New Jersey’s online gambling sector reached a new milestone in March 2025, generating an unprecedented $243.9 million in revenue, an increase of nearly 24% compared to March of the previous year. According to data released by the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), this figure once again eclipsed the earnings from traditional casinos in Atlantic City, which reported $230.9 million in revenue from in-person slot machines and table games.

Land-based casinos see slump as online gains momentum:

This marked the second consecutive month that internet gaming revenue surpassed land-based casino earnings in the state. Jane Bokunewicz, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism, described the development as potentially historic. “March 2025 may mark a watershed moment for the Atlantic City gaming industry. For the second consecutive month, revenue from the internet gaming sector ($244 million) has surpassed revenue from brick-and-mortar operations ($231 million),” she said, according to Press of Atlantic City.

While March showed growth over February for Atlantic City casinos, the year-over-year numbers painted a more concerning picture. The $230.9 million reported by the nine casinos represented a 3.7% decline from March 2024. Most of that drop came from table games, which fell almost 15% to $57.3 million. Meanwhile, slot machine revenue edged up slightly to $173.6 million.

Despite the decline, James Plousis, Chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, noted that March still represented one of the strongest months for in-person gross gaming revenue in over a decade. He attributed some of the revenue drop at the tables to “gamblers enjoying luck at the tables.”

Operators including Borgata, Caesars, Golden Nugget, Hard Rock, Harrah’s, and Ocean reported lower year-over-year revenue from table games, while slot revenues dropped at Bally’s, Caesars, Resorts, Golden Nugget, and Tropicana.

iGaming and sports betting shape first quarter performance:

Online gambling not only led March but also dominated the first quarter of 2025. Digital platforms brought in $673.3 million from January through March, up roughly 20% year-over-year. In comparison, land-based casinos collected $644.4 million, showing a nearly 2% decrease.

“Rounding out the first quarter of 2025, internet gaming led the industry at $673 million in revenue for the year-to-date compared with the $644 million realized by traditional brick-and-mortar operations in the same period,” said Bokunewicz.

Sports betting revenue, however, declined sharply. Sportsbooks across casinos and racetracks earned $71.3 million in March—a 20.5% drop from the $89.7 million posted in the same month last year. The dip was largely attributed to disappointing returns during the March Madness college basketball tournament.

Despite the uneven start to the year, the industry is preparing for its traditional summer surge. Atlantic City properties, which saw figures climb as high as $294 million in August 2024, expect more foot traffic as warmer weather sets in. Bokunewicz noted that seasonal trends and weather impacts make it difficult to predict whether the digital-first trend will continue.

To prepare for the busy season, over 1,700 job openings have been announced by the nine Atlantic City casinos. These roles will be promoted at the upcoming Casino Career Fair on April 24, where prospective employees can meet hiring representatives between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, total gaming revenue across all sectors in New Jersey reached $546.1 million in March, up from $526.6 million in March 2024. The year-to-date total stands at $1.58 billion—the highest Q1 total in more than 10 years.