Atlantic City casinos offer free self-parking, but resorts aren't entirely to blame
Atlantic City casinos are trying to lure guests back to New Jersey's gambling mecca after the pandemic. The latest news doesn't do the resort any favors.
As of Sept. 1, no casinos are offering free self-parking to all visitors. Although most guests refund their parking fees after spending a certain amount at the resort, and most Casino Rewards members do as well, the cost of parking may be a deterrent for some visitors who are considering a trip to the casino capital of the East Coast.
Free valet and self-parking used to be staples in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. But the benefits offered to customers of all spending levels and rewards status are long gone.
MGM Resorts started the trend of eliminating free valet and self-parking in Las Vegas in 2016. Caesars Entertainment quickly followed suit, which resulted in nearly all strip hotels imposing parking fees. Atlantic City's casinos, meanwhile, stopped offering free parking, although unlike Las Vegas, the resorts weren't the only ones responsible.
STATE PARKING FEE
New Jersey allowed Atlantic City to host a commercial casino in exchange for a large share of the gambling resort's revenue. In addition to charging 8 percent of the nine casinos' gross gaming revenue, the state also charges a $3-a-day fee for each parking space occupied by a casino guest.
Each casino is responsible for monitoring the number of cars parked in its garage and pays the state a fee of $3 per vehicle per day. Parking fees add up quickly.
Casino parking fees totaled more than $18.6 million in fiscal year 2023, which ended June 30, according to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. However, as new casino competition emerged in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, the New Jersey Shore saw fewer visitors and parking fees dropped significantly over the years.
For example, in fiscal year 2007, parking fees totaled $37.3 million. Ten years later, in 2017, that number had dropped to $20.1 million.
Atlantic City casinos will not fully pass on state parking fees to guests. Even for non-rewards members who are not charged parking fees, self-parking fees are generally lower than what the state charges casinos.
Unlike Las Vegas, where parking is typically charged on a 24-hour basis, Atlantic City Casino charges on a per-entry or per-visit basis. For some properties, prices will also change based on demand.
Atlantic City Self Parking Rates (Per Visit)
- Bally’s – $10 to $25
- Borgata – $10 Caesar – $10 to $25
- Gold Nugget – $10
- Hard Rock – Depends on demand
- Harrah's – $10 to $20 Ocean – $15 Resort – USD 10 to USD 20
- Tropicana – $25 to $30
The above fees can be avoided if guests carefully review each casino's specific parking policies. Sometimes, even a small purchase at a casino is enough to validate a parking ticket.
State Parking Revenue
New Jersey's casino parking tax incentives primarily go to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), the state agency responsible for "promoting economic and community development in casino cities."
$2.50 of the $3 state parking fee goes to the CRDA. The remaining $0.50 will be deposited into the state’s Casino Revenue Fund. The Casino Revenue Fund is a special account administered by the New Jersey Department of Revenue to benefit senior and disabled residents of the Garden State. Allocations are determined by the 15-member Casino Revenue Fund Advisory Committee.
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Source: www.casino.org