Atlantic City Losing Ground to NJ Online Casinos

According to the latest figures from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, online casino operators in New Jersey had a huge month in March. They pulled in a record $243.9 million in revenue, smashing the previous $228 million record set in December. This new high is the biggest monthly total ever recorded for online gambling in the state. 

It also marks the third month in a row that online casinos outperformed the revenue from Atlantic City’s brick-and-mortar casinos. Atlantic City’s nine land-based casinos reported $230.9 million for the month, a 3.7% drop from last year.

I can’t say I’m surprised, though. Personally, I enjoy both online and in-person gaming, but there’s just something special about being there on the casino floor—the sounds, the smells, the people, the overall energy. It’s a whole vibe you just can’t recreate at home. That said, I totally get why online gaming is taking off the way it is. Today’s world is all about convenience, and it’s pretty hard to beat being able to play your favorite games without ever leaving your house.

Unfortunately for us traditionalists, online casinos just keep pulling further ahead. In March 2025, they brought in almost $13 million more than the brick-and-mortar spots. Online revenue shot up 23.7% compared to March 2024, jumping from $197.2 million. 

Looking at the first quarter of 2025, online casino revenue climbed 19.6% YOY. It totaled $673.3 million. That gave digital platforms a 4.5% lead over traditional casinos.

All that growth also meant a nice payday for the state. New Jersey collected almost $36.5 million in online gaming taxes just in March. So far this year, iGaming has brought in $100.6 million in tax revenue.

Golden Nugget / FanDuel Casino NJ On Top

Golden Nugget was the clear standout among Atlantic City’s online operators, setting a new record with $74.5 million in revenue. Six of the eight casinos licensed for online gaming reported their best-ever months, and 11 operators set new personal records.

FanDuel Casino, operating under the Golden Nugget license, led all individual operators with $52.3 million in revenue, up 25.7% compared to last March. And DraftKings is not far behind at $49.6 million.

• BetMGM: $31.6 million
• Borgata: $22.4 million
• Caesars Palace Online / Tropicana-based platforms: combined for $20.5 million

Other strong performances came from BetRivers at $8.3 million and Fanatics Casino at $5.3 million, both setting new personal highs. Meanwhile, BetPARX made its debut with $1.7 million in March through a partnership with Harrah’s.

Atlantic City Casinos Struggle to Keep Pace

While online gaming soared, Atlantic City’s physical casinos continued to slide. The nine land-based properties brought in $8.9 million less than they did in March 2024, marking the second month in a row with about a 4% year-over-year decline.

Although slot machine revenue actually increased by 0.5%, table games took a hit and dropped by 15% to $57.3 million. 

Sports betting in New Jersey also took a hit in March. With the Super Bowl behind us and March Madness coming to an end, the action slowed down a bit. Casinos, racetracks, and their partners brought in $71.3 million — down 20.5% from last year’s $89.7 million. Year-to-date, sports betting revenue hit $267.1 million. That’s an 18.6% drop compared to the same time in 2024.