Press Releases
New Jersey Sportsbooks Bring Good News With $165 Million in June Bets
Futures betting and nontraditional sports helped New Jersey’s sportsbooks avoid an early summer lull in June, while online casinos and poker continued to lead the state’s gaming industry. June’s $165 million handle was good news, even if it still meant sportsbooks took in $300 million less in bets than an ordinary June, according to PlayNJ estimates. And with baseball and the NBA season set to open in late July, retail casinos reopening, and significant investments in online casinos and poker, better days are nearing for the Garden State’s gaming industry.
“June is typically slow for sports betting so any growth is a surprise, and it appears July will return the gaming industry to something more resembling normal,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “New Jersey will still have longer-term issues. It will take time to recover, and the gaming industry will likely be affected for as long as the world is suffering from this health crisis. But for now, optimism in the industry is growing.”
New Jersey’s handle rose 40.1% to $165 million — all from online betting — from $117.8 million in May, according to official reporting released Tuesday. June 2020 was down 39.6% from $273.2 million in June 2019.
Gross revenue in June rose to $12.6 million from May’s $9.9 million and was actually more than the $9.7 million in revenue generated in June 2019. June’s revenue yielded $1.7 million in state taxes.
Sports categorized by New Jersey as “other” than football, basketball, and baseball generated a shocking $125.8 million in bets in June, up from $95.4 million in May. And bets on the three major U.S. sports ticked up, mainly on the power of futures betting on baseball and the NBA ahead of an expected July return of both.
“The robust betting on nontraditional sports since the sports world has shuttered has been a surprise, but it will never completely make up for the loss of major sports,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for PlayNJ.com. “Futures will continue to gain steam, fueled by pent-up demand, as the opening of baseball, basketball, and hockey nears. If plans continue to move forward, July and August should produce a significant leap.”
With Atlantic City casinos closed in June, online sportsbooks were again the only revenue generator for the state. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet led the market with $6.2 million in gross revenue, up from $4.3 million in May. FanDuel was followed in revenue by:
- Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($3.9 million, up from $3.8 million in May)
- BetMGM/Borgata ($881,435, up from $701,283)
- Ocean Casino/William Hill ($691,135, up from $439,967)
- Monmouth/William Hill/Sugarhouse/TheScore ($593,548, up from $466,142)
- Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($450,589, up from $230,004)
- Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($43,561, down from $107,171)
- Tropicana/William Hill ($5,245, down from $23,476)
- Golden Nugget/BetAmerica ($66,533, up from $54,433)
“As strong as online sports betting continues to be, the reopening of Atlantic City is crucial to healing the industry, even with restrictions,” Gouker said. “It will help generate new revenue, of course. And in doing so, operators are hopeful that it will help the industry steady itself.”
Online casinos and poker level off
The rapid growth of online casinos and poker cooled in June, combining to generate $84.9 million in revenue, down 1.2% from the record $85.9 million in May but up 123.1% from $38.1 million in May 2019. Together, online casinos and poker generated $2.8 million a day in the 30 days of June — on par with May — and yielded $12.8 million in state taxes.
Online casino games alone have grown revenue from $50.2 million in February to $81.4 million in June. Online poker has jumped from $1.8 million in February to $3.5 million in June.
Even with retail casinos reopening, many remain bullish on the future of online gambling. Golden Nugget Online Gaming, which dominated the market again in June with $29.15 million in revenue, announced plans to go public. And last week, MGM Resorts/GVC Holdings released its plan to invest $250 million more in its online platform.
“The Golden Nugget Online Gaming going public, in addition to the recent success of DraftKings stock, shows just how much interest investors have in the future of online gambling,” Gouker said. “Online gambling has proven its importance to the industry through this crisis. Even if the growth slows with the return of retail casinos, it will continue to be an enormously important vertical for the industry.”
The Professional Fighters League (PFL) announced a new partnership that designates FanDuel, North America’s leading online gaming company, as the Official U.S. Sports Betting Partner of the PFL World Tournament and Champions Series.
This landmark agreement marks a major step forward in integrating real-time betting data and experiences into MMA’s fastest-growing sports league. As part of the partnership, FanDuel will provide official betting odds across all PFL events and broadcasts, starting with the upcoming Semifinals on June 12 in Nashville, delivering an enhanced, data-driven experience to millions of MMA fans across the country.
“We’re thrilled to partner with FanDuel as we look to advance the sport by delivering a premium and unique betting experience to the millions of passionate MMA fans in the US,” said Mike Chioditti, SVP of New Business for the PFL. “Betting is a key engagement driver for today’s sports audience, and through this partnership, we’re delivering unrivaled access to our fans.”
“We are excited to bring our new partnership to life and collaborate with the league to enhance the experience of wagering on PFL events,” said Karol Corcoran, Senior Vice President and General Manager of FanDuel Sportsbook. “As our partnership kicks off, we look forward to offering passionate MMA fans another way to engage with their favorite athletes.”
FanDuel’s logos will also be featured in and around the cage, and FanDuel has exclusive rights to utilize PFL logos and “Official Partner” branding for advertising and promotions, including the Tale of the Tape and presenting sponsor. Additionally, PFL and FanDuel will collaborate on exclusive, themed content across their social and digital platforms.
Fans will be able to bet on all 2025 PFL World Tournament events and PFL Champions Series events. The full schedule for upcoming PFL events are below. Updates will follow in the coming weeks.
2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals – June 12 – Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville
2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals – June 20 – INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita
2025 PFL World Tournament 7: Semifinals – June 27 – Wintrust Arena, Chicago
2025 PFL Champions Series – July 19 – GrandWest Arena, Cape Town, Africa
2025 PFL World Tournament 8: Finals – August 1 – Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ
2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals – August 15 – Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals – August 21 – Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida
Latest News
Plaza Hotel & Casino to celebrate Fourth of July with a holiday edition of its free Welcome to the Weekend Friday Fireworks
The Plaza Hotel & Casino will celebrate the Fourth of July with a bigger and brighter version of its weekly Welcome to the Weekend Friday Firework Show. As in past years, it will be the only Fourth of July fireworks show in downtown Las Vegas, and it is free to view.
Staged from the top of the Plaza’s South Tower on Friday, July 4, at 9:15 p.m., the public can watch the fireworks for free from in front of the Plaza on Main Street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic for viewing the fireworks from Carson Avenue to Ogden Avenue. Guests can also watch the fireworks from a free viewing party on the Plaza’s rooftop pool deck. Doors open for the rooftop viewing party at 7 p.m.
Also on July 4, the Plaza will host a Buffalo wing eating contest at Carousel Bar at 6 p.m. Inspired by the popular Buffalo wing eating competitions in Philadelphia, qualifying “Wing Offs” and the championship “Wing Bowl”, the July 4 contest will be a qualifying event for the Plaza’s main Wing Bowl event on Feb. 7, 2026. The Plaza will award $1,000 to the person who eats the most Buffalo wings in 10 minutes on July 4. The first and second place eaters will qualify for the Plaza’s Wing Bowl in February.
Carousel Bar and the rooftop pool will also feature special summertime cocktails. The rooftop fireworks viewing party will feature three specialty cocktails: a margarita with Casamigos Blanco Tequila and Cointreau Orange Liqueur, the “Cruiser & Captain” with Sun Cruiser Iced Tea, vodka, and a shot of Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum, and the “You Call It” featuring Captain Morgan Sweet Chili Lime Rum.
The Plaza’s fireworks will be dependent on weather conditions and are subject to change or cancellation.
Latest News
Almost Friday Media and Fanatics Sportsbook Partner To Launch Season Two of Glory Daze with Johnny Manziel
Almost Friday Media and Fanatics Sportsbook announced the launch of season two of “Glory Daze,” a weekly podcast hosted by Heisman Trophy Winner Johnny Manziel.
“Glory Daze” with Johnny Manziel is an interview series from Almost Friday Media that celebrates and explores the most nostalgic eras in sports. On “Glory Daze,” Manziel, a former first round pick, sits down to have authentic conversations with some of the most iconic and legendary names in sports as they share never-before-heard stories, discuss their career-defining moments, and much more.
The first episode of the new season of “Glory Daze” will feature Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End Maxx Crosby and will be available on June 12th via all podcast platforms. The first season of “Glory Daze” was a huge success and featured conversations with sports icons like Matt Leinart, LeSean McCoy, Greg Oden, Patrick Peterson, Michael Vick and Vince Young.
As part of the partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook, Johnny Football will transform into “Johnny FanCash” during live Fanatics Sportsbook ad reads and one-of-a-kind giveaways. Each week, “Johnny FanCash” will collaborate with Fanatics Sportsbook on content and Manziel will make picks each week on the Fanatics Sportsbook, available on iOS and Android. In addition, Manziel will record an episode of Glory Daze in front of a live audience at Fanatics Fest NYC, an immersive sports festival where sports, culture, and collecting collide. Fanatics Fest NYC will take place at the Javits Center in New York City from June 20-22 and tickets are on sale at www.fanaticsfest.com starting at $20 for kids and $60 for adults.
“This season we talk to athletes still in the glory daze, former athletes, and even notable fans,” said Manziel. “Having been through some unforgettable moments myself, I know how important it is to share the real stories behind what fans saw on the field. We’ve lined up some amazing guests who have those same experiences – career-defining moments that fans still talk about today. This season is all about going deeper into those stories and connecting with the fans who remember these glory days just as vividly as we do. It’s about celebrating the moments that shaped the sports we love.”
New Episodes of Glory Daze will drop every Thursday at 12 PM ET across all podcast platforms and Johnny Manziel’s Youtube Channel.
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