Press Releases
PlayNJ.com: Sportsbooks make big May gains, while online casinos show more strength
New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks celebrated the third anniversary of sports betting in the state with a surge in wagers to $800 million in May, a typically slow month in the sports betting industry. Meanwhile, online casino and poker rooms crossed $3 billion in lifetime revenue following another near-record month and the Garden State’s brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks continue to rebound, a welcome sign after such a trying year, according to PlayNJ, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.
“Sportsbooks have been able to capitalize on the NBA playoffs to shallow the typical summer slowdown, online casinos continue to generate huge revenue, and Atlantic City is getting busier,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “New Jersey’s gaming industry appears healthier than anyone would have thought possible a year ago.”
Bettors placed $814.3 million in wagers at New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks in May, according to official data released Wednesday. That is up 591.1% from $117.8 million in bets taken in May 2020 and more surprisingly, up 8.9% from $748 million in April.
May’s bets produced $52.9 million in revenue, up 433.6% from $9.9 million in May 2020, though down 3.5% from $54.8 million in April. The month’s win yielded $7.9 million in taxes.
After the state successfully challenged the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in the U.S. Supreme Court, New Jersey’s sports betting industry officially launched on June 14, 2018, with the opening of the retail sportsbooks at Monmouth Park and Borgata launched retail sportsbooks. In the three years since, New Jersey has surpassed Nevada as the nation’s largest market, generating:
- $16.0 billion in bets.
- $1.1 billion in gross revenue.
- $159.4 million in taxes.
From June 2018 through April 2021, Nevada took in $14.5 million in bets and $909.3 million in operator revenue.
“New Jersey’s sports betting market has not only grown into the largest in the U.S., but it has evolved into the state that is least affected by the seasonality of sports betting,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “No market can entirely escape the natural ebbs and flows, of course. But New Jersey is less reliant on football and sports betting holidays than any other major U.S. market.”
Online betting accounted for 90.2%, or $736.7 million, of the state’s total handle in May. Meanwhile, with capacity limits loosened at Atlantic City casinos, retail sportsbooks took in $79.6 million wagers in May. Retail sportsbooks were shuttered in May 2020, but May 2021 was up 43.7% from $55.4 million in May 2019.
The biggest draw was the NBA, which piqued bettors’ interest with playoff appearances by the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers. In all, basketball betting produced $216.7 million in bets, up from the $176.2 million in April. Baseball was No. 2, attracting $186.1 million in wagering.
“Success from regional teams almost always gives a market a boost, and basketball is particularly popular with New Jersey bettors,” Gouker said. “Even more, after a year of strict capacity limits and with so many regional favorites in the NBA Playoffs, bettors seemed particularly motivated to get out and place a bet. All of it is great news for a gaming market on the mend.”
FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet topped online operators again with $29.8 million in gross revenue, up from $25.5 million in April.
FanDuel was followed in revenue by:
- Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($9.5 million, down from $12 million in April)
- BetMGM/Borgata ($4.7 million, down from $5.2 million)
- Monmouth/William Hill/SugarHouse/TheScore ($1.8 million, even with April)
- Ocean Casino/William Hill ($1.3 million, down from $1.8 million)
- Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($518,217, up from -$183,283)
- Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($508,488, down from $1.3 million)
- Tropicana/William Hill ($48,000, down from $52,922)
- Golden Nugget/BetAmerica (-$87,211, down from $202,545)
Meadowlands/FanDuel led all retail books with $4.8 million in revenue in May.
Online casinos and poker
Online casinos and poker rooms enjoyed its third consecutive month with more than $100 million in revenue with $108.2 million in May, up 0.4% from $107.7 million in April. Year-over-year, online casino and poker revenue â which started a yearlong surge in March 2020, is up 25.9% from $85.9 million in May 2020.
Online casinos and poker rooms have generated $3.0 billion in revenue since launching in November 2013.
Borgata, which includes the BetMGM brand, continued to hold its newfound ground in May with $32.8 million in casino and poker revenue. That is up 96.4% from $16.7 million in May 2020. Golden Nugget was just behind with $31.1 million in revenue, up from $29.1 million in April 2020. Resorts Digital, which includes the Fox Bet and DraftKings brands, was third with $21.6 million.
“Even as Atlantic City lifts pandemic-related limits and retail revenue slowly returns, online casinos continue to hold onto the gains made over the last year,” Ramsey said. “Online revenue has clearly been resilient, but hopefully the retail market can sustain this return to pre-pandemic levels.”
Other highlights from May’s report:
- Online casinos and poker rooms generated $18.9 million in state and local taxes.
- Online casinos and poker generated $3.5 million per day in the 31 days of May, down from $3.6 million per day in April.
- Online casinos accounted for $105.8 million of May revenue, up 29.9% from $81.4 million in May 2020.
- Online poker generated $2.4 million, down 46.7% from $4.5 million in May 2020.
Latest News
THE UNIT TO STEP UP EXPANSION PLANS WITH OPENING OF NEW YORK CITY OFFICE
The Unit aims to grow its presence in the Americas with move to new Manhattan location in January 2025 at Bank of Irelandâs NYC Hub
The Unit, a leader in product design and development for sports betting and iGaming, will proudly open its new office in New York City, as part of its long-term global expansion objectives, in January 2025.
The Americas division was established in 2023 with the launch of The Unitâs partnership with online operator PlayStar Casino. The New York City office, located in the heart of Manhattan, will now be the hub for The Unitâs activity in the Americas.
This new base will be located at Bank of Irelandâs NYC Hub, which was launched to help Irish business owners expand their North American operations. The offices at 2 Grand Central Tower are a great asset to Irish companies aiming to expand their operations in the United States and beyond. This is an ideal location for The Unit to grow its footprint in the region.
The project will be put into practice by The Unitâs Head of Business Development & Account Management Mark OâHare, who has relocated to New York and will be responsible for The Unitâs commercial growth in the region.
With product and development teams in Ireland and Moldova, the addition of an American hub is further proof The Unit holds an unwavering commitment to becoming the partner of choice, on a global scale, throughout the industry.
Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit, said: âThese are exciting times for The Unit, and with plans in place to exponentially grow our presence in the Americas across the next few years, the start of 2025 will be the perfect time for us to move into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
âThis will be the ideal addition to our existing bases in Ireland and Moldova. The flexible workspace the hub can provide will be integral to our plans and will give us the opportunity to grow the team.
âThis is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base with clients in the Americas and strategise further launches. Weâre looking forward to mapping out our future in the region with our team on the ground there.
âI would like to thank Mark OâHare for making the move to New York, and Iâm sure both he and his team will have the skills and experience to execute our vision for the Americas division across the long-term.â
Tania Sheikh, Manager of NYC Hub for Bank of Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Unit to the NYC Hub. The facilities we can provide have helped businesses scale up and connect with their partners, and we are proud to offer that opportunity to The Unit.
âWe look forward to hosting The Unit and wish them well in their endeavors to grow their business here.â
The Unit has solidified its strong track record of building world-class, scalable and efficient products for the sports betting and iGaming sector in recent years.
As The Unit embarks on this exciting period of growth, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional products and services to its clients. With its experienced team, best-in-class product development capabilities, and focus on innovation, The Unit is poised to shape the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries.
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Golden Matrix Group to Participate in the 2025 ICR Conference
Golden Matrix Group Inc., a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems, and gaming content, today announced that management will participate in the 2025 ICR Conference on January 13-15, 2025 at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.
Zoran Milosevic, Chief Executive Officer of Meridianbet, will participate in a fireside chat with an equity research analyst on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET and will also be available for meetings during the conference.
Canada
Be #GiftSmart: Scratch the Idea of Gifting Scratch & Win Tickets to Kids
BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season
With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.
âScratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but theyâre not for kids,â said Ryan McCarthy, BCLCâs Director of Player Health. âThe research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.â
While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.
âWith the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,â said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. âOur research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.â
In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.
âOpen and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,â said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:
- Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
- Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
- Limit exposure. Monitor kidsâ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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