Atlantic City Casino Revenue Trails iGaming in January, State Industry Starts 2025 Strong
In January, Atlantic City's casino earnings fell short of iGaming, but the opening month of the year was mostly favorable for New Jersey's gaming market.
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) states that the nine casinos along the coast collectively earned $210 million last month. The physical store performance showcased a 2.6% increase compared to the previous year. An additional weekend day in January relative to January 2024 was beneficial.
James Plousis, the chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, noted last month "marked the second-best January outcome in 13 years." Slot machines generated approximately $145.4 million for the casino, reflecting a 2% increase, while revenue from table games rose more than 4% to $64.6 million.
iGaming took center stage, with online casino slots, interactive table games, and poker rake surpassing $221.6 million. This indicated a 21% increase compared to the previous year and signifies just the second occasion since New Jersey initiated legal online casino gaming in late 2013 that digital platforms exceeded physical establishments.
New Jersey Online Gaming Event
The nine Atlantic City casinos experienced a 1.1% decline in in-person gaming last year, resulting in around $2.81 billion. In contrast, iGaming reported a 24% increase to $2.38 billion, as the regulated gaming platforms earned approximately $463.4 million more from online players than in 2023.
The initial month of 2025 indicates that the trend could persist, as online gaming keeps growing while physical stores remain stagnant. January, nonetheless, was a good sign for the nine casinos as gross gaming revenue (GGR) rose by nearly 3%, but with an additional weekend day, the growth diminishes some of its shine.
Online casinos usually experience a bit more activity on weekends, but the disparity between weekdays and weekends is not nearly as pronounced as it is in the nine brick-and-mortar casinos. Although in-person gaming in Atlantic City has stabilized or even declined in the last year, the iGaming industry keeps attracting new participants.
Gaming authorities such as Jane Bokunewicz, who is the director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism (LIGHT), assert that iGaming enhances the resorts.
"Brick-and-mortar gaming is not being left behind by internet gaming. Atlantic City’s nine casino hotels started 2025 on the right foot with a 2.6% increase,” Bokunewicz said in her January revenue remarks.
The casinos naturally profit from iGaming, but the earnings are distributed with their external partners such as DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. January continued the trend for the fifth month in a row, with iGaming GGR surpassing $200 million.
Sports Wagering Decline
In January, Atlantic City's casino revenue and iGaming experienced year-over-year increases, but the scenario was different for the sportsbooks. Oddsmakers retained about $122.2 million of the $1.15 billion in bets placed, marking a 28% decrease from January 2024.
Oddsmakers indicated a comparable win or hold percentage. The online and physical sportsbooks retained 10.3% of the wagers last month, up by 0.2% from the 10.1% hold rate recorded in January 2024. The overall handle for January 2024 exceeded $1.72 billion.
The total revenue from Atlantic City casinos, iGaming GGR, and sports betting amounted to $559 million. January’s GGR collection was 28% greater, or $463.8 million more, compared to January 2024.
