Beach erosion threatens Atlantic City casinos' summer appeal

As summer approaches, Atlantic City finds itself grappling with an unexpected challenge: a severe erosion of its iconic beaches, leaving the city's famed casinos scrambling to salvage their crucial tourism appeal.

Winter storms have ravaged the northern section of Atlantic City, stripping away sand and leaving little shoreline for beachgoers. Executives from the Ocean Casino Resort, Resorts, and Hard Rock are urgently petitioning federal and state authorities to expedite a delayed beach replenishment project, originally slated for completion last year.

However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, responsible for overseeing such initiatives, projects that new sand won't arrive until late summer at the earliest, according to the Associated Press.

Mike Sampson, general manager of the Hard Rock casino, expressed concerns over the impact of the erosion: “One of the highlights of coming to Atlantic City has always been the beaches and the Boardwalk. It's going to be a challenge.”

Hard Rock, which lost its popular beach bar to the winter storms, is hopeful it can still offer beach amenities, albeit on a reduced scale. Other casinos face similar dilemmas, with usable beachfront shrinking at an alarming rate.

Atlantic City's reliance on its beaches as a key differentiator in a competitive gambling market amplifies the urgency of the situation. The pandemic dealt a severe blow to the resort town, with only a few casinos managing to surpass pre-pandemic revenue levels.

Bill Callahan, general manager of the Ocean Casino, highlighted the dire consequences of the eroding beaches: “How do you run a beach resort without a beach? It's a tough pill to swallow.”

Last year, the Ocean Casino resorted to expensive measures, spending $600,000 to import sand. However, this proved to be a temporary solution as much of the sand washed away by summer's end.

With only two accessible beach entrances out of a dozen spanning the three casinos, safety concerns loom large. The remaining entrances terminate abruptly, posing risks of injury.

Despite the urgency, bureaucratic hurdles delay the commencement of the replenishment project. Federal funding, amounting to $25 million out of the $30 million needed, awaits approval, with the contracting process expected to extend into the summer or fall.

Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts Casino and the Casino Association of New Jersey, stressed the need for swift action: “Everyone realizes the importance of getting this sand. The sense of urgency is real.”