New Jersey’s online casino market remains a top performer. In April, the state’s iGaming revenue hit a massive $235.2 million. This brought it just short of its all-time high, with online gaming continuing to drive the majority of the growth.
Total gambling revenue for the month landed at $536.6 million, up 5% from the previous year. Still, this was a slight dip from March’s results. What’s clear, though, is that the online arena is where the real momentum lies.
The surge in online casino earnings continues to prop up New Jersey’s overall numbers, especially with land-based casinos and sports betting not pulling quite the same weight. Online platforms brought in $235.2 million in April, which is up more than 25% compared to the same month last year. The record still belongs to March at $243.9 million, but April’s figure is close enough to make operators feel pretty good about where things are headed.
Out of that $235.2 million, most came from slots and other games outside of poker, accounting for $232.8 million. Online poker itself brought in a modest $2.4 million, a 3.2% boost year-over-year.
Several of the biggest names in the industry posted strong performances. One operator group took in over $52 million, marking a jump of 35.3%, while others followed closely with healthy gains in the 19% to 20% range.
Fast payouts and a wide range of payment methods have helped attract even more activity in the online space. That’s particularly true for those who prefer the flexibility of decentralized options, where the appeal of crypto gambling lies in faster transaction times, broader privacy, and the ability to play using multiple cryptocurrencies, according to Hira Ahmed.
These features are increasingly influencing how digital gaming platforms shape their payment ecosystems, fitting neatly into the bigger picture of what’s making iGaming thrive.
While iGaming keeps climbing, sports betting in the state saw a bit of a stumble. Revenue from sports wagering totaled $90.5 million in April, a drop of nearly 15% compared to last year.
Online sports betting, which usually makes up the bulk of the category, brought in $87.9 million, down 15.7%. The retail side had a bit of a lift, jumping over 34% to $2.6 million, but that wasn’t enough to balance the scales.
The total handle for the month was $994.4 million, down from both last month and a year ago. Online betting accounted for the lion’s share of that spend, with over $950 million in wagers. Retail betting, meanwhile, pulled in $40.4 million in bets.
In terms of operator performance, FanDuel and Meadowlands were once again at the top of the pile, with $31.8 million in revenue. Several others followed, each taking home anywhere from $5 million to nearly $23 million. Meadowlands also leads the retail market with $1.7 million.
New Jersey’s brick-and-mortar casinos continued their slow slide in April. Their combined revenue dropped 2.7% to $211 million, a number that now regularly falls behind the state’s iGaming results.
Slot machines did provide a bright spot, bringing in $162.2 million, which was a slight improvement from last year. However, table games couldn’t keep up. That category took a sharp dive, with revenue falling 16% to just under $49 million.
The fact that physical casinos now trail online platforms shows how dramatically things have changed in recent years. This is not to say they aren’t still popular, though. In 2023, the American Gaming Association published a report that showed 41% of people visited a casino to gamble or for other entertainment purposes in a 12-month period. What was once the primary engine of gambling in New Jersey is now firmly in second place.
The total tax revenue from New Jersey’s gaming activity in April came in at nearly $60 million. Of that, $35.3 million came from iGaming alone, followed by $12.7 million from land-based casinos. Online sports betting added $11.5 million, and retail sports betting brought in just over $200,000.
With iGaming contributing the largest slice of the tax pie, it’s clear that digital platforms will continue to play a vital role in the state’s financial outlook. State regulators will be keeping a close eye on these numbers as they look to support further growth in the sector while keeping the playing field fair and secure.
New Jersey has been at the forefront of iGaming in the US for years, especially with its well-structured policies. However, it’s now facing sharper competition from other states catching up, particularly Pennsylvania and Michigan. Both states are showing impressive year-on-year growth and carving out serious market share, especially in the online casino space.
Pennsylvania, for example, posted a 31.3% annual increase in iGaming revenue this April, driven largely by a surge in online slots. Michigan saw even steeper growth, nearly 34% compared to last year, with iGaming now accounting for almost 90% of its total gambling revenue. In both cases, traditional forms of gambling, including retail slots and sports betting, are playing second fiddle to online platforms.
What’s helping push that momentum? Besides consumer demand, both states have strong regulatory environments. Pennsylvania’s Gaming Control Board enforces strict licensing and oversight, while Michigan has taken an especially aggressive stance against unauthorized gambling. That includes proactive enforcement and even the use of undercover cryptocurrency transactions.
Compared to Pennsylvania and Michigan, New Jersey’s iGaming market is more established and consistent. However, its growth rate is now lower than those states, which are expanding more quickly. As a result, other markets are beginning to catch up in both revenue and player engagement.
The April numbers reinforce a now-familiar pattern: New Jersey’s iGaming ecosystem continues to outpace the rest of the market, while traditional sources of revenue fight to maintain relevance. Online poker is steady, and the momentum continues across online casinos. Sports betting, while still a huge category, faces more month-to-month volatility. Retail betting sees the occasional bump, but it’s online platforms that continue to dominate across the board.
As more players prefer the ease and convenience of digital betting, particularly with fast, flexible payment options, the industry has to adjust its focus accordingly. This could mean even more investment in platform features, new game formats, and hopefully more optimized mobile experiences in the coming months.
