New Jersey’s April numbers show that the state’s sportsbooks handled $994.4 million in bets and generated $90.5 million in revenue.
The total handle was down compared to March, marking the second time in the past eight months that the Garden State’s handle fell below $1 billion.
Despite this, operators managed to retain a strong gold percentage and continue to attract enough bettors from across the state.
Let’s dive deeper into the numbers and look at what the most popular betting options were during the month.
April brought plenty of action for sports fans, meaning that bettors had plenty of choices when it comes to what they want to put their money on. With the 2025 playoffs kicking off on April 19th, NBA Sportsbooks across the world saw an increase in activity at the end of the month. The postseason is always a magnet for sports betting, and this year, with the Knicks facing the Pistons in the first round, there were plenty of reasons for New Jersey fans to get involved.
The start of April was also when the NCAA Final Four took place, drawing in those who enjoy betting on college basketball. Although March Madness was primarily concentrated in March, the semifinal and championship games still attracted plenty of wagering interest.
While basketball captured most of the spotlight, it wasn’t the only sport attracting interest from the fans. Baseball season was well underway in April, providing daily action for the Yankees, Mets, and Phillies fans.
Also contributing to the action were the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, which started on April 19th. Hockey may not generate the same bets as basketball, but the start of the postseason always draws a loyal crowd of bettors. On the national level, 11% of individuals betting on sports said they do so on hockey games.
With 51% betting on football, the NFL continues to dominate as the most popular sport for wagering in the U.S. Therefore, it’s also natural that the months during the NFL offseason see a dip in overall betting volume across all states. The only NFL event in the month was the 2025 Draft, which took place on April 25th.
According to the numbers from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the total sports betting handle in April was $994.4 million. This was 10.4% down compared to March and 1.5% behind April 2024.
Despite the lower volume, sportsbooks in New Jersey were quite profitable, with a total of $90.5 million collected in revenue.
This is also reflected in a 9.1% hold, marking the third consecutive month in which a win rate was below double digits.
It’s also important to mention that the NCAA Final Four, as well as the previous stages of the March Madness tournaments, went the way of bettors. With a very few upsets and favorites picking up most of the wins, sportsbooks took a hit during the final stretch of college basketball for this season.
On the national level, it was projected that a total of $3.1 billion would be wagered on this year’s March Madness.
In April, the state of New Jersey received $11.7 million in taxes from sports betting. This brings the state’s total tax income to $46 million year-to-date.
More and more sports betting enthusiasts are placing their wagers online. This has been the trend across the entire U.S. lately and has also translated to New Jersey.
Out of the total $944.4 million wagered in April, $954.1 million came from online platforms, while only $40.4 million was placed in retail sportsbooks. This means that over 95% of all sports betting in New Jersey last month took place digitally.
Placing wagers online is more convenient as there’s no need to visit a retail sportsbook and can be done in a matter of minutes. Bettors can also access all the data they want online as they decide which games they want to wager on.
Depositing and withdrawing money from their accounts has also never been easier. Many bettors choose to do so in crypto and avoid the lengthy processes commonly associated with traditional payment methods.
It’s also important to mention that these bets aren’t placed only on locally licensed sites. All users in the U.S. have access to offshore online sportsbooks where they can bet on any games they want.
These sites typically offer better bonuses and promotional deals, which is exactly why more and more bettors prefer them over their local sportsbooks that are available online.
Retail locations still attract some attention, especially on game days when the social experience is stronger. However, the numbers make it clear that most sports betting is now taking place online, both in New Jersey and the rest of the U.S.
The figures from April are encouraging from a revenue standpoint, but the industry is facing a major policy change that is currently on the table.
Governor Phil Murphy announced his plan for increasing the tax rate on both sports betting and online casino revenue from the current 13% to 25% in 2026. This would put the tax rate in New Jersey in line with New York, which currently imposes one of the highest rates on online sports betting in the U.S.
Those opposing the increasing sports betting tax rates believe the move would lead to a poor consumer experience and disturb the market long-term.
It’s believed that this increase in tax rates could also lead to locally-licensed casinos reducing their promotional spending and offering less competitive prices. This could push even more sports betting enthusiasts toward offshore platforms, which already have a reputation for offering better deals to players.
The proposed tax hike is still far from settled and is expected to face pushback during legislative negotiations in the coming months.
