Online gambling revenue in New Jersey exceeded in-person casino winnings for a third consecutive month in January, underscoring the continued shift toward digital betting even as Atlantic City casinos posted modest growth.
Figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement showed casinos and their online partners won nearly $259 million from internet gamblers in January, up nearly 17% from a year earlier.
That compared with $213 million won by Atlantic City’s nine casinos from in-person gamblers, an increase of 1.6% year-on-year.
Total gambling revenue across casinos, racetracks, and their partners reached $586.4 million, up nearly 6% from January last year.
Analysts said the widening gap highlights the growing importance of online gaming to New Jersey’s gambling market, even as traditional casino floors remain a core profit driver.
“Internet gaming continues to grow in popularity among gamblers, and as it more frequently surpasses brick-and-mortar gaming revenues on a monthly basis, it becomes more important than ever as a revenue stream,” said Jane Bokunewicz, director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism at Stockton University.
She noted, however, that much of the benefit from online gambling does not stay in Atlantic City, as revenue is shared with third-party operators such as sportsbooks and technology platforms.
“With casinos often relying on third-party operators to manage their internet gaming sites, it seems that much of the benefit of this growing segment is experienced outside of Atlantic City,” Bokunewicz said.
Among individual casinos, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa led in-person gambling revenue with $56.7 million, though that was down 6.1% from a year earlier. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City posted nearly $46 million, up nearly 21%, while Ocean Casino Resort reported $35.4 million, up 0.8%.
Several casinos continued to lag pre-pandemic levels. Only Borgata, Hard Rock, and Ocean earned more from in-person gamblers in January than they did in January 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel and tourism.
“Atlantic City is enjoying momentum from record results in 2025, and the ongoing success of online casinos provides a competitive advantage to operators even during Atlantic City’s traditional off-season,” said James Plousis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission.
Sports betting revenue declined in January, with casinos, racetracks, and partners winning $114.2 million, down 6.5% from a year earlier. Operators handled just over $1 billion in sports wagers during the month, nearly all of it placed online.
Total gross revenue taxes paid to the state amounted to $86.5 million in January.
Original article: https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2026/02/18/117670-online-gambling-revenue-tops-inperson-casino-takings-again-in-new-jersey
