Atlantic City’s nine casinos have completed their latest labour negotiations with UNITE HERE Local 54, with all agreements, including the latest deal with Bally’s Atlantic City, running for just one year.
The shortened contracts reflect growing uncertainty in Atlantic City’s casino market as operators face rising competition from New York City’s emerging casino sector and New Jersey’s expanding online gaming industry.
Most casino labour agreements typically run for three years or longer. The previous round of negotiations took place in 2022.
“We are proud of our negotiating committee, our members and our staff who stood up and fought to maintain and improve the contractual pay, benefit and employment standards that make these jobs good union jobs,” Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio said in a statement.
New York’s casino market could provide greater clarity over the next year. Resorts World NYC is currently the only operating casino in the market, averaging about $30 million a week in gross gaming revenue during its first three months. At that pace, the property could generate around $1.5 billion in annual GGR.
By comparison, Atlantic City’s nine casinos generated $2.8 billion in GGR in 2025 and $1.5 billion during the first half of 2026.
However, the opening timelines for New York’s other two casino projects could give Atlantic City more time to prepare. Metropolitan Park and Bally’s Bronx are both targeting single-phase openings in 2030, although Metropolitan Park was reportedly behind schedule in the spring, while Bally’s has faced financing challenges for its estimated $4 billion project.
The shortened labour agreements came as the Atlantic County Economic Alliance released a report warning that more than 8,000 Atlantic City casino jobs could be lost to New York competition by 2035 under a worst-case scenario.
The Greater Atlantic City Casino-Hotel Employment Exposure Assessment estimates that about 5,100 jobs would be exposed under its central scenario, while the best-case “Blue Sky” scenario puts the figure at around 1,500 jobs. Atlantic City currently has about 21,100 casino workers, with employment at its lowest level in nearly a decade, according to the report.
The assessment examined competition from three New York casinos, a potential US recession, possible expansion of casino gaming at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park, further development at two in-state racetracks, and competition from New Jersey’s online gambling market. Only four of the five factors were included in the model.
“This analysis is an exposure assessment, not a prediction,” said Dr Max Slusher, who compiled the report. “It does not say that a specific number of jobs will disappear on a specific date.”
Atlantic City casinos are also contending with New Jersey’s rapidly expanding iGaming market.
Online gaming revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2025, surpassing retail casino revenue for the first time in the state’s history. Through July 2026, online revenue stood at $1.8 billion, up 14.5% from the same period a year earlier.
Supporters argue that iGaming is expanding the state’s overall gaming market, which continues to post record revenue. However, Atlantic City casinos remain under pressure from rising costs.
Operating profits at the city’s casinos fell 15% in the first half of 2026 from the same period last year, despite higher revenue.
“The casino hotels encountered their highest second-quarter costs and expenses in nine years, significantly constraining reported gross operating profits,” New Jersey Casino Control Commission Chair James Plousis said.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/08/31/126133-atlantic-city-casinos-sign-oneyear-union-deals-amid-rising-competition
