The gambling regulator in New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), released its latest report, revealing insights regarding the performance of licensed gambling operators for the month of September. The new report, released Monday, reveals that the total gaming revenue reported by casinos, racetracks and their partners soared to $521.5 million last month. This result shows an increase of 7.5% when compared to the $485.0 million result from the corresponding period in 2022.
Not unexpectedly, the latest result surpassed the pre-pandemic figures as well. Back in September 2019, well before the COVID-19 pandemic, the total gaming revenue halted at $303.5 million. A comparison to this result shows an uptick of more than 71%, reaffirming that the industry is on its way to recovery from the devastating hit of the pandemic.
The latest report reveals that the year-to-date total gaming revenue increased as well. Overall, year-to-date total gaming revenue hit $4.29 billion, marking a 10.8% increase when compared to the $3.87 billion result from the same period last year.
Sports Betting and Internet Gaming Revenue Increases
A breakdown of the total $521.5 million in gaming revenue reported in September reveals that the sports wagering and online gambling activities spearheaded the growth.
The sports betting revenue reported last month hit $111.1 million, representing 13.4% growth when compared to the $98 million result from September 2022. In addition to the revenue, the total sports betting handle soared as well. For September last year, the total sports betting handle halted at $866.7 million, while this September, it skyrocketed to $1.3 billion.
Similarly, the internet gaming win increased this September. Last year in September, the revenue halted at $135.2 million, while this year, it increased by a staggering 21.1% to $163.8 million.
In contrast to the positive results from sports betting and iGaming, the retail sector posted a slight decrease in its gaming revenue. Overall, casino win last month hit $246.5 million, marking a 2.1% decrease when compared to the $251.7 result from the same period in 2022. However, a comparison to the pre-pandemic results from September 2019, when casino win halted at $224.5 million, shows a notable increase.
Four Operators Post Increase in Revenue Year-over-Year
Currently, there are 14 retail casinos and racetrack operators across New Jersey. While September was a strong month for the sector, only four casino licenses posted an increase in their total gaming revenue.
Notably, Resorts Digital’s total gaming win increased by 68.3% last month to $95.3 million, according to DGE data. Ocean Casino posted strong results as well, with its total gaming win hitting $44.7 million, up by 33.3%. Golden Nugget posted a total gaming win of $57.9 million, while Hard Rock’s total gaming win hit $58.1 million, up by 20.9% and 13.6% respectively.