After three-and-a-half years of steady decline, Atlantic City casino revenues actually increased during the month of December. Slot machine revenues increased, but table gaming fell in December. The city’s 11 casinos took in $246.5 million in December. Nevertheless, overall revenues were up. Roger Gros of, “Global Gaming Business” magazine says for one thing, the weather this December was far better than the heavy snow and cold of December 2010. Gros also emphasizes that the non-gaming revenues that the casinos are bringing in, and all of the businesses in Atlantic City are bringing in are much more important at this point. He says it is much more important at this point that we increase those revenues.

Gros says Atlantic City is evolving into a shopping and tourist destination. He says the fact casino revenues increased for one month does not change the way we should look at Atlantic City’s future enterprise, with casinos just one piece of that puzzle.

For the year, though, Atlantic City’s casinos won $3.3 billion, which is down 6.9 percent from 2010. It marked the fifth year in a row that Atlantic City casino revenue has declined, hurt by competition from casinos in neighboring states, and the continuing economic uncertainty.

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