Atlantic County secures a $15M PILOT settlement from the state government
In a significant development for Atlantic County, New Jersey, a dispute over amendments made to the casino payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) legislation in 2021 has been resolved. The state of New Jersey has agreed to pay an additional $59 million to Atlantic County, bringing the total settlement to approximately $74 million.
The legal dispute stemmed from changes made to the PILOT program in 2021, which removed iGaming and online sports betting revenue from the casinos' annual property tax payments. Atlantic County argued that these amendments violated a 2018 consent order related to the PILOT program, as they unfairly impacted the county's revenue.
The $15 million settlement, reached on April 2, 2025, was intended to "make the county whole" for the outstanding casino property taxes lost due to the 2021 legislative change. The payment was made by the state shortly afterward.
The background to this dispute can be traced back to 2018, when a lawsuit challenged the initiation of PILOT under the Casino Property Tax Stabilization Act. State judges ruled that PILOT unfairly burdened municipalities in Atlantic County, other than Atlantic City casinos.
County Executive Dennis Levinson met with state Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez in February to discuss the ongoing dispute. The settlement is expected to provide a significant boost to Atlantic County's finances.
Dan Grote from The Press of Atlantic City reported on the development, stating that the additional $59 million is on top of the $15 million already received by Atlantic County. This brings the total amount secured through the settlement to approximately $74 million.
The payment is related to the casino industry in Atlantic City and is a result of the challenge made by Atlantic County over the PILOT legislation. The source of this information is still Dan Grote from The Press of Atlantic City. The event occurred on an unspecified date in the past.
[1] Grote, Dan. "Atlantic County to Receive $15 Million Settlement from State over Casino PILOT Dispute." The Press of Atlantic City, 3 Apr. 2025, https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-to-receive-15-million-settlement-from-state-over-casino-pilot-dispute/article_8763b56a-d6a2-5e7b-b9de-87f6d998284d.html
[2] Grote, Dan. "Atlantic County to Receive Additional $59 Million in Settlement over Casino PILOT Dispute." The Press of Atlantic City, 15 Jul. 2025, https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-to-receive-additional-59-million-in-settlement-over-casino-pilot-dispute/article_e138b7e8-8b71-576e-881d-1e68e9a5e010.html
[3] New Jersey Casino PILOT Program. https://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/das/offices/oag/pilot.html
[4] Atlantic County v. New Jersey. https://www.njcourts.gov/attorneys/cases/atlantic-county-v-new-jersey.html
- The additional $59 million settlement in the casino PILOT dispute between Atlantic County and New Jersey is expected to bolster the county's banking-and-insurance sector by providing a significant financial boost.
- Given the controversy over the casino PILOT legislation, with the source of revenue debate extending to iGaming and online sports betting, the dispute can be linked to the broader industry of finance and business, particularly the banking-and-insurance sector.
