Online casinos see record-breaking performance

Data from   the Division of Gaming Enforcement confirms that online casino revenue reached $247.3 million in July  , breaking the previous all-time high of $246.8 million in May, a new high set just two months later. This represents a 26.6% increase from the same month last year and a 7.2% increase from June.

 
Through the first seven months of 2025, the state's  online casino industry  has generated  $1.63 billion in revenue, a 23.3% increase over the same period in 2024. These increases continue a trend of online revenue exceeding $200 million per month since September 2024. Online operators also paid $48.9 million in taxes in July  , bringing the year-to-date total to  $256.4 million , a significant boost to state finances.

FanDuel  remains dominant, having achieved monthly revenue exceeding $50 million for five consecutive months. In July, the company reported  $52.1 million in revenue , a 37.8% year-over-year increase, significantly outpacing DraftKings by $34.8 million year-to-date. DraftKings followed closely behind  with  $ 48.6  million in revenue , narrowing the gap compared to June. BetMGM also maintained strong performance, generating  $31.4 million in revenue , while  Caesars Palace Online achieved  a personal best of $18.7 million, a 53.3% increase from July 2024. Hard   Rock  generated  $13.4 million in revenue , while  Fanatics Casino  surged to  $12.4 million , its highest performance to date.

Atlantic City casinos see strong summer performance

Land-based casinos  also saw a 4.3% year-over-year increase in profits, reaching  $284.1 million . Much of this growth came from  the Hard Rock  and  Ocean Casino Resort , the two newest casinos on the Boardwalk.  The Borgata led the market with $79.9 million in profits, followed by  the Hard Rock  with  $55.1 million  and  the  Ocean  Casino Resort   with $43.1 million .

James Prusis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, highlighted the results:  "Atlantic City continued its strong summer momentum in July."  He also said that land-based gambling revenue for the full year ending in July was  $1.66 billion,  the highest level since 2013.

According to The Press of Atlantic City, Bokunevich, director of the Levinson Institute for Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism Studies at Stockton University , noted that casinos  "had a strong start to the third quarter, setting a new recent record for total monthly gaming revenue, with total revenue from all revenue sources exceeding $577 million, surpassing the previous monthly record of $528.5 million set in August of last year."

In contrast, sports betting saw a slight decline, with gaming revenue of $74.8 million  in July , down 6.6% from last year. Despite this, total gaming revenue for the month  still exceeded $664 million , bringing the year-to-date total to over  $6.7 billion .

Complete ban on gambling and implementation of stricter laws

Even as operators celebrated record revenue, lawmakers in Trenton enacted one of the strictest gambling laws in recent years. On Friday, August 15,  Governor Phil Murphy  signed  Assembly Bill 5447 , which, among other measures, bans lottery casinos and proxy betting.

The regulation defines sweepstakes gambling as  “a promotion, advertising or marketing activity, contest or game, whether conducted online or in person, in which something of value, such as a prize or prize equivalent, is awarded directly or indirectly, including through a dual-currency payment system, which allows participants to redeem currency for a prize or prize equivalent.”

Violators face severe penalties, with regulators empowered to seek injunctions and  impose fines of $100,000 for first-time offenders and $250,000 for repeat offenders . The bill also expands the definition of "gambling" to include the trade or sale of items of value  associated with uncertain outcomes and strengthens laws against match-fixing and insider betting.  Proxy bets of $1,000 or more  are explicitly prohibited.

Not everyone supports the new law.  The Social and Promotional Gaming Association  argued earlier this year that the law  "seeks to outlaw promotional sweepstakes platforms that are already legal, require no purchase to participate, and are responsibly participated in by millions of adults across the country."  Critics also warn that banning such contests could push players into unregulated markets.

Despite opposition, state officials said the law is intended to  protect New Jersey's regulated sportsbooks and online casinos  from unfair competition while cracking down on behavior deemed harmful to the integrity of the market.