New Jersey Online Poker Stagnates, Casino Games Soar

The latest numbers for internet gaming are now available, courtesy of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal and Division of Gaming Enforcement Director David Rebuck release all gaming revenue results on a monthly basis.

All gaming revenue was up for the month of October. This includes internet gaming, sports wagering, and land-based gambling. The total amount of revenue of $293,865,890 was up significantly – 22.9% — year-on-year, though it was down slightly from the previous month.

In addition, the October numbers bring the year-to-date total of gaming revenue to $285,350,504 for the 2019 year thus far. This number is also up 20.4% from the same point in 2018.

Let’s break down internet gaming.

Big numbers from New Jersey in August, with another new record set for internet gaming revenue. But online poker? Revenue down yet again. https://t.co/lKn4FbLJu0 pic.twitter.com/cvXEkJfuEh

— LegalUSPokerSites (@legal_poker) September 15, 2019

October Online Poker Revenue

Online poker was relatively stagnant in October, after a slight year-on-year increase in September.

–October 2019 online poker win:  $1,640,329

–September 2019 online poker win:  $1,638,916

–October 2018 online poker win:  $1,653,746

—Month-on-month:  0.09% increase

—Year-on-year:  0.8% decrease

As has become the norm, there was little change on a monthly basis for online poker, and there was a decrease on a yearly basis. It could be worse, as many months in 2019 have shown more significant downturns for online poker.

October Online Casino Revenue

Online casino games, such as slots and table games, increased substantially yet again in October.

–October 2019 online casino games win:  $43,574,226

–September 2019 online casino games win:  $39,499,341

–October 2018 online casino games win:  $25,100,132

—Month-on-month:  10.3% increase

—Year-on-year:  73.6% increase

Again, the non-poker online casino games are the standout stars of the month. The astounding year-on-year increase of nearly 74% is another boon for the state’s gaming industry.

Total Numbers Carry the State

The total internet gaming numbers, balancing poker with other online casino games, for October were:

–October 2019 total internet gaming win:  $45,214,555

–September 2019 total internet gaming win:  $41,138,257

–October 2018 total internet gaming win:  $26,753,878

—Month-on-month:  10% increase

—Year-on-year:  69% increase

The overall 69% yearly increase was especially significant seeing that land-based casinos saw only an increase of 0.8%.

Sports Betting Still on the Rise

Sports betting has been seeing solid growth in the past several months. The first months of 2019 showed some volatility, but it seems to be on a steady path to increasing revenue.

–January 2019:  $18,774,940

–February 2019:  $12,732,740

–March 2019:  $31,669,387

–April 2019:  $21,215,747

–May 2019:  $15,536,384

–June 2019:  $9,701,925

–July 2019:  $17,884,790

–August 2019:  $25,210,342

–September 2019:  $37,883,375

–October 2019:  $46,393.537

As shown, the upswing began in June, and the sports betting revenue increased each month since. The increase from September to October was 22.5%. While it wasn’t as significant as the 50.3% from the previous month, but the surge continues upward.

New Jersey Online Poker Needs Pennsylvania

As online poker numbers in New Jersey have grown more dismal and discouraging over the past couple of years, there is hope. And that hope resides in Pennsylvania.

When PokerStars became the first poker site to launch in Pennsylvania, traffic was substantial and quickly eclipsed that of its sister site in New Jersey. It is clear that the saving grace for New Jersey’s online poker sector is going to be the eventual interstate player pool sharing.

An interstate agreement between Pennsylvania and New Jersey is likely many months away, as there is still only one poker site live in Pennsylvania, and no other companies have yet to speak of potential launch dates.

There is likely to be much more action in the PA market in 2020, but the eventuality of Pennsylvania helping New Jersey’s poker numbers is probably a year or more away.

How long before PA online poker merges with NV/NJ?

— Geno Raman (@GRaman3210) November 2, 2019