Online gambling in New Jersey set a new monthly record in October, a fitting way to approach the industry’s 10-year anniversary in November.
The new all-time record also pushed the lifetime total of NJ’s online gambling industry to over $7 billion, based on data from state gaming regulators.
October was hot for NJ online casinos
According to the latest figures from the state Division of Gaming Enforcement, NJ online casinos generated nearly $166.8 million in October. The monthly total was a 13.3% increase over October 2022.
Last month’s total eclipsed the prior all-time high of $165.7 million set in March 2023. It was only the third time ever that monthly NJ online gambling revenue was more than $160 million, with May 2023 ($161.4 million) joining the other two instances.
As a share of the total monthly gaming revenue reported by Atlantic City casino licensees, internet gaming accounted for 39.4% of the market in October. That is the highest monthly percentage in the decadelong history of legal internet casinos in NJ.
Year-to-date, NJ online casinos have generated more than $1.57 billion, a 15.1% increase compared to the first 10 months of 2022. The annual total of iGaming revenue last year was $1.66 billion, the largest ever yearly haul of any US jurisdiction with legal online gambling.
Growth is the name of the game for NJ internet gambling
COVID-19 forced AC casinos to close in March 2020 and accelerated the growth of online gambling in NJ.
Since NJ online casino revenue first eclipsed the $100-million mark in January 2021, only once (February 2021) has the market segment failed to do so again. NJ online casinos have generated more than $140 million in every month of 2023.
Golden Nugget AC and its online partners, including FanDuel Online Casino, BetRivers and BetWay, generated October’s highest revenue. The AC market leader reported just shy of $49.4 million last month.
Resorts Digital also exceeded $45 million in October, according to the NJDGE. The group, including Resorts Casino, Mohegan Sun Casino, Poker Stars and DraftKings Online Casino, reported $46 million.
Clearly impacted by September’s cyber security incident, MGM Resort International’s Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and its online partners posted a 13.2% decline in October. Collectively, BetMGM, Borgata Online Casino and others, tallied more than $35.5 million.
Combined, those three licensees accounted for 78.5% of the digital market’s monthly total.
In terms of percentage increases, Bally’s AC (+49.6%) and Ocean Casino (+51.2%) led the way in October.
Here is a breakdown of the October NJ online casino revenue results by AC casino license:
| Licensee | Total Revenue | Slots & Tables | Poker | Taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bally's Atlantic City | $7,061,175 | $7,061,175 | --- | $1,059,176 |
| Borgata | $35,565,728 | $34,869,091 | $696,637 | $5,338,436 |
| Caesars Atlantic City | $6,034,565 | $5,188,306 | $846,259 | $907,658 |
| Golden Nugget Atlantic City | $49,388,870 | $49,388,870 | --- | $6,494,860 |
| Hard Rock Atlantic City | $8,335,901 | $8,335,901 | --- | $1,223,766 |
| Harrah's Atlantic City | $8 | $8 | --- | $1 |
| Ocean | $4,927,264 | $4,927,264 | --- | $740,121 |
| Resorts Atlantic City | $46,042,901 | $45,213,374 | $829,527 | $6,906,435 |
| Tropicana Atlantic City | $9,442,660 | $9,442,660 | --- | $1,416,399 |
| Total | $166,799,072 | $164,426,649 | $2,372,423 | $24,086,852 |
