New Jersey internet gambling sets another revenue record at $213 million

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ — New Jersey’s Internet gambling market set another record in October, the latest evidence that people are betting more of their money online rather than coming to Atlantic City to gamble it in person.

Figures released Monday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement show that the casinos and their online partners won $213.6 million in October, surpassing September’s previous record of $208 million.

When in-person casino winnings, Internet and sports betting are included, the nine casinos, two horse racing tracks that take sports bets and their online partners won just under $500 million in October, up 2.6% from a year ago.

But internet and sports betting money isn’t just for the casinos; it must be shared with third parties, including sports books and technology platforms. For that reason, the casinos consider winning money from personal customers as their core business.

And that business lags behind two-thirds of the casinos. Only three casinos – Borgata, Hard Rock and Ocean – won more from in-person gamblers last month than in October 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The shift toward internet gambling and away from in-person casino gambling has accelerated during the pandemic and is becoming an increasingly permanent feature of New Jersey’s gambling landscape.

Jane Bokunewicz, director of the Lloyd Levenson Institute at Stockton University, which studies the gambling industry in Atlantic City, said the trend is becoming increasingly apparent.

“Despite a historically dry and very mild October, land-based gaming operators in Atlantic City did not see strong gains in 2023, instead declining 8.5% year over year,” she said.

But total casino revenues were up more than 9% on a year ago, “thanks in no small part to internet gaming, which continued a record run,” she said.

James Plousis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, noted that internet revenues surpassed in-person casino revenues in October for the first time, with the exception of the few months in 2020 when brick-and-mortar casinos were closed due to the pandemic.

He also noted that Internet gambling revenues exceeded $200 million for the second month in a row.

“These two achievements are emblematic of the importance of online gaming as part of the evolving casino industry,” he said.

In terms of personal gambling revenue, Borgata won $53.4 million, down 6.1% from a year earlier; Hard Rock won $40.8 million, down 1%; Ocean won $32.8 million, down more than 24%; Tropicana won $17.6 million, up 7.4%; Harrah’s gained $15.7 million, down 11.5%; Caesars won just under $15 million, up 4.1%; Resorts gained $12 million, down more than 9%; Bally’s gained $11.4 million, down 7.8%; and Golden Nugget won $9.6 million, down more than 20%.

When internet and sports betting money is included, Borgata won $106.1 million, up 5.8%; Resorts gained $88.7 million, up nearly 19%; Golden Nugget won $76.7 million, up almost 25%; Hard Rock won $55.1 million, up 6.2%; Ocean won $39 million, down almost 19%; Bally’s won $23.1 million, up 17.2%; Tropicana won $17.7 million, up 9.1%; Harrah’s gained $15.8 million, down 10.6%; and Caesars won $15.2 million, up 1.5%.

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