality industry associations, including American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), urge Congress to end government shutdown - According to an October 22 press release from AHLA, 30 hospitality industry associations joined together to sent a letter to Congress urging legislators to "come to a speedy agreement that reopens the government."

U.S. Travel Association forecasts decline in international travel to the U.S. - According to a forecast released by U.S. Travel Association on October 1, international travel to the United States is expected to fall 6.3% in 2025, the first decline since 2020. U.S. hosted events such as the FIFA World Cup and America 250 celebrations are expected to reverse this trend in 2026. Despite the decline in international travel to the U.S., total U.S. travel spending is projected to grow 1.1% to $1.35 trillion in 2025 - "bouyed by continued growth in domestic leisure travel despite economic concerns".