The Atlantic City casino industry has long been part of the city’s rhythm, lighting up the Boardwalk, filling hotel rooms, creating jobs, and drawing visitors from across the region. But with the Casinos Unite Against Hunger campaign, the industry is showing another side of its strength: standing shoulder to shoulder with neighbors who need help putting food on the table.
Since launching in May 2025, the campaign has raised nearly $400,000 for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the equivalent of more than 1.2 million meals for individuals and families facing food insecurity.
That is not a small gesture. That is a community meal table stretched across South Jersey.
The latest milestone came during the inaugural Meal on a Mission: A Chef’s Tableside Experience, held June 12 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The event brought together chefs, casino leaders, local businesses, and community supporters for an evening built around food, service, and purpose.
The Atlantic City casino industry contributed nearly $120,000 during the event. That included a $50,000 donation from the Casino Association of New Jersey and a $50,000 donation from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City in honor of the property’s eighth anniversary.
“Meal on a Mission is a powerful example of what can happen when the Atlantic City community comes together around a common goal,” said George Goldhoff, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey. His words carried the spirit of the night: one industry, one region, one shared responsibility.
The culinary event featured participation from chefs and restaurants representing Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Entertainment properties, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. It was not just a fundraiser. It was a reminder that hospitality, at its best, means feeding people in every sense of the word.
The campaign’s impact has gone beyond dollars. Casino employees have volunteered with CFBNJ programs and joined outreach efforts throughout the region. During the 2025 holiday season, the industry helped support a mobile food pantry in Ventnor and provided 1,200 turkeys to families in need. In 2026, Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City donated $20,000, while the MGM Resorts Foundation added $10,000 to support CFBNJ’s work.
Elizabeth McCarthy, President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, put the need plainly. Too many families face impossible choices between bills, housing, and food. Support from partners like the Casino Association of New Jersey helps CFBNJ continue its work toward ending hunger in the Garden State.
For Atlantic City, this campaign reflects something deeper than corporate giving. It is about civic duty. It is about the idea that a strong destination must also be a strong neighbor.
From the kitchens to the casino floors, from the Boardwalk to the food pantry line, Casinos Unite Against Hunger proves that when a community moves together, it can turn generosity into meals, meals into dignity, and dignity into hope.