Online gaming up 64% in New Jersey
Total state gaming revenue in New Jersey saw a year-on-year increase of 19% to $287.3 million for February this year, according to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).
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Casino revenue spiked 11% to $218.3 million, with online gaming revenue increasing 64% to $52 million, meaning gaming revenue was up 25% to $587.8m for the year-to-date.
Although sports betting revenue was significantly down on January’s figure, which was driven by Super Bowl wagering, it increased 34% to $17 million, and for the year so far, sports wagering has increased 124% to $70.6 million.
A total of $494.8 million was wagered on sports during February, $436.5 million of that being generated online, and the year-to-date total currently stands at $1.03 billion.
In January the DGE released revenue figures for 2019, which showed an increase of 20% to $3.47 billion, with sports betting revenue totaling $299.4 million.
Following legalization in 2018, this was the first full year of sports betting in the state.
Pennsylvania sports betting revenue sees a dip in February
A marginal rise in market revenue for February has been reported by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), despite a 79.4% month-on-month decline in overall levels of sports betting.
Across the board, gambling revenue in the state, consisting of land-based table games and slots, online casinos, sports betting, fantasy sports, and video gaming terminals, totaled $304.3 million in February, up 0.5% from $304.2 million in January and 13.8% from $267.6 million in February 2019.
The small month-on-month increase was principally down to growth within the state’s land-based market, with a rise of 4.9% to $199.7 million in slot revenue, and table games revenue climbing 6.6%.
Sports wagering revenue was down 79.4% on a month-on-month basis to $4.7 million in February, a drop from the $22.8 million collected in January, but 147.4% higher than February last year.
Other states see a spike in online wagering
Delaware saw a year-on-year improvement of 621% in February, earning $160,000 in sports betting revenue.
Delaware Park was in the lead, generating revenue of $97,000, significantly ahead of second-place Harrington Raceway, which took in $35,000.
Meanwhile, the Dover Downs complex earned $28,000, with the state on track for a good spring until the nation’s casinos were shut down by the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to at least one news report, however, the closure of major US land-based gaming venues along with the cancellation of live sport has sparked a 100% rise in internet searches for ‘online casino’ across North America.
A tipping point was reached in early March when more US players searched for ‘online casino’ than ‘sports betting’, with numbers doubling in the following two weeks.
Since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in August 2018, 17 US states have regulated sports betting, with only five comprising Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania opening up online gambling.
In February 2020 combined sports betting and online casino revenues across those US States were more than $1.7 billion.
