Ocean Casino Resort is pouring $14 million into a major overhaul of The Cove, its high-limit slot lounge, expanding the space by roughly 60 percent to 11,935 square feet and packing in more than 192 slot machines ahead of an early 2027 debut. The Atlantic City Boardwalk property says the redesigned room, set next to its Asian table games area, is a direct response to what it describes as overwhelming demand for high-end slot play.
According to StreetInsider, the expanded Cove will feature machines from Aristocrat, Light & Wonder, IGT and other manufacturers, along with linked games, progressive-style experiences and video poker in a coastal-inspired setting meant to evoke the Atlantic Ocean just outside. The project is part of a larger push at the resort to increase its overall slot inventory. Ocean Casino Resort general manager Bill Callahan called the transformation “a significant investment in Ocean Casino Resort's future and guest experiences,” per the same report. The new room will also add specialized cocktail service, comfortable seating, dedicated restrooms, cashier booths and an enhanced beverage menu.
From Pandemic-Era Pop-Up to Nearly 12,000 Square Feet
The Cove didn't start out this big. The lounge originally opened in December 2020 as a 7,450-square-foot high-limit slot room built through a $2 million renovation featuring 140 machines, according to PlayNJ. That initial footprint repurposed underused casino floor space during pandemic-era facility adjustments, making the jump to nearly 12,000 square feet and 192-plus machines a striking leap in less than six years.
The slot room sits alongside other recent additions at Ocean, including an 8,000-square-foot Asian gaming space that was recently doubled in size and now offers 32 tables for baccarat and pai gow poker, per StreetInsider. The resort also operates The Loft, a private 2,000-square-foot luxury gaming suite 44 stories above Atlantic City with butler service, a top-shelf bar and floor-to-ceiling ocean views, plus Ocean's 18 Mini Golf & Bar, a two-level attraction featuring holograms from Hypervsn, the same company behind technology used at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Betting on Slots as Table Games Soften
The Cove's expansion lands at a moment when slot machines are outperforming table games across Atlantic City. Slot revenue citywide rose 2.4 percent year-over-year to $199.4 million in May, while table game revenue fell 6.1 percent to $66.2 million, according to PlayNJ. Stockton University analyst Brian Tyrrell suggested the decline could be a possible indication of competition from Resorts World New York, which launched table games on April 28. Casinos across the city are leaning harder into high-margin slot areas like The Cove as a result.
Ocean posted $52.1 million from in-person gambling in July, placing it third among Atlantic City's nine commercial casinos behind Borgata's $81.6 million and Hard Rock's $57.3 million, the Press of Atlantic City reported. That surge came even after a minor fire and flood forced the resort to suspend gambling operations for more than 24 hours in late July, costing an estimated $1 million in lost operational revenue, Press of Atlantic City reported.
Industry Costs Squeeze Profits Citywide
Ocean's momentum stands out against a broader industry profit squeeze. Atlantic City's nine casinos saw overall gross operating profit fall 9.3 percent year over year in the second quarter of 2026 even as revenues held steady, according to the Press of Atlantic City.
Stockton University gaming analyst Brian Tyrrell has pointed to the city's highest second-quarter operating expenses in nine years as the culprit, with rising labor, goods and digital-operations costs compressing margins industry-wide even as gaming revenue climbs. That cost pressure helps explain why operators like Ocean are funneling capital into higher-margin spaces such as The Cove rather than expanding table games.
A Single Owner, a Bigger Renovation Pipeline
The Cove investment follows a broader capital spending wave at Ocean. In 2025 the resort announced more than $50 million in property improvements, including a renovation of its remaining 559 guest rooms and suites, expanded gaming spaces and five new dining concepts, building on an earlier $75 million investment cycle, per PlayNJ. StreetInsider notes the property now counts 1,860 newly renovated guest rooms and suites overall, along with a 135,000-square-foot casino floor, a 4,500-seat concert venue and 160,000 square feet of meeting and convention space.
Those decisions now run through a single owner. Detroit-based Ilitch Gaming finalized its buyout of the remaining 50 percent stake in Ocean from Luxor Capital Group in August, giving it full control of the property after originally acquiring half the resort for $175 million in 2021. Unified ownership simplifies capital allocation as Ocean competes against rival Borgata, which poured $107 million into its own tower renovation this year.
Ocean, which spans more than 20 beachfront acres along the Boardwalk, also operates Exhale Spa & Bathhouse, per StreetInsider.
