The New Jersey gambling sector has seen a major boost as reports from April 2025 show a 5% year-on-year growth. This growth has specifically been bolstered by the development of the iGaming sector, which has even surpassed revenue from Atlantic City.
This should come as no surprise, as online gambling has been on the rise for several years now. The convenience of placing wagers from wherever the consumer is, as well as the wealth of bonuses and other such features, has seen more people turn to the online space to have their gambling needs met. As Blaise Bourgeois from Card Player explains, online gambling is on a high that doesn't look to be subsiding anytime soon, with more and more players visiting online poker sites and casinos instead of their land-based counterparts like cardrooms and casinos.
This was further reinforced by the New Jersey gambling revenue numbers for April 2025, which were $536.6 million. While it was higher than the $510.9 million reported in April 2024, it was 1.7% lower than the figures for March this year. From this revenue figure, iGaming contributed $235.2 million, which was 25.2% higher than the figure from April of last year. $232.8 million of the April numbers were from other accredited sources, while the rest, $2.4 million, was from online poker. Land-based betting revenue also fell 2.7% to $211 million.
These clearly show that online betting has become big enough to outpace offline betting, which was the dominant money maker for years. But while New Jersey gambling consumers are turning online, sports betting has not benefited in the same way. The $90.5 million reported for sports betting was 14.8% lower year-on-year, though, ironically, in-person merchants fared better. Online sports betting revenue dropped 15.7% to $87.9 million while retail sports betting rose 34.1% to $2.6 million.
All these figures spell good things for the state because, first, it means increased tax revenue. Whether the money is coming from online sources or land-based, the state is generating revenue which can be used for important projects moving forward. Then there is the employment that this generates. Land-based and online casinos need staff, and oftentimes, these end up being locals who get a source of income.
At the same time, there is concern about New Jersey losing its edge if the online gambling dominance continues. After all, Atlantic City has been a tourist driver and revenue generator for decades. If all this money goes online, the land-based establishments will inevitably see a decline in foot traffic, and this has implications for local employment, real estate, and so on.
But even as industry stakeholders grapple with the implications of this, New Jersey lawmakers are looking to take action regarding gambling ads. Two different gambling bills are being pushed by two different sets of. Both would regulate wear gambling ads can be shown, as well as looking into how the language used within them impacts consumers.
The two bills are Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese and Assemblywoman Garnet Hall’s bill A5562 and Sen. John McKeon and Sen. Renee Burgess' bill S4366. The bills proposed that gambling ads should be banned in areas near schools and colleges and that gambling ads specifically geared towards people under 21 should be banned entirely.
They would also compel the Division of Gaming Enforcement in the Department of Law and Public Safety to “conduct of a study of the effectiveness of using various words and phrases in advertisements for casino games and sports pools to deter illegal or irresponsible gambling, challenge perceptions of gambling, and to encourage the use of responsible gambling tools.”
The study will look into whether certain words or phrases specifically resonate with the public, whether certain advertising practices induce consumers to act in specific ways, and even if certain fonts have an effect. It's interesting that these bills are being pushed out this time, given how much money gambling is bringing into the state..
Gambling has always been under scrutiny from a public safety perspective, but as it goes online, even more emphasis on safety will be placed. It is worth noting that several more states are pushing for pro-gambling legislation with the rise of iGaming. And while many of these states are happy to receive the tax revenue from the gambling sector, there is still an emphasis on protecting the public, especially young people.
As the year progresses, we will see if the current New Jersey revenue stats remain the same. While gambling starts increased year on year, April saw a bit of a decline compared to March. We'll have to watch and see if the progressive months report an increase in revenue or a decline. Also, we’ll have to see if any of these bills get passed and, if so, what the implementation and the subsequent effect will be.
