NJ Gaming Revenue Hits $600M in April as Atlantic City Retail Shows Surprise Resilience

Despite strong economic headwinds and punishing prices at the pump, averaging $4.27 a gallon in New Jersey, the state’s gaming market remains remarkably robust. In April, total gaming revenue for the Garden State reached just over $600 million, a 12% year-over-year (YOY) increase compared to April 2025. Out of that total, a healthy $97 million went directly to state taxes.

While the continued rise of online gaming was expected, the real surprise came from the physical boardwalk. With gas prices reaching levels that usually curtail travel, and fresh competition opening right across the Hudson, the resilience of the Atlantic City land-based market is the true story of April.

Here is a breakdown of how the different gaming sectors performed.

Retail Casinos: Defying the New York Threat

In-person revenue "down the shore" was up nearly 12% YOY, hitting $235 million for the month. This surge comes as a shock to many analysts, especially since Resorts World in Queens, NY, finally began rolling out live table games and Class III slots. While experts predict that new land-based casinos in NYC could eventually siphon off 30% of Atlantic City's business, that impact wasn’t evident in April.

Eight of the state’s nine retail casinos posted gains, with a few major standouts:

• The Heavyweight: MGM’s Borgata remains the undisputed king of the boardwalk. Total casino win (slots and tables) hit $67 million, up 14% YOY, capturing nearly 25% of the total AC market.

• The Runner-Up: Hard Rock posted $45 million, securing a solid 9% gain.

• The Breakout Star: The award for high performance goes to Caesars, driven almost entirely by their table games. Overall property revenue hit $19 million (up 32%), fueled by a massive 138% jump in table revenue (from $3 million in April 2025 to $7 million last month).

• The Laggard: The only property to post declining numbers was Golden Nugget, dropping 3% to $10.7 million. This pushed them below perennial bottom-dweller Bally's ($10.9 million) into last place.

iGaming: A Tale of Diverging Heavyweights

The New Jersey online casinos saw a YOY increase of nearly 12%, bringing in $263 million. While robust, this is down slightly from March’s near-record high of $272 million.

A deeper dive into the iGaming vertical shows a continuing decoupling between the industry's top dogs:

• FanDuel Accelerates: FanDuel secured the top spot, growing 11.5% to $58.8 million.

• DraftKings Slides: DK has struggled over the last few months with its iCasino product, falling nearly 10% YOY to $41 million (though they still comfortably hold the number two spot).

• BetMGM & Borgata: BetMGM took third (up 10% to $32 million), while Borgata rounded out the big four (up 7% to $22 million).

• The Disruptor: Further down the list, BetFanatics put on an impressive show. Their iGaming revenue was up 114% in April and 155% for the year, averaging over $13 million a month so far in 2026.

Sports Betting: Handle Nears $1 Billion

New Jersey sportsbooks also enjoyed a solid April, matching the 12% YOY gain seen in other verticals to bring in $102 million in revenue. Total handle (all money wagered on sports) reached an impressive $934 million, with the vast majority ($905 million) coming from online bets.

• FanDuel continues to lead the pack with 25% revenue growth, nearing $40 million.

• DraftKings found its footing on the sports side, eking out a 15% improvement to just over $25 million.

• BetFanatics, despite its massive success in iGaming, saw its sports betting revenue plunge over 30%, dropping to just $9 million compared to nearly $13 million last April.

Looking Ahead

There appears to be no stopping the rise of iGaming, but the aging grand dame by the sea still has plenty of life left in her. With market leaders like Borgata and Hard Rock showing double-digit growth, the Atlantic City retail market is holding its ground against macroeconomic pressures.

Of course, the next few months will tell the real tale of the tape. All eyes will be on the Atlantic City Expressway traffic counts as we head into the Memorial Day weekend, officially kicking off the summer season down the shore.