New Jersey Hits $606M Gaming High as Lawmakers Ban Sweeps Casinos

New Jersey entered the second half of 2025 on two fronts: a fresh revenue milestone for its gambling industry and the passage of a wide-reaching law tightening restrictions on certain gaming practices. July’s combined figures surpassed $606 million, even as Governor Phil Murphy signed a measure outlawing sweepstakes casinos and proxy betting.

Digital Gaming Continues Record-Breaking Streak

Online casinos once again powered New Jersey’s growth. Data from the Division of Gaming Enforcement showed July’s internet sites gaming revenue at $247.3 million, narrowly topping May’s previous record of $246.8 million. The figure represented a 26.6% jump compared with July 2024 and a 7.2% lift from June.

From January through July, digital operators collectively produced $1.63 billion, a 23.3% increase from the same period last year. Revenues have now consistently cleared the $200 million mark for eleven straight months. Tax receipts followed the upward trend, with $48.9 million added to the state treasury in July, pushing the year-to-date total to $256.4 million.

FanDuel remained the strongest performer, collecting $52.1 million in July and keeping its five-month streak of $50 million-plus intact. DraftKings was close behind at $48.6 million, narrowing the gap between the two giants compared to June. BetMGM posted $31.4 million, while Caesars Palace Online logged its best month ever with $18.7 million, up 53.3% year-on-year. Hard Rock contributed $13.4 million, and Fanatics Casino marked a new personal high of $12.4 million.

Atlantic City Properties Post Gains

Traditional casinos also saw improvement. Land-based revenue totaled $284.1 million in July, a 4.3% year-over-year rise. Borgata led with $79.9 million, while Hard Rock and Ocean Casino Resort, the city’s two newest venues, followed with $55.1 million and $43.1 million respectively.

“Atlantic City’s solid summer season continued in July,” said James Plousis, chairman of the Casino Control Commission. He added that in-person gaming had generated $1.66 billion through July, the best result since 2013.

Jane Bokunewicz of Stockton University’s Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism also noted the significance of July’s numbers. She observed that casinos “started the third quarter on a high note, setting a new near-term, single-month total gross gaming revenue record with more than $577 million generated from all revenue streams, beating out last August’s $528.5 million single-month high.”

Sports betting proved less dynamic, reporting $74.8 million for July, down 6.6% from last year. Even so, wagers for the month exceeded $664 million, and the cumulative betting handle for 2025 rose above $6.7 billion.

New Law Targets Sweepstakes and Proxy Betting

Alongside financial success, Trenton lawmakers pushed through a major regulatory shift. On August 15, Governor Phil Murphy enacted Assembly Bill 5447, banning sweepstakes casinos and forbidding proxy bets valued at $1,000 or more.

The law classifies sweepstakes gambling as “a promotional, advertising, or marketing event, contest, or game, whether played online or in-person, in which something of value, such as a prize or prize equivalent, is awarded, either directly or indirectly through means such as a dual-currency system of payment that allows a participant to exchange the currency for a prize or prize equivalent.”

Violations carry significant consequences: fines of $100,000 for first-time offenders and $250,000 for repeat cases, along with the possibility of injunctions. The legislation also expands the legal definition of gambling to include trading or selling something of value tied to uncertain outcomes, while tightening prohibitions on insider activity and rigging.

Industry opponents voiced objections during earlier debates. The Social and Promotional Games Association argued that the bill “seeks to outlaw promotional sweepstakes platforms that are already legal, do not require purchase to play, and are enjoyed responsibly by millions of adults across the country.” Critics have cautioned that eliminating such platforms could drive participants into unregulated spaces.

Supporters countered that the measures aim to protect the state’s licensed operators, ensuring fair play and preventing practices that regulators view as undermining market integrity.

Source: New Jersey Sets $606M July Gaming Record, Enacts Sweeps Ban, World Casino Directory, August 17, 2025.