UNITE HERE Local 54 has reached one-year labor agreements covering eight of Atlantic City’s nine casinos, bringing the city’s 2026 contract negotiations close to completion. Golden Nugget Atlantic City workers are scheduled to vote on their agreement on August 20, while Bally’s Atlantic City remains the only property without a deal if that vote is approved. The latest status was reported on August 17 by the Press of Atlantic City.
Key Facts
| Detail | Confirmed Status |
| Main union | UNITE HERE Local 54 |
| Market | Atlantic City, New Jersey |
| Casinos in market | 9 |
| Casinos with agreements reached | 8 |
| Golden Nugget status | Agreement reached; ratification vote Aug. 20 |
| Bally’s status | No new agreement confirmed as of Aug. 18 |
| Contract length | One year |
| Previous major agreements expired | May 31, 2026 |
| Latest report | Aug. 17, 2026 |
Seven Casinos Have Already Moved Through Ratification
The negotiations developed in stages rather than through a single citywide settlement.
By June 9, Local 54 had completed one-year deals at six casinos: Borgata, Caesars, Harrah’s, Tropicana, Ocean Casino Resort and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Hard Rock was the sixth, with members approving its agreement by 99.3%.
Official Local 54 posts also recorded 99% approval at Borgata, 98% among workers voting at the three Caesars Entertainment properties — Caesars, Harrah’s and Tropicana — and 98% at Ocean Casino Resort. Resorts Casino Hotel later joined the group, with its members voting overwhelmingly for a one-year extension.
That leaves Golden Nugget as the eighth property where negotiators have reached an agreement but members have not yet completed the ratification process.
Golden Nugget Workers Vote August 20
Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio said Golden Nugget members are scheduled to vote Thursday, August 20, on the agreement reached by union negotiators.
Approval would bring the number of casinos with ratified one-year agreements to eight and leave Bally’s as the only Atlantic City property still requiring a settlement.
Until the vote takes place, however, the Golden Nugget agreement should be described as pending ratification, rather than as a completed contract.
Why Atlantic City Is Using One-Year Agreements
The short duration is one of the most significant elements of the 2026 bargaining cycle.
Major Atlantic City collective-bargaining agreements from the previous cycle ran through May 31, 2026. Hard Rock disclosed that expiration date in a regulatory financial filing, while Caesars Entertainment separately reported the same date for its Atlantic City food, beverage and hotel employees represented by Local 54.
Instead of immediately replacing those arrangements with another multiyear framework, the casinos and union have largely settled on one-year agreements.
DeCaprio said during the earlier round of negotiations that both sides considered a one-year deal preferable because of the significant uncertainty facing the Atlantic City casino market. The UNITE HERE Local 54 union represents hospitality workers including housekeepers, bartenders, food servers, cooks and other service employees.
The one-year structure effectively gives both sides a shorter window before another round of bargaining, rather than locking in assumptions about Atlantic City’s operating environment several years ahead.
July Revenue Shows Growth Alongside a Changing Gaming Mix
The labor uncertainty should not be interpreted as evidence that Atlantic City’s casino revenue is currently falling across the board.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement’s July 2026 results show the nine Atlantic City casino hotels generated approximately $304.2 million in casino win during July, an increase of 7.1% from July 2025. It was their strongest July casino-win result since 2012.
At the same time, internet gaming continued growing faster over the longer term. Online casino operators and their partners generated approximately $276.9 million in July, up 12%, and year-to-date internet gaming win reached about $1.87 billion. Land-based casino win through July was about $1.72 billion.
Those figures illustrate a changing New Jersey gaming market rather than a simple expansion or contraction story. They are revenue measurements and do not by themselves establish the profitability, labor costs or financial health of every individual Atlantic City property.
For U.S. readers, the labor negotiations also concern Atlantic City’s regulated casino industry and should not be confused with the separate regulatory questions surrounding state-regulated online casinos and offshore crypto casinos. New Jersey remains a state-regulated online casino jurisdiction in addition to operating its nine physical Atlantic City casinos.
Bally’s Becomes the Final Negotiating Focus
Bally’s entered this final stage of negotiations while making a change at the top of its Atlantic City operation.
Veteran Atlantic City casino executive Tom Pohlman announced on August 17 that he had accepted the role of president of Bally’s Atlantic City. Pohlman previously ran Golden Nugget Atlantic City and had spent approximately 15 years in Atlantic City’s Marina District. His announcement of the Bally’s appointment was also independently reported by local gaming media.
The Press of Atlantic City reported that bargaining with Bally’s was expected to begin the following week after Pohlman’s appointment. No exact bargaining date was confirmed in the material reviewed, so that timetable remains an expectation rather than a fixed milestone.
What the Agreements Mean for Atlantic City
The immediate significance is labor stability at most of the city’s casino properties without committing either side to another lengthy contract period.
The agreements do not change New Jersey casino licensing, legal gambling age requirements, online gaming regulation or the operating status of Atlantic City’s casinos. They are collective-bargaining arrangements governing represented employees and their employers.
For operators, the short duration means another bargaining cycle will arrive relatively quickly. For workers, it preserves a negotiated agreement during a period in which both the union and operators have acknowledged uncertainty about Atlantic City’s future competitive environment.
What Happens Next?
The next confirmed milestone is August 20, 2026, when Golden Nugget workers are scheduled to vote on their agreement.
If members approve it, Bally’s will become the sole remaining Atlantic City casino without a completed one-year deal with Local 54.
Attention would then shift to negotiations between Bally’s and the union. The timing and terms of any Bally’s agreement remain unresolved as of August 18.
Because the Golden Nugget vote has not yet occurred, this story should be updated after August 20 rather than describing all eight agreements as fully ratified today.
FAQ
Eight of Atlantic City’s nine casinos had reached one-year agreements with Local 54 negotiators as of August 17, 2026. Golden Nugget’s agreement still requires a member ratification vote scheduled for August 20.
Bally’s Atlantic City is the remaining property without a new agreement, assuming Golden Nugget members approve their pending deal.
The ratification vote is scheduled for Thursday, August 20, 2026. The result should be checked before any article published after that date is treated as current.
Local 54 President Donna DeCaprio said the union and casino companies preferred one-year agreements because of significant uncertainty surrounding the Atlantic City casino market.
No. These are employment agreements between casino operators and represented workers. They do not change New Jersey’s online casino licensing or regulatory framework.
