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The US has always been divided over the issue of gambling. Whilst there is no federal law outlawing gambling, some states such as Utah and Hawaii have banned it outright. Others, such as New Jersey, have relaxed laws. The Garden State even allows in-state online gambling in 2013, ensuring New Jersey has become one of the most progressive states in the country.
In fact, New Jersey boasts a number of betting outlets including the lottery, horse racing, off-track betting, amusement games and social gambling with midday and even evening lottery prizes.
Home to the gambling hotspot Atlantic City and following the implementation of sports betting in 2018, the lucrative payouts have been key in upping New Jersey’s sports betting revenue by almost 20% in February this year.
New Jerseyans’ appetite for gambling
Clearly, the inhabitants of New Jersey are eager to try their luck and earn some money, particularly in sports betting. New Jerseyans wagered $494.8 million on sports in February this year which is the fourth-largest monthly total since the legalization of the vertical. One of the main reasons for this, of course, is the Super Bowl, held on the second day of the month.
The influx of bets on the Super Bowl – which ended in a 31-20 victory for the Kansas City Chiefs over the San Francisco 49ers – helped the Garden State’s gambling industry to increase revenue by over 19% compared to 2018.
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Atlantic City casinos
Atlantic City casinos also experienced an increase in gaming revenue for the 21st consecutive month, whilst online gaming across USA online casinos increased by over 63% from last year, with revenue hitting $52 million – a sign that the online gambling world is slowly but surely taking off.
In fact, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement recently revealed that the Atlantic City casinos and the two racetracks that offer sports gambling, accrued nearly $300 million which was up almost a fifth from the same time last year.
Of course, with 2020 being a leap year too – and an extra day therefore added to the calendar – meant that the extra day fell on a Saturday, the busiest day of the week for casinos.
With more sites like Jeux de casino popping up, the numbers just keep improving. Sports betting revenue for Atlantic City online and mobile partners increased by 23.2% to nearly $5 million.
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Only going to continue
Gambling in New Jersey is undergoing a massive growth – both in brick-and-mortar establishments and online too – and this is only likely to become more mainstream as laws become more relaxed and more states undergo a shift in attitudes towards betting. The Garden State has, after all this, demonstrated that the gambling industry – particularly that of sports betting – is a lucrative one, and it seems the only way is up.
