Seasonal Dip Hits New Jersey Online Poker in April
For the first time in many months, New Jersey’s internet gaming sector showed a monthly decrease in revenue during the month of April 2019. While it has come to be expected from online poker, it is unusual for online casinos to decrease from month to month. And to see a substantial decrease is even rarer.
It should be noted, however, that the year-on-year numbers for internet gaming on the whole were up substantially. The nearly 59% increase is better than most months and consistent with the overall upward trend of internet gaming revenue.
Poker was back to its year-on-year fall after a slight reprieve, but internet casino games came in to save the day with massive yearly growth.
Another important note is that April has shown itself to be a slower month overall for internet gaming, as the same month-on-month decrease happened in 2018. Winter weather begins to subside in favor of more favorable temperatures for outdoor activities, and people tend to exit hibernation in April to enjoy springtime activities.
Essentially, the numbers are not worrisome in the overall picture of New Jersey’s market. The state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement provided the numbers via the Office of the Attorney General.
Online Poker Backslides Again
Last month, the online poker sector was able to claim a win, as revenue grew more than 5% from February to March. Even the smallest wins are welcome as online poker tries to stay relevant and vital in the ever-growing internet gaming market in New Jersey.
In April, however, the numbers were down again, both on the monthly and annual level. And the monthly drop was particularly drastic.
While April is not the metric by which the sector is judged, the downswing requires online poker to make up even more ground in the summer months to show any type of growth.
–April 2019 online poker win: $1,667,977
–March 2019 online poker win: $1,903,790
–April 2018 online poker win: $1,761,404
—Month-on-month: 12.4% decrease
—Year-on-year: 5.3% decrease
Online Casinos Still Growing
The online casino sector did see a monthly dip from March to April, but the yearly growth more than makes up for that seasonal snafu. The growth rate continues to soar for internet casino games, like slots and table games, which dominate the entirety of internet gaming and continue to increase the overall growth rate of New Jersey’s gambling market.
The year-on-year growth rate for online casino games soared above any other type of gambling in the state by nearly 50%, a testament to their importance to overall casino health.
–April 2019 online casino games win: $34,914,957
–March 2019 online casino games win: $37,230,590
–April 2018 online casino games win: $21,257,358
—Month-on-month: 6.2% decrease
—Year-on-year: 64.2% increase
Internet Gaming for the Win Again
New Jersey is becoming increasingly pleased with the internet gaming revenue numbers, as well as more dependent upon them for the overall growth rate of Atlantic City gaming. Again, the monthly numbers were down slightly, but the year-on-year numbers tell the bigger story
–April 2019 total internet gaming win: $36,582,934
–March 2019 total internet gaming win: $39,134,380
–April 2018 total internet gaming win: $23,018,762
—Month-on-month: 6.5% decrease
—Year-on-year: 58.9% increase
New Jersey Willing to Fight to Keep Internet Gaming
The story of internet gaming growth in New Jersey explains why state officials are so determined to fight for their industry. It has been a boost to the overall gaming market in the state, as well as a demonstration of how a properly-run internet gaming sector can be immensely profitable.
These types of numbers back up the claims of New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, as he actively pursues information from the Department of Justice regarding the recent Wire Act opinion reversal. He has awaited information about the basis of that opinion for several months, and without enough cooperation from the DOJ, Grewal just filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the DOJ to obtain those documents.
Grewal and other supportive state officials will pursue the DOJ as far as necessary to ensure its internet gaming industry will be able to continue operating without interruption.
4 months ago, @TheJusticeDept reversed its longstanding opinion on the legality of online gambling.
3 months ago, we filed a FOIA request demanding to know why and received no response.
NJ residents deserve an explanation. Today, we're suing for answers: https://t.co/riwtt2tfCF pic.twitter.com/NXitmGhcxe
— Attorney General Matt Platkin (@NewJerseyOAG) May 7, 2019
