New Jersey gambling revenue hits $606 million in July as online casinos set record

New Jersey’s gambling industry recorded a milestone in July, with both online and in-person operations fueling one of the strongest months on record. Combined revenue from the state’s nine casinos, two horse tracks that host sports betting, and their online partners reached $606 million, up 10.7% from the same month last year. It marked the second time this year that the state’s total monthly gambling revenue surpassed $600 million.

Online casinos once again drove growth, delivering an all-time high of $247.3 million, a 26.6% year-over-year increase. The figure slightly surpassed May’s previous record of $246.8 million, noting a steady momentum in the digital market. Year-to-date, New Jersey’s online casinos have generated $1.63 billion, reflecting a 23.3% increase compared with the same period in 2024.

Traditional casino floors also showed notable resilience. Atlantic City’s nine casinos brought in $284.1 million in July from in-person gamblers, up 4.3% year over year. According to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, in-person revenue through the first seven months of 2025 totaled $1.66 billion, the highest since 2013. Total gambling revenue for the same period hit $3.92 billion, the strongest seven-month start on record.

“Atlantic City’s solid summer season continued in July,” said James Plousis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.

Ocean Casino Resort

Much of the growth came from Atlantic City’s newest properties, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City and Ocean Casino Resort. Other casinos still lag behind pre-pandemic levels, with each of the remaining seven properties reporting lower in-person revenue compared with July 2019.

Jane Bokunewicz, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism, said the July results showcase the balance between digital play and traditional casino visits.

“Atlantic City’s casino operators started the third quarter on a high note, setting a new near-term, single-month total gross gaming revenue record with more than $577 million generated from all revenue streams, beating out last August's $528.5 million single-month high,” she said. 

She said the July numbers show that even with internet revenue surging, gamblers still enjoy coming to Atlantic City in person. “This is especially true in the summer months when it is hard to compete with all that Atlantic City's beach and Boardwalk have to offer,” Bokunewicz added.

Among individual properties, Borgata led in-person revenue with $79.9 million, a 5.2% increase from last year. Ocean reported $43.1 million, up 18.2%, while Hard Rock earned $55.1 million, up 0.8%. Harrah’s and Bally’s also posted growth, while Caesars, Tropicana, and Golden Nugget recorded declines.

Sports betting, however, cooled in July. Wagering volume reached nearly $664 million, but sportsbooks retained just $74.8 million, a 6.6% drop from a year earlier. Overall, New Jersey operators have handled more than $6.7 billion in bets so far in 2025.

Online competition among major operators intensified in July. FanDuel remained the leader with $52.1 million in revenue, while DraftKings narrowed the gap, finishing close behind at $48.4 million. BetMGM followed with $31.4 million. Caesars Palace, Borgata, and Hard Rock Bet each posted double-digit millions.

Fanatics Casino made notable gains, climbing to $12.4 million in revenue in July, up from just $3.6 million in June. Its performance placed it just shy of Hard Rock Bet for the month, signaling its growing presence in the crowded market.

Poker continued to represent a small slice of the online sector, with $2.7 million in revenue across operators. WSOP led poker play at $913,663, followed by PokerStars at $601,074.