Gambling in the USA
New Jersey Sportsbooks Fall $370 Million Short Of Expectations While Online Casinos Boom

Shutdown causes slowest sports-betting month since August 2018, but online casinos and poker help steady industry, according to PlayNJ
ATLANTIC CITY — New Jersey’s retail and online sportsbooks took in a third of the expected handle in March, while online casinos and poker rooms boomed to unseen heights. In all, New Jersey’s sportsbooks lost out on nearly $370 million in sports wagers in March, according to PlayNJ estimates, while online casino and poker revenue smashed the previous record with $64.8 million in revenue.
“Shutdowns from the coronavirus pandemic are affecting New Jersey’s gaming industry in ways that are unprecedented, and that will continue until the country begins to return to some semblance of normalcy,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “New Jersey’s online casinos are a boon to the gaming industry, which employs thousands and generates millions in tax revenue for the state. But it’s not enough to fully bridge the gap from the revenue lost from sportsbooks and Atlantic City’s land-based casinos.”
New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks appeared to be headed for a month of $550 million in wagers. Instead, sportsbooks collected just $181.9 million in bets, according to official reporting released Wednesday. In an industry that has seen consistent year-over-year growth of 50% or more, March’s handle was down 51% from the $372.5 million handle posted in March 2019 and down 63% from $494.8 million in February 2020. March’s handle, which pushed New Jersey sportsbooks past $7 billion in lifetime wagers, was the smallest since sportsbooks collected $95.6 million in August 2018.
New Jersey sportsbooks did manage to produce $13.2 million in gross revenue, yielding $1.7 million in tax revenue for the state. But revenue was down 58% from $31.7 million in March 2019.
Most came from bets made before March 11, when the NBA suspended its season and sent a wave of cancelations through the sports world. That left bettors with just a handful of international events and futures betting, mostly on the NFL. The most significant loss for bettors was the NCAA Tournament, one of the nation’s most important sports betting holidays, which would have generated more than $150 million in New Jersey alone, according to PlayNJ.com estimates.
“With the NCAA Tournament, NBA, and opening of the baseball season canceled or postponed, the loss of March revenue will not be something that New Jersey sportsbooks can make up,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for PlayNJ.com. “Until sports are able to get going again, New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks will continue to be uncomfortably quiet.”
Online betting generated 89.9%, or $163.4 million, of the state’s handle in March. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet led online sportsbooks with $5.7 million in gross revenue, down from $9.6 million in February. FanDuel was followed in revenue by:
- Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($5.1 million, up from $4 million in February).
- Monmouth/William Hill/Sugarhouse/TheScore ($849,236, down from $1.3 million)
- BetMGM/Borgata ($609,235, down from $1 million)
- Ocean Casino/William Hill ($635,620, up from $168,015)
- Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($167,314, up from $96,397)
- Golden Nugget/BetAmerica ($143,209, down from $308,997)
- Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($44,413, up from $34,183)
- Tropicana/William Hill ($17,180, down from $30,558)
FanDuel Sportsbook at The Meadowlands led the retail market with $233,360 in gross revenue, down from $1.4 million in February. FanDuel was followed in gross revenue by:
- Tropicana Casino ($42,081, down from $91,899)
- Monmouth Park (-$196, up from -$51,888)
- Bally’s AC (-$6,654, down from $32,199)
- Golden Nugget (-$10,348, up from -$135,314)
- Hard Rock AC (-$32,854, down from $19,294)
- Harrah’s AC (-$39,058, down from $41,649)
- Ocean Casino (-$68,436, up from -$65,868)
- Resorts AC (-$93,821, down from $47,143)
- Borgata (-$122,207, up from -$318,896)
“Professional leagues are trying to figure out a way to get back out on the field, which is the good news,” Gouker said. “The bad news is there is no way to know when that will be, and it doesn’t appear that it will be particularly soon. This is going to be a long road, not just for sportsbooks, but for everybody.”
Online casinos and poker set new records
Online casinos tell a much different story. With Atlantic City casinos closed and workers sent home across the state, New Jersey’s online casinos and poker rooms shattered their previous revenue record by generating $64.8 million in March. That is up 18% from the previous record of $55.1 million set in January, and up 66% from $39.1 million in March 2019.
Poker, which has languished for years in New Jersey, produced $3.6 million in revenue in March, beating the previous record of $3.1 million set in October 2016. Online casino games easily topped their previous best, too, generating $61.2 million to surpass the record $53.3 million produced in January.
Before March, only online market leader Golden Nugget had ever produced more revenue with its online gambling products than its Atlantic City casino in the same month. The Golden Nugget easily did so again with a record-setting $21.3 million in revenue, and the casino brand for Resorts AC ($13.5 million) did so for the first time. Borgata ($12.2 million) led the remaining list of other online casinos that topped previous bests.
“With Atlantic City casinos closed and sports on hiatus, the importance of online gambling and poker to the state’s gaming industry has never been greater,” Ramsey said. “Online casinos can’t sustain the industry forever, but those with the healthiest online products should be in the best position to emerge from these incredible circumstances. And the tax revenue from online casinos is welcome when so much pressure has been put on the state budget.”
Online casinos and poker generated a record $2.1 million per day during the 31 days in March. That revenue yielded $9.7 million in state taxes.
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting and online gaming in New Jersey, visit PlayNJ.com/news.
About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.
Gambling in the USA
Major Casino Operators Ready to Invest if Georgia Lifts Casino Ban

As discussions about legalizing gambling in Georgia gain momentum, major casino operators like Wynn Resorts and Boyd Gaming are poised to lead the charge if the state changes its restrictive laws.
During a recent Georgia House study committee meeting, Christopher Gordon, president of Wynn Resorts’ development arm, expressed keen interest in building a multibillion-dollar casino should legal barriers be removed. Similarly, Boyd Gaming’s government affairs vice president Ryan Soultz highlighted Georgia’s market attractiveness.
Wynn’s model would be similar to its $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor, suggesting that a new Georgia casino could employ up to 4000 workers and contribute substantial gaming tax revenue.
Although specific locations have not been chosen, both companies have indicated they would need constitutional changes to move forward. Their willingness to invest heavily in the Peach State demonstrates a strong belief in the untapped potential of the state’s gambling market.
Such developments offer a compelling argument for lawmakers to consider gambling expansion, marking a shift toward economic incentives as a primary motivator for legislative change.
Should Georgia proceed with legalizing casino gambling, the legislative language will be crucial in shaping the industry’s landscape. Key proposals may include requiring casino companies to invest at least $1.2 billion per resort and generate a minimum number of jobs, often set at around 10,000 per license. This ensures that any developments bring tangible benefits to the local economy.
Additional legislative demands include rigorous background checks for key personnel, proven industry experience, and adherence to strict technical and financial standards. Only companies with substantial capital and robust infrastructure, like Wynn Resorts and Boyd Gaming, are likely to meet these stringent requirements.
Gambling in the USA
Plaza Hotel & Casino to welcome the U.S. National Champions Summerlin South All Stars to be TNT Ignitors for Welcome to the Weekend Friday Fireworks, next Friday, Sept. 5

The Plaza Hotel & Casino will welcome the U.S. National champions, the Summerlin South All Star team to be the special guest TNT Ignitors of the property’s Welcome to the Weekend Friday Fireworks show, next Friday, Sept. 5 at 9:15 p.m., taking place on the Plaza’s rooftop pool deck.
“Getting to ignite the Plaza’s amazing fireworks show is a great honor for the team,” said Chris Mallory, president of Summerlin South. “And we thank the Plaza and Jonathan for the warm welcome and fun celebration planned for the team, including a pizza party for them and their families.”
“All of Las Vegas is proud of the accomplishments that the Summerlin South team made in the All Star postseason,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “We look forward to hosting the team and their families, and we hope all of their fans come out to celebrate with them and enjoy the fireworks show.”
The summer fireworks shows are staged from the top of the Plaza’s South Tower every Friday at 9:15 p.m. from May through September.
The public can watch the Welcome to the Weekend Friday Fireworks Show for free at the rooftop pool, at Carousel Bar under the Plaza’s iconic dome, and from in front of the Plaza on Main Street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic during the show for viewing the fireworks from Carson Avenue to Ogden Avenue.
The Plaza’s fireworks will be dependent on weather conditions and are subject to change or cancellation. Updates will be available on the Plaza’s social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Gambling in the USA
New Hampshire Charitable Gaming Revenue Hits $24.8M in July

New Hampshire charitable gaming revenue has reached $24.8 million last month, up from the previous year’s figure of $14.5 million, boosted by the opening of new casinos.
The latest figures come from the New Hampshire Lottery and Gaming Commission, which shows that of the 15 casinos, only four saw losses, while four others were not in operation last July.
The Nash Casino, which opened in March, generated the highest revenue of all the casinos – $5.8 million.
The highest year-over-year increase was seen by the Revo Casino Lebanon, which opened in a new location in December, and saw revenue rise by 321% from $387,836 to over $1.6 million.
Other notable rises were seen from the Lakes Region Casino, which generated an increase of 24% year-over-year and The Brook, which saw a 17% rise from $4.7 million to $5.5 million.
The biggest declines came from The Lucky Moose Casino, where profits dropped by 79% from $666,454 to $139,748, and the Gate City Casino, which saw profits fall by 16% from $2.7 million to $2.3 million.
Historic horse racing revenue rose by 85% year-over-year, from $10.6 million to $19.7 million, while games of chance revenue increased by 53% from $3.3 million to $5.1 million.
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