(Bloomberg) -- Gamblers in New Jersey wagered more online last month than in physical casinos for the first time since the pandemic, when Atlantic City’s resorts were closed and internet play was the only option for players.
Online revenue from table games and slots rose to $213.6 million in October, the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement said Monday. Land-based casino revenue on those games amounted to $208.7 million.
The data highlight the starkly different trajectories for the two businesses and the growing popularity of online gambling. Internet play in New Jersey, excluding sports, was up 28% from a year earlier. Play at the slots and casino tables at resort properties was down 8.5%.
In June 2020, when casinos were closed, online sites took in revenue of $84.9 million.
Shares of Flutter Entertainment Plc, operator of the online betting giant FanDuel, jumped to a record high of $269.90 in New York last week after the company raised its full-year outlook and reported quarterly results that beat analysts’ estimates.
Gambling companies like Flutter have been taking advantage of surging demand for online betting in the US. At the same time, traditional casino operators that don’t operate online betting arms have raised concerns that their business is being cannibalized.
Sports wagering in New Jersey fell 16% in October, the result of National Football League games that caught oddsmakers by surprise.
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