New Jersey’s gambling market delivered another milestone in July, recording more than $606 million in total revenue, while lawmakers simultaneously tightened regulations with a new law banning sweepstakes casinos and proxy betting.

Record-Breaking Online Casino Results

Figures from the Division of Gaming Enforcement confirmed that internet casinos produced $247.3 million in July, setting a new high just two months after May’s $246.8 million mark. This represented a 26.6% year-over-year jump and a 7.2% increase compared to June.

The state’s online casino sector has now generated $1.63 billion across the first seven months of 2025, up 23.3% from the same period in 2024. These gains continue a trend where monthly online revenue has consistently surpassed $200 million since September 2024. Online operators also contributed $48.9 million in taxes during July, bringing the year-to-date total to $256.4 million, a significant boost for the state treasury.

FanDuel remained the dominant digital casino, extending its streak of surpassing $50 million in monthly revenue to five consecutive months. In July, it reported $52.1 million, a 37.8% rise from the previous year, giving it a substantial $34.8 million lead over DraftKings in year-to-date revenue. DraftKings followed closely with $48.6 million, narrowing the gap from June. BetMGM also remained strong with $31.4 million, while Caesars Palace Online set a personal best of $18.7 million, up 53.3% from July 2024. Hard Rock posted $13.4 million, while Fanatics Casino surged with $12.4 million, its highest performance to date.

Atlantic City Casinos Show Summer Strength

Land-based casino earnings also improved, climbing 4.3% year-over-year to $284.1 million. Much of this growth came from Hard Rock and Ocean Casino Resort, the newest properties on the Boardwalk. Borgata led the market with $79.9 million, followed by Hard Rock with $55.1 million and Ocean with $43.1 million.

James Plousis, chairman of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, highlighted the results: “Atlantic City’s solid summer season continued in July.” He added that in-person gambling revenue of $1.66 billion for the year through July was the highest since 2013.

According to the Press of Atlantic City, Jane Bokunewicz, director of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism, pointed out that casinos “started the third quarter on a high note, setting a new near-term, single-month total gross gaming revenue record with more than $577 million generated from all revenue streams, beating out last August’s $528.5 million single-month high.”

Sports betting, by contrast, slipped slightly, producing $74.8 million in July, down 6.6% from last year. Still, the total handle for the month exceeded $664 million, pushing the year-to-date betting volume beyond $6.7 billion.

Sweeps Ban and Tougher Gambling Laws

While operators celebrated revenue highs, lawmakers in Trenton enacted one of the most restrictive gambling laws in recent years. On Friday, August 15, Governor Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 5447, which bans sweepstakes casinos and outlaws proxy betting, among other measures.

The statute defines sweepstakes gambling as “a promotional, advertising, or marketing event, contest, or game, whether played online or in-person, in which something of value, such as a prize or prize equivalent, is awarded, either directly or indirectly through means such as a dual-currency system of payment that allows a participant to exchange the currency for a prize or prize equivalent.”

Violators now face heavy penalties, with regulators empowered to seek injunctions and impose fines of $100,000 for a first offense and $250,000 for repeat violations. The bill also broadens the definition of gambling to cover trading or selling something of value tied to an uncertain outcome, and strengthens laws against rigging and insider betting. Proxy wagers of $1,000 or more are specifically prohibited.

Not everyone supports the new law. The Social and Promotional Games Association argued earlier this year that it “seeks to outlaw promotional sweepstakes platforms that are already legal, do not require purchase to play, and are enjoyed responsibly by millions of adults across the country.” Critics also warned that banning such contests could push players into unregulated markets.

Despite objections, state officials say the law is designed to shield New Jersey’s regulated sportsbooks and online casinos from unfair competition while cracking down on practices seen as harmful to market integrity.