Atlantic City casinos show revenue increase, despite monthlong strike

David Porter

Thursday, Nov. 11, 2004 | 8:49 a.m.

TRENTON, N.J. -- Atlantic City's casinos won more money from gamblers last month than they did in October 2003, despite a monthlong strike at seven of the city's 12 gambling palaces.

Propped up by a 40 percent rise in revenue at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa -- one of five casinos that had pre-existing agreements with Local 54 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union -- casinos reported $388.1 million in revenue, a 1.9 percent increase from October 2003, according to figures released Wednesday by the state Casino Control Commission.

Slot machine revenue increased by 1.9 percent, to $290.4 million, and revenue from table games increased 2.1 percent, to $97.6 million.

For the first 10 months of 2004, the casinos won $4.1 billion, an increase of 7.4 percent over the same period in 2003.

Bally's bottom line suffered the most from the strike, with a decrease of $11.5 million, or 20.5 percent, compared to last October. Caesar's saw a decrease of $7.9 million, or 19 percent, and the Atlantic City Hilton reported a decrease of $3.4 million, or 14.4 percent.

Those three casinos, along with Harrah's, Resorts, the Showboat and the Tropicana endured a strike by 10,000 service workers that lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 3. It was the longest strike since casino gambling came to the Jersey shore in the late 1970s.

Of the seven casinos that lost workers to the strike, Resorts fared the best, reporting a revenue increase of $2.7 million, or 15.6 percent. The Tropicana had an increase of 3.2 percent, or $868,432, over last October. Harrah's dropped $2.6 million, or 7.2 percent, and the Showboat saw a decrease of $1.4 million, or 4.2 percent.

The Borgata was the big winner among the casinos not directly affected by the strike, reporting a $17 million increase over last October.

The other four -- Trump Taj Mahal, Trump Plaza, Trump Marina and the Sands Hotel and Casino -- all reported revenue increases, led by Trump Marina at $4.8 million, or 24.4 percent. Trump Plaza and Trump Taj Mahal had increases of 15.4 and 10.3 percent, respectively.

The Sands won 4 percent more than the previous year.