Casinos & Hotels
New Competition Threatens Atlantic City Casinos
Published:
Last Updated:
Atlantic City, N.J., began 2014 with a dozen casinos and lost four during the year, with three on the verge of joining them this year or next. The city has lost about 8,000 jobs and could lose even more, according to a new report from Moody’s Investor Services.
By the end of 2018, eight new casinos are expected to open in the New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland. The new competition for gamblers is likely to compress revenues for the Atlantic City operations. The first shot across the bow will come in the fall of 2016 when the MGM National Harbor is scheduled to open in Prince George’s County, Md., near the nation’s capital.
CNNMoney noted that the surge in building new casinos is driven by more state governments issuing gambling licenses as the states compete with each other to keep casino tax dollars at home. Ohio, for example, has approved 11 casinos since 2012.
Atlantic City’s casino revenues in 2014 totaled $2.74 billion, a drop of 4.5% from 2013 and a 48% drop from 2006, the city’s best year. In 2014, the Atlantic Club, the Showboat, Trump Plaza and Revel all closed. So far in 2015 the Trump Taj Majal, Caesar’s and Bally’s have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Moody’s also suggests that the eight new casinos scheduled to open in the next few years will need to purchase 20,000 new slot machines. That should boost sales for suppliers like International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT), Scientific Games Corp. (NASDAQ: SGMS) and Australian firm Aristocrat Leisure.
ALSO READ: 3 Top Video Game Companies Should Dominate 2015 Holiday Sales
If you’re like many Americans and keep your money ‘safe’ in a checking or savings account, think again. The average yield on a savings account is a paltry .4% today, and inflation is much higher. Checking accounts are even worse.
Every day you don’t move to a high-yield savings account that beats inflation, you lose more and more value.
But there is good news. To win qualified customers, some accounts are paying 9-10x this national average. That’s an incredible way to keep your money safe, and get paid at the same time. Our top pick for high yield savings accounts includes other one time cash bonuses, and is FDIC insured.
Click here to see how much more you could be earning on your savings today. It takes just a few minutes and your money could be working for you.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.