Online Gambling Revenue Tops Atlantic City Casinos Again in February

New Jersey generated more revenue than traditional in-person casino gaming, continuing a trend that has reshaped the state’s gambling landscape.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement released its latest figures on Friday, reporting that total gaming revenue—including earnings from casinos, horse tracks offering sports betting, and their online counterparts—reached $484.8 million in February. This marks a 5.1% increase compared to the same month in the previous year.

Online Gambling Growth Continues

While overall gambling revenue saw an increase, a significant shift was evident: internet gambling sured in-person casino earnings. This is the third recorded instance of such an occurrence, following January of this year and October 2023.

Jane Bokunewicz, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism, attributed this trend to seasonal factors. “A less busy month for in-person patrons opened the door to more internet gaming activity and the opportunity for online casino operations to brick-and-mortar for a second consecutive month with a 14% increase over February 2024,” she explained. Bokunewicz also noted that online gambling remains on track for another record-setting year in 2025.

Despite the surge in internet gaming, the margin between online and in-person revenue remained slim. Factors such as inclement weather, which discouraged travel to Atlantic City, and the presence of only 29 days in February due to 2024 being a leap year, contributed to this outcome.

Revenue from in-person gambling at Atlantic City’s nine casinos totaled $203 million in February, reflecting a 3.8% decrease from the previous year. Meanwhile, sports betting revenue—shared among casinos, racetracks, and their digital partners—climbed nearly 9% to $73.6 million.

Despite strong regional interest in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl appearance, the overall amount wagered on sports in New Jersey during February declined slightly compared to the previous year.

FanDuel and DraftKings continued to dominate the state’s sports betting sector. FanDuel generated $33.8 million from online sports wagers, up 27.2% from last year, while DraftKings saw a decline of 16.4%, earning $20.2 million in February.

Casino and Online Revenue Breakdown

Among brick-and-mortar casinos, Borgata led in revenue with $49.9 million, despite a 6.9% decline. Hard Rock Casino followed, posting $41.8 million, a 1.8% increase. Other notable performers included Ocean Casino Resort, which reported a 4.3% rise to $32.4 million, and Harrah’s, with an increase of just under 1% to $18.4 million.

On the decline were Tropicana ($15.8 million, down 5%), Caesars ($13.9 million, down 15%), Resorts ($11.3 million, down 6.7%), and Bally’s ($9.2 million, down 13.4%).

For online gaming, FanDuel, aligned with Golden Nugget, led with $44 million in revenue, reflecting a 10.3% year-over-year increase. DraftKings, partnered with Resorts, followed closely with $43 million, up nearly 6%. BetMGM, linked to Borgata, experienced the most significant growth at 36%, reaching $28.2 million.

Additional online earnings included Borgata’s self-branded platform at $20 million (up 22.6%), Caesars Palace (Tropicana) at $14 million (up 22%), and Hard Rock’s platform at $9.9 million (up 13%). Golden Nugget’s self-branded site brought in just over $7 million, marking a 27.4% increase, while BetRivers (also aligned with Golden Nugget) earned $6.9 million, up 21%. Bally’s self-branded online revenue, however, declined by 21% to $4.7 million.

The state collected $53.3 million in gaming-related tax revenue for February, contributing to a total of $115.4 million over the first two months of 2024.

James Plousis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, pointed out that internet gambling revenue has exceeded $200 million for six straight months, reinforcing the industry’s shift towards digital gaming platforms.

Source:

‘’Internet betting revenue es Atlantic City casinos’ in-person winnings in February’’, pressofatlanticcity.com, March 2025.