July is what many consider the slowest month on the sports betting calendar.
Wagering opportunities were limited to Major League Baseball, The Open, and Wimbledon, likely keeping some bettors on the sidelines.
So the numbers released today by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement may seem like nothing special at first glance.
However, the $251.3 million NJ sports betting handle is nothing to cry about.
Nevada’s sports betting handle came in at $244.6 million for the same period last year.
But there is more.
New Jersey’s sports wagering gross revenue finished July with $17.9 million. It’s a significant increase ($14,038,910, to be exact) from the $3.8 million from the same month last year.
But take that with a grain of salt, too.
Last year in July, New Jersey featured only land-based sportsbooks (and only a few of them at that). The huge $14 million jump in revenue can easily be attributed to the addition of online sports betting and a total NJ sports betting market of two dozen operators.
In other words, there’s a reason why New Jersey’s hot market has a lot to do with what’s happening online.
NJ online sports betting holds all the cards
Mobile wagering didn’t launch in NJ until August of last year, but it continues to be the preferred means of betting.
Gamblers wagered $213,038,739 via online devices in July.
And if we look at the year-to-date handle, the mobile numbers pop out even more. Out of the $2,235,397,358 wagered year to date, $1,819,399,268 is coming from online.
That 80%/20% divide between mobile and retail still exists and is likely only going to get stronger.
Besides theScore, apps from Unibet NJ and Bet365 NJ are both expected to be live by the time the NFL regular season kicks off next month.
For now, all we can say is they’re coming soon.
It’s FanDuel and DraftKings on top… again
There continues to be an ongoing theme when it comes to the sports betting story in NJ. FanDuel Sportsbook remains No.1 followed by DraftKings Sportsbook.
For July, the Meadowlands Racetrack reported an industry-best $9,090,100 in revenue. The majority of that number comes from FanDuel. And out of the total number, $7,323,483 came from mobile wagers.
DraftKings, operating under the Resorts license, finished a distant second, with the majority of wagering coming via the app.
Resorts Digital reported revenue of $3,721,550. The bulk of it comes from the Boston-based company, with additional earnings coming from BetStars NJ and the Resorts online sportsbook.
The DraftKings retail sportsbook at Atlantic City’s oldest casino generated an additional $544,990.
NJ sports betting by the numbers
Beyond FanDuel and DraftKings, the field currently includes 10 retail operators and 12 other apps.
This does not include theScore, which is Apple ready and projected for an August launch. The Toronto-based media company will operate under the Monmouth Park license once approved by the DGE.
But here is a look at how the other operators fared in July in comparison to FanDuel and DraftKings:
| Property (Online) | Online Revenue | Retail Revenue | July Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bally's (Caesars, 888) | $236,254 | $256,137 | $492,391 |
| Borgata (playMGM, Borgata Sports) | $163,086 | $696,392 | $859,478 |
| Golden Nugget (BetAmerica, GN Online) | $127,349 | $96,373 | $223,722 |
| Hard Rock (Hard Rock online) | $24,669 | $129,322 | $153,991 |
| Harrah's | ----- | $113,530 | $113,530 |
| Meadowlands (FanDuel, PointsBet) | $7,323,483 | $1,766,617 | $9,090,100 |
| Monmouth (William Hill, now Caesars, SugarHouse) | $1,650,179 | $321,694 | $1,971,873 |
| Caesars Sportsbook by Ocean Resorts (previously William Hill) | $645,956 | $(59,040) | $586,916 |
| Resorts (DraftKings, BetStars, Resorts Online) | $3,721,550 | $544,990 | $4,266,540 |
| Tropicana (William Hill) | $14,968 | $111,281 | $126,249 |
| TOTAL | $13,907,494 | $3,977,296 | $17,884,790 |
Gearing up for NFL betting in AC and beyond
Once football betting season arrives, fans will be packing into the retail sportsbooks and logging into their favorite betting sites in droves.
This time last year, casinos were opening with temporary facilities just to get a piece of the NFL betting action.
A year later, new sportsbooks are ready for action at all 10 sportsbooks in the state. In Atlantic City, three new permanent spaces opened this summer alone.
But with all the attention on online betting, will bettors be visiting the retail sportsbooks this fall?
Borgata’s Moneyline Bar & Book had a grand opening bash at the end of June. The market-leading property reported $696,392 in retail sports betting revenue compared to just $100,369 in June.
The other one to keep an eye on is The Book at Bally’s, the swanky new 15,228-square-foot digs at the center of the Boardwalk. Gamblers even have the option of renting out a fan cave.
Without a doubt, what may have seemed like a slow month is setting the tone for prime sports betting season.