New Jersey sports betting made U.S. gambling history in September, taking in more than $1 billion in legal wagers.
According to data released Monday by state gaming regulators, gamblers in N.J. bet $1.011 billion on sports last month. September’s total is the largest monthly sports betting handle ever reported by any state or legal gaming jurisdiction in the country.
More than $918.4 million, or 90.8%, was wagered via online sportsbooks or mobile apps.
Lots of money to go around from N.J. sports betting
Garden State sportsbook operators generated $82.44 million in revenue in September, according to data from the N.J. Division of Gaming Enforcement. Last month’s sports gambling revenue was 83% more than the same month in 2020.
September’s sports betting handle bested the previous record of $996.3 million from December 2020.
N.J. now claims the 13 highest monthly sports betting handles in U.S. history.
The state of New Jersey has collected over $170 million in taxes from legalized sports gambling in just over three years. More than $69.9 million in sports betting taxes has been added to state coffers in 2021 alone.
Everyone is looking up at N.J.
Sports betting outside of Nevada was legalized in May 2018 following a U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). N.J. was the lead party in the landmark case against the NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL.
Since 2018, nearly $19 billion has been legally wagered on sports in N.J. The next-closest gambling jurisdiction in terms of total sports betting handle since June 2018 is Nevada, with $16.8 billion. (Nevada has yet to release September gaming figures).
Year-to-date, more than $7.1 billion has been legally wagered on sports in N.J., exceeding the $6 billion wagered for all of 2020.
Breaking down September’s sports betting revenue numbers
N.J. has 22 online/mobile sportsbooks. All nine Atlantic City casinos offer retail sports gambling, as do three state-licensed racetracks.
FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet/SuperBook, operating under the Meadowlands Racetrack license, again topped all online operators with $36.6 million in gross revenue. That number is up from the $23.6 million reported in August.
Looking at the remainder of N.J.’s online sportsbooks, here’s how they performed in September:
- Resorts Digital (Resorts/DraftKings/Fox Bet): $13.2 million
- Borgata (BetMGM/Borgata): $10.8 million
- Monmouth Park (William Hill/SugarHouse/theScore): $1.8 million
- Ocean Casino (Caesars/Tipico): $653,322
- Hard Rock: (Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet): $1.6 million
- Caesars Interactive (Caesars Sportsbook/888sport/WynnBet): -$568,675
- GNOG (Golden Nugget/BetAmerica/Betway): -$70,405
- Tropicana (Caesars): $3 million
- Freehold Raceway (Barstool/PlayUp): $4.1 million
Enjoy it while it lasts, N.J.
New Jersey sports betting may be the leader in the clubhouse now, but the state’s dominance could be challenged soon.
New York is nearing its launch of legalized online sports betting, with some lawmakers eyeing a start before the Super Bowl in February 2024. Although exact figures are not public, sportsbook operators in N.J. have suggested anywhere between 20-25% of all online or mobile sports bets are Empire State residents crossing the state border.
/AP Photo/Frank Franklin II