Online poker revenue in the state of New Jersey dropped to its lowest point since the outbreak of COVID-19 caused Governor Phil Murphy to issue a statewide stay at home order on March 21. According to figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, online poker operators in the state combined to generate $3 million in revenue during the month of August.
New Jersey has three online poker networks operating in the state: PokerStars NJ, the partypoker NJ network and the All American Poker Network (AAPN) which features WSOP.com, the most popular online poker room in the state.
New Jersey Online Poker Revenue by Network
- WSOP NJ – $1,313,066
- PokerStars NJ – $971,811
- partypoker NJ – $ 750,126
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Based on revenue, the AAPN led the market with a 43% share and PokerStars NJ ranked second with a 32% share. The partypoker US Network, which is expected to launch soon in Pennsylvania but without sharing liquidity with its New Jersey operation), was the smallest of the three with a 25% share.
Though the $3 million collected last month represents a 78% increase on August 2019, it also represents a decrease of 37% from July 2020 when the market collectively produced $4.8 million in revenue.
In fact, the 37% decline from July 2020 to August 2020 is the biggest monthly decline in history of the market. The next largest decline was in June 2016 when revenue fell 23.4%.
New Jersey Online Poker Revenue’s Biggest Declines
| Month | Monthly Decline |
| Aug-20 | -37.01% |
| Jun-16 | -23.40% |
| Jun-20 | -21.69% |
| Apr-14 | -19.27% |
| Jun-17 | -18.13% |
As another point of perspective, the decline from July to August last year was just 9.5%.
New Jersey Online Poker Revenue in the Pandemic Era
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused online poker revenue in the state (as well as around the world) to climb to levels previously not seen in the market.
And while the stay at home order in New Jersey was lifted on June 9, there are still many restrictions in place that have contributed to the continued higher-than-normal revenue figures in the months since.
For the six-month period from March to August, revenue totaled $24.7 million – a spike of 130% compared to the same period in 2019. However, excluding August, the average annual increase during that period is 141%, far more than the 78% annual increase seen last month.
Another factor that contributed to the above average revenue figures during that period is the move of the World Series of Poker online during the entire month of July, also a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For that month, the $4.8 million collected ranks as the second highest monthly amount on record.
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New Jersey Online Poker Revenue During COVID Pandemic
| Month | Revenue |
| Mar-20 | $3,629,112 |
| Apr-20 | $5,148,373 |
| May-20 | $4,516,529 |
| Jun-20 | $3,537,077 |
| Jul-20 | $4,818,561 |
| Aug-20 | $3,035,003 |
New Jersey Online Casino and Sports Betting Revenue
In addition to online poker, New Jersey igaming also consists of casino games and sports betting, and contrary to the decline of online poker in August, the other igaming verticals in the state posted month-over-month increases.
Online casinos in New Jersey generated $84.7 million, another new record in the market and the fourth consecutive month with more than $80 million in revenue.
New Jersey Online Casino Revenue by Licensee
- Borgata – $19,028,235
- Caesars – $7,951,401
- Golden Nugget – $27,650,249
- Hard Rock – $6,001,838
- Ocean Resort – $726,646
- Resorts – $16,916,963
- Tropicana – $6,462,633
New Jersey online sports betting also had a good month in August with all operators combining to generate $34.3 million in revenue. The boost comes as the major sports leagues in the US continue to ramp up their seasons following delays resulting from the pandemic.
