New Jersey Gaming Revenue Totals $521.5 Million For September
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The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported total operator revenue of $521.5 million for September, fueled by another strong performance from internet casino gaming.
The total was 7.5% higher than the $485 million generated in September 2022, as gains in both iGaming and sports wagering more than offset a small decline in casino action in Atlantic City. The nine casinos on the Boardwalk combined for $246.5 million, down 2.1% from last year.
Internet casino revenue was up 21.1% to nearly $163.8 million, the second-highest total all-time behind the $165.7 million generated in March. Peer-to-peer revenue from poker ticked 5.5% higher to $2.4 million, while the traditional suite of iGaming casino options provided $161.4 million. That was a 21.1% increase from last year.
Sports wagering revenue totaled $111.1 million, the second-most all-time and up 13.4% from September 2022. Gaming revenue from all disciplines resulted in $54.1 million in taxes, with iGaming providing the biggest share at $24.5 million. Sports wagering provided $14.2 million in taxes, while the remaining $15.3 million came from Atlantic City casinos.
It was the third straight month overall gaming revenue surpassed half a billion dollars, though September’s total fell short of August’s $531.6 million generated.
Hard Rock, Ocean post gains in Atlantic City
Hard Rock and Ocean were the only casinos of the nine on Atlantic City’s boardwalk to post year-over-year gains versus September 2022.
Hard Rock ranked second among the venues in brick-and-mortar revenue with $46.8 million, up 7.3% from last year. Slot revenue there climbed 13.9% to $34.6 million, wiping out an 8% decline in table games winnings to $12.2 million.
Revenue at Ocean Casino surged 29.2% to $39.5 million thanks to table games revenue more than doubling to $13.6 million, as the 22.8% hold was its best since a 23.3% hold in April. Slot revenue increased 7.4% to $25.9 million.
Borgata led all Atlantic City casinos in revenue at $54.3 million, down 12.9% from last year. Slot revenue plunged 18.9% to $37.8 million despite a year-high 9.4% hold, as the slot drop of $401 million was 22.6% lower compared to September 2022.
Harrah’s ($22.2 million), Tropicana ($21.5 million), and Caesars ($21.4 million) all had single-digit declines, with Tropicana’s the steepest at 8.2%. Bally’s had the sharpest decline in terms of percentage, with revenue tumbling 17.3% to $13.1 million as table revenue plummeted 61% to $2.3 million. The year-over-year table games hold dropped nearly 13 percentage points to 9.9%, which was also the second straight month it was below 10%.
Resorts squeaks out an iGaming win
The bulk of New Jersey’s internet casino revenue comes from three sources: Resorts, Golden Nugget and Borgata. Each digital entity topped $40 million in revenue for September, with Resorts’ total haul of $45.4 million an all-time record of any operator in New Jersey. That was a 32.9% increase from September 2022, as the group led by DraftKings and PENN Entertainment topped $40 million for the sixth time in seven months.
Though Golden Nugget finished about $300,000 behind Resorts, its $45.1 million came exclusively from iGaming and set an all-time record for internet casino revenue when excluding peer-to-peer. Golden Nugget’s revenue improved 32.1% from last year, as it set a record in revenue for the fourth time in 2023.
Borgata rounded out the podium spots with $41.6 million, representing a 1.1% increase versus September 2022. It was the third straight month it cleared $40 million, surpassing $375 million in total revenue for 2023.
Ocean Casino reported the biggest jump in internet casino revenue, up 86.6% to $4.4 million. Caesars Interactive was the only digital venue to post a year-over-year decline, with its $5.6 million a 38.1% drop from the $9.1 million generated in 2022.
Table games revenue the lone laggard in 2023
Year-to-date Atlantic City casino revenue is $2.2 billion through the first nine months of the year, up 1.8% versus 2022. Table games revenue on the Boardwalk is down 1.4% at $560 million, while slot winnings are up 2.9% to $1.6 billion.
Direct internet casino gaming revenue is up 15.5% to $1.4 billion, while poker rake is up 6.5% to $22.2 million. That pushes overall iGaming revenue to $1.4 billion, an increase of $187 million compared to the first three quarters of 2022.
