iGaming Revenue Surpasses Atlantic City Casino Totals in January, Launching a Powerful 2025 for New Jersey’s Gambling Market

Atlantic City casino revenue experienced a positive uptick in January 2025, but it was significantly overshadowed by the booming iGaming sector. This trend underscores a broader shift in the New Jersey gambling landscape, with online platforms demonstrating robust growth while traditional brick-and-mortar casinos face ongoing challenges.

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Strong January Results for New Jersey’s Gambling Industry

According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), the state’s nine Atlantic City casinos collectively generated $210 million in revenue during January. This represents a 2.6% year-over-year improvement, partially attributed to an extra weekend day compared to the previous year. Notably, James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, described January as “the second-best January result in 13 years.” Slot machines contributed approximately $145.4 million to the house, a 2% increase, while table game revenue saw a more substantial climb of over 4% to reach $64.6 million.

iGaming Dominates Revenue Growth

However, iGaming truly stole the spotlight, with online casino slots, interactive table games, and poker rake generating over $221.6 million in revenue. This figure marks a remarkable 21% year-over-year surge and represents only the second instance since New Jersey legalized online casino gaming in late 2013 where internet platforms surpassed the revenue generated by physical casinos. The nine Atlantic City casinos witnessed a slight 1.1% decrease in in-person play, totaling approximately $2.81 billion. In contrast, iGaming experienced a substantial 24% surge to $2.38 billion, with regulated gaming platforms earning about $463.4 million more from remote players compared to January 2023.

Key Statistics on New Jersey iGaming Rally:

• iGaming revenue in January 2025: Over $221.6 million
• Year-over-year growth in iGaming revenue: 21%
• Total iGaming revenue in 2023: $10.4 billion
• Number of online gaming operators licensed in New Jersey: Over 50

The trend suggests that iGaming will continue its expansion, further solidifying its position as a key driver of growth in New Jersey’s gambling market. While weekend play is typically higher for online casinos, the disparity between midweek and weekend activity is less pronounced compared to the nine physical casinos.

Expert Perspectives on the Growth of iGaming

Gaming experts like Jane Bokunewicz, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism (LIGHT), emphasize the complementary nature of iGaming and traditional casino resorts. “Brick-and-mortar gaming is not being left behind by internet gaming,” Bokunewicz stated regarding January’s revenue figures.

Casinos benefit from their partnerships with third-party operators such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, which handle the online platforms. January marked the fifth consecutive month where iGaming GGR has exceeded $200 million. This highlights the increasing importance of online gaming for the overall health of New Jersey’s casino industry.

The Role of Sports Betting

While casino revenue and iGaming saw positive gains in January, sports betting experienced a notable slowdown. Oddsmakers retained approximately $122.2 million of the $1.15 billion in bets wagered, representing a 28% decline from January 2024. This indicates a potential shift in betting patterns or market saturation.

The online and in-person sportsbooks maintained a win rate (hold rate) of 10.3%, slightly higher than the 10.1% hold rate in January 2024. The total handle for sports betting in January 2024 exceeded $1.72 billion.

Overall Gambling Revenue in January

In total, Atlantic City casino win, iGaming GGR, and sports betting revenue amounted to $559 million in January. This represents a significant 28% increase, or $463.8 million more, compared to January 2024.

Conclusion

January 2025 marked a strong start for New Jersey’s gambling market, with overall revenue up significantly year-over-year. While brick-and-mortar casino revenue showed modest growth, the iGaming sector continued its impressive expansion, demonstrating its dominance in online gambling. This trend is expected to persist, highlighting the evolving landscape of the casino industry and the growing importance of online platforms. The slowdown in sports betting, however, warrants further observation.