ATLANTIC CITY — The threat posed by new casinos in New York and the possibility of expanded gambling in North Jersey is real, according to corporate site-selection consultant John Boyd Jr.
But Boyd says Atlantic City has something valuable on its side: time to prepare.
Boyd, a principal of The Boyd Company Inc., said Thursday on The AC Mike Lopez Show on WOND that a new Atlantic County Economic Alliance analysis warning of potentially significant casino job losses should be viewed as a call for Atlantic City to accelerate economic diversification rather than a prediction of inevitable decline.
“I saw the report, Mike, and it’s not surprising,” Boyd said. “We can expect significant job losses.”
Boyd went further, saying he believes casino closures are possible as three New York casino licenses add competition and if New Jersey eventually allows casino gambling outside Atlantic City.
“The fortunate thing here, Mike, is that there’s a runway here,” Boyd said.
That runway, he argues, gives Atlantic City an opportunity to become less dependent on casino gambling before the full competitive impact arrives.
Report warns thousands of jobs could be exposed
The ACEA study released this week estimates that as many as 8,005 Atlantic County jobs and $1.8 billion in regional economic output could be exposed by 2035 under a scenario combining continued online-gambling growth, three New York City casinos and potential casino expansion into North Jersey.
Even without North Jersey casinos, the study's baseline scenario estimates 5,105 Atlantic County jobs could be exposed.
The report stresses those figures are modeled scenarios rather than predictions. ACEA called the study a planning document intended to give policymakers time to respond.
Direct Atlantic City casino-hotel employment stood at 21,172 in April 2026, according to the report, its lowest level in the nine-year comparison used by researchers.
For Boyd, those numbers reinforce the need to build other industries now.
“These figures are not a surprise,” Boyd said. “It’s really a call to action to get a real economic development program and plan in place.”
Boyd sees aviation as major opportunity
One industry Boyd believes could play an important role is aviation.
He pointed to the aviation sector as a potential source of research-and-development and office projects, complementing the region's existing aviation infrastructure.
“You look at the high-growth aviation sector, which will be an opportunity for R&D and office projects for Atlantic City,” Boyd said.
There is already significant development activity surrounding that sector.
ACEA's 2025 annual report highlighted work connected to the William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace and the National Aerospace Research & Technology Park. The organization also cited plans for the Atlantic Logistics Center near Atlantic City International Airport, a proposed multi-phase air-cargo project that ACEA says could eventually support 1,500 jobs.
Boyd said Atlantic City's comparatively affordable oceanfront real estate is another potential economic-development advantage.
His broader goal is a city that functions as a year-round place to live and work rather than an economy overwhelmingly tied to visitors gambling in casinos.
‘You can’t take the live out of live, work, play’
Boyd pointed to the wave of residential development underway in Atlantic City as another encouraging sign.
“You can’t take the live out of live, work, play,” Boyd said.
“You need folks in the regional labor force living in Atlantic City, paying taxes, being invested in the community, supporting local businesses.”
And housing, he said, needs to be paired with jobs.
“You can’t take the work out of live, work, play,” Boyd said.
He cited aviation as one potential growth sector and also pointed to higher education and health care, including Stockton University's presence in Atlantic City and Temple University's plans for a medical-school campus.
Boyd described those institutional investments as a “vote of confidence” that could help attract related businesses.
“Success breeds success,” Boyd said. “Momentum creates more momentum.”
Boyd says outside perception of Atlantic City is changing
Boyd's perspective is particularly noteworthy because his company advises corporations on where to locate facilities and works with developers on projects around North America.
“My firm, the Boyd Company, counsels major corporations where to locate facilities throughout North America,” Boyd said. “We also advise some of the nation’s top developers on where to do projects coast to coast.”
Boyd said his firm is active in casino markets around the country and has a long history in Las Vegas. He is now based in Florida but maintains ties to New Jersey and spends part of the year in Margate.
He said what he hears in conversations with business leaders suggests Atlantic City's investment image is improving.
Boyd pointed to development projects, recent private investment and what he described as improvements in the city's fiscal position.
“All of that makes the city a much less risky place to invest,” Boyd said.
“And I hear that in my travels around the country, talking with business leaders, other influential people.”
His assessment of the current moment was striking.
“Atlantic City is looked at really as a time — this is a time, a window to get in before it’s too late,” Boyd said.
Could new casinos also create an opportunity?
Boyd also offered a less conventional take on Atlantic City's new competition.
While he expects New York and potential North Jersey casinos to hurt Atlantic City's gambling business, he said regional casino networks and loyalty programs could potentially expose new customers to the resort.
“One of the areas that Atlantic City has always struggled was getting global tourism,” Boyd said.
He believes customers visiting New York casinos could potentially be encouraged through loyalty programs to also visit Atlantic City.
“The big opportunity for Atlantic City [is] to get some global tourism with respect to a lot of the new gamblers and point systems in New York City,” Boyd said.
That opportunity would not erase the competitive threat.
The ACEA study recommends immediate economic diversification and creation of living-wage jobs outside gaming and tourism. It also calls for continued investment in Atlantic City's convention and meeting business and warns against adding North Jersey casinos without protections for the South Jersey economy.
Boyd's argument is that Atlantic City should not wait to find out how severe the damage will be.
The competition is coming. The city, he says, should use the time it has now to make sure casino gambling is no longer carrying so much of the economic load.
About the Author
Karen Johnson
With over 30 years of news experience in major markets like Los Angeles, Denver, and Columbus, Karen now covers our area for South Jersey NewsBeat. She also brings her articulate and conversational news delivery to WOND radio listeners every weekday. Her background includes work with the NBC Radio Network, and she thrives in fast-paced news environments.
