New Jersey Gaming on the Rise Despite Sports Betting Lull

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has published data about the performance of the state’s gaming industry in January, highlighting a strong start to 2026. While both casino gaming and iGaming experienced growth, a decline in sports betting offset the industry’s growth slightly.

Revenue Increased and So Did Operators’ Tax Contributions

In the first month of 2026, Atlantic City’s casinos, racetracks, and their partners reached revenues of $586.4 million. This figure was equivalent to 5.9% growth from January 2025 when gaming operators reported $553.9 million in revenue instead.

As a result of this growth, the gaming taxes paid by casinos, racetracks, and their partners also increased, reaching $86.5 million for January 2026.

NJ’s Casino and iGaming Verticals Reported Strong Revenues

The NJ DGE also provided a breakdown of the casino revenue, highlighting how the various verticals performed. Official data shows that casino win for Atlantic City’s nine casino hotels was $213.3 million for January 2026, representing a modest increase of 1.6% when compared to $210.1 million in January 2025.

The casino sector paid $15.7 million in taxes for the month.

Internet gaming win, on the other hand, reached $258.9 million for the month, which is equivalent to a growth of 16.8% year-on-year. For comparison, casinos and their partners reported $221.6 million in internet gaming win for the same month last year.

Casinos and their partners paid $57.4 million in internet gaming taxes for January.

Finally, New Jersey’s sports betting sector reported sports wagering gross revenue of $114.2 million for January 2026. This figure marks a decrease of 6.5% from the $122.2 million in sports wagering gross revenue reported for January 2025.

Sportsbooks paid $2.2 million in taxes for the period.

NJ Lawmakers Propose Reforms

In other news, New Jersey lawmakers are mulling over a potential ban on the use of push notifications or text messages for the promotion of gambling. This comes amid concerns about a spike in problem gambling and calls for stricter safeguards.

The ban, which is outlined in Senate Bill 3401, is only one of several measures seeking to reform the Garden State’s flourishing gaming industry. Other proposals include a potential ban on the use of credit cards in gambling, as well as measures seeking to increase transparency within the sports betting sector.