Located about an hour’s drive from Philadelphia and two hours from New York City, Stockton University sits at the pinnacle of the Eastern Seaboard’s business communities. But beyond using its proximity to business hubs in neighboring states, the university has also developed a research hub that provides information and analysis for New Jersey's government and business sectors.
Stockton University's LIGHT Institute
When it comes to gaming and hospitality, Stockton University has a clear home-field advantage. With an Atlantic City campus just steps from the Boardwalk and minutes from the nearest casino, the university’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT) provides a public policy forum for the Garden State’s gaming ecosystem. The institute, along with other university bodies, plays a key role in the industry’s thought leadership and policy, producing reports, managing events, and other initiatives that grab the industry’s attention in New Jersey and beyond.
The institute combines academic research with practical analysis of issues facing industry leaders and policymakers. Its work includes economic reports, publications, conferences, and public discussions about gaming, hospitality, and their regional impact.
A new era of leadership
Dr. Brian Tyrrell became LIGHT's faculty director July 1, succeeding the now-retired Jane Bokunewicz. Tyrrell brings experience from more than two decades as a professor of Hospitality and Tourism Studies at Stockton University and was involved with the research center that preceded LIGHT. That background provides a foundation for examining how academic research can support an industry operating at the meeting point of gaming, tourism, hospitality, and public policy.
“I am excited about providing opportunities to fellow faculty, staff, and students, opportunities that have been afforded to me over the years by former directors, like Jane,” Tyrrell told Covers. “Having been involved in such research over the years has helped to shape me as a professional, and now I can do the same for others.”
The change comes as New Jersey’s gaming industry faces an increasingly competitive landscape, driven by the growth of online gambling, new casino competition in the region, and shifting patterns in tourism and consumer spending.
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LIGHT's role in NJ's changing gaming landscape
Growth of iGaming
LIGHT's monthly gaming revenue analysis helps put New Jersey's online gambling growth into context, distinguishing between statewide gross gaming revenue and the financial performance of Atlantic City's physical casino properties. The growing importance of online gambling has become a regular topic in the monthly report despite the Atlantic City market being best known for its land-based casinos.
“This year, iGaming has grown in size to slightly over half of gross gaming revenue in the state, on par with brick-and-mortar revenue,” Tyrrell said. “Of course, each of these iGaming providers must either be the brick-and-mortar resort, an affiliate, or a provider that contracts with an Atlantic City property in a revenue-sharing arrangement intended to help support the resort and subsequently the employment therein.”
Regional casino competition
LIGHT also focuses its expertise away from New Jersey to examine how the planned expansion of casino gaming in New York City would affect Atlantic City’s hotels, entertainment, and reputation as a resort destination.
The institute also facilitates discussions about Atlantic City's continued investment in its properties and attractions. LIGHT’s March 2026 gaming revenue commentary argued casinos will need to make their on-site experiences more distinctive as new regional competition develops. Online gaming may provide an additional revenue stream, but its benefits to operators can be affected by revenue-sharing arrangements with third-party partners.
Tyrrell said Atlantic City has faced increased competition for decades, yet much of the competition in Pennsylvania has been more akin to convenience gambling. Although the competition initially hurt visitation, Atlantic City has since stabilized because its destination resorts offer a different experience from convenience-oriented casinos. The existing and proposed casinos in New York City represent a new challenge as they resemble destinations.
Casino ownership, market concentration
LIGHT has been contributing research and expert commentary to the debate over consolidation within the casino industry. On May 29, 2026, Tyrrell, then the incoming faculty director, commented on Fertitta Entertainment's proposed $17.6-billion acquisition of Caesars Entertainment. The deal raised questions about ownership clusters in Atlantic City, where a combined company could own four of the city's nine casinos.
Tyrrell spoke of the potential relevance of the New Jersey Casino Control Act's provisions concerning “undue economic concentration.” He compared the proposal with the 2020 Eldorado Resorts–Caesars merger, after which Eldorado briefly controlled four Atlantic City casinos before selling Bally's to another operator. He noted regulatory approval would depend in part on Fertitta Entertainment's stated plans for the business.
“The larger market that Atlantic City resorts operate in is significantly different today. New Jersey’s casinos operate in a larger marketplace in the Northeast U.S., and the definition of undue economic concentration might have to be expanded to account for the increased competition outside of the state.”
Research, publications, industry outreach
LIGHT’s work appears in publications and data updates built for different audiences. The International Journal of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism provides an academic platform for research into industries closely aligned with the institute's goals. LIGHT's On offers commentary and analysis on issues affecting gaming and tourism, with a public audience able to access research and expert insights.
The institute’s portfolio includes the “Impact: Atlantic City Casino Industry” report, produced with the Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ); the annual Jersey Shoreview conference, co-hosted with Visit Atlantic City; and Jersey Shorecast, a panel featuring Stockton faculty and regional experts.
LIGHT’s monthly gaming and hospitality data snapshots track current market performance, giving readers a recurring view of revenue trends and developments across New Jersey’s gaming industry. According to LIGHT’s 2025 media-monitoring figures, its work was mentioned in 408 articles, with coverage spanning 24 U.S. states and 19 foreign countries.
Additional research angles
LIGHT’s research also examines the broader visitor experience and factors shaping Atlantic City as a tourism destination. Its 2026 "Taste Atlantic City Patron Survey Report" examines the experiences of restaurant patrons.
The institute’s 2025 "Understanding Public Perceptions of Atlantic City" survey explores public opinion in the region, offering insight into how people view the city beyond its casino industry. These findings can help inform tourism promotion and discussions about Atlantic City’s appeal.
An Atlantic City focus
Sitting within Stockton University’s School of Business, LIGHT examines sectors with direct economic importance for southern New Jersey, particularly Atlantic City, where casinos contribute to employment, public revenues, tourism and local business activity.
Like gaming markets elsewhere, Atlantic City is undergoing major changes, including online gambling growth, regional competition from planned New York City casinos, potential in-state competition from proposed racinos, rising operating costs, and investment in destination resort facilities. Understanding these developments is relevant to Stockton because they directly impact the businesses, workers, and communities surrounding the university.
LIGHT's latest casino industry report
One of LIGHT’s principal publications is "Impact: Atlantic City Casino Industry," a report produced in collaboration with CANJ. The most recent edition, published in May 2026, examines casino revenue, taxes and fees, employment, spending with New Jersey vendors, capital investment, and community engagement. The report uses state data and figures reported by casino operators to merge information that helps readers assess the industry's economic footprint.
The report demonstrates how LIGHT brings together information from different sources to assess an industry's wider economic footprint. Its references include New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement financial and employment data, state reports on Casino Revenue Fund allocations, U.S. labor statistics, and information supplied by casino operators through CANJ.
That combination gives readers a view of several interconnected measures: gaming revenue, operating profitability, taxation, employment, vendor purchasing, investment, and community engagement.
This approach gives policymakers, businesses, and researchers a shared body of evidence while clarifying what the figures can and cannot establish. The report documents the industry's contributions without suggesting higher gross gaming revenue necessarily means greater profitability or that reported investment automatically translates into community benefits.
Gaming revenues and operating performance
Atlantic City’s casinos generated approximately $3.29 billion in total net revenue in 2025, down slightly from $3.31 billion and $3.33 billion in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Net gaming revenue showed a small increase of 0.8% year over year to $1.67 billion, but roughly half of the total came from $1.74 billion in non-gaming revenue.
Total gross gaming revenue reached $6.47 billion, up from $5.70 billion in 2024. Internet gaming generated $2.91 billion, or 45% of total gross gaming revenue, surpassing traditional casino gaming for the first time. Mobile sports betting contributed a further $661.3 million, while retail sports betting accounted for $4.6 million.
Despite record gross gaming revenue, gross operating profit fell 3.9% from 2024's $709.2 million, marking its third consecutive annual decline. Profit was 16.3% below its 2022 peak of $814.2 million. LIGHT attributes the pressure to rising operating expenses, including wage increases, inflation-related costs, and spending on marketing and promotions amid regional competition.
Taxes and state contributions
The report shows that Atlantic City's casinos paid $1.10 billion in taxes and fees in 2025, up 24.8% from $883.2 million in 2024. The total was 38.5% higher than in 2023, when contributions reached $796 million. Online gambling was once again the driver, accounting for a large share of the growth.
For fiscal 2025, covering July 2024-June 2025, casino operators contributed a record $661.7 million to the Casino Revenue Fund. Allocations included approximately $590 million for housing for people with developmental disabilities, as well as funding for pharmaceutical assistance and community-based senior programs.
Employment and purchasing
Atlantic City’s nine casino properties employed approximately 22,500 people in 2025, including 14,500 Atlantic County residents and 4,600 Atlantic City residents. They remain a major source of employment for the region, accounting for around 11.1% of Atlantic County’s labor force and 33% in the city proper.
The industry's economic impact extends beyond its direct workforce. Casino operators purchased $634 million in goods and services from New Jersey businesses, a $30-million increase year over year. Nearly 60% of that spending, $373.9 million, went to businesses in Atlantic County.
Employment statistics measure direct jobs, while vendor spending shows how casino operations generate demand for goods and services elsewhere in the state.
Capital investment, community involvement
Casino operators reported $195.6 million in capital expenditures in 2025, bringing investment over the five years from 2021-2025 to more than $1.2 billion. Projects included hotel room renovations, expanded gaming spaces, and improvements to dining and entertainment facilities.
The report also highlights contributions that went to local communities. The casino industry reported more than $3.1 million in charitable giving, grants, sponsorships, and in-kind contributions, alongside 10,870 volunteer hours.
Research with a real-world application
LIGHT's research provides insight into the challenges facing Atlantic City's gaming and hospitality industries, including online gambling growth and regional casino competition. Through its industry reports, tourism research, and partnerships with stakeholders, the institute helps inform discussions about the region's economic future.
Tyrrell said LIGHT will continue expanding its partnerships and supporting the future of gaming, hospitality, and tourism in Atlantic City.
“Being a forum for public policy discussions on the resorts’ future, and its vital role in the larger tourism economy in New Jersey, is more important today than ever,” he said.
