Since 2013, online poker has not been in the spotlight in New Jersey. The Garden State has struggled, just like others, to gain any ground when it comes to online poker traffic and revenues. It was difficult to even earn $1 million each month in this sector, while casino gaming was reaching $20 million, then $30 million and climbing higher each month. However, since the pandemic became a major issue in the US, online poker traffic at New Jersey has been booming. Players continue to take part in poker in record numbers, helping to generate major cash flow for the industry.
Pandemic Boost
In March, casinos in Atlantic City began to shut down and basically all non-essential business was at a standstill. It was at this point that online poker began to see a turnaround. People were stuck at home with nothing to do. Online poker provided an outlet, be it cash gaming, tournament options or special events.
March to July gaming totals show that the three online poker sites in the state generated over $21 million in revenues from players. This is a huge increase when compared to 2019 when only just over $9 million was earned.
In March, it was a big month with $3.6 million earned. But April was massive and the largest by far, earning $5.1 million. May was still good, coming in at $4.5 million while June was down but still good compared to past years, at $3.5 million. For July, the state brought in just over $4.8 million in earnings.
Individual Operator Breakdown
Let’s take a look at earnings based on individual operator. For Caesars, the company earned just over $9.4 million from March to July. This is a huge increase from the $3.9 million from the same time frame in 2019. Their best month was July when $2.8 million was generated. Under Caesars you have the WSOP/888 operations.
Resorts takes the second spot, earning $7.3 million during the five month time frame. This was more than double the $3 million earned in 2019. For Resorts, their biggest month was April, when just over $2 million was generated. With Resorts, you have the PokerStars operations.
Lastly, we have Borgata. their totals came in at $4.8 million for five months. This is also over double from the previous year’s totals of $2 million. Borgata’s best month was April as well, earning $1.2 million. Partypoker operates under the Borgata licensing.
Many are wondering if this resurgence of online poker gaming will last or if it is only temporary. Players are logging in more frequently than before but is it due to the virus? Are players more willing to enjoy online poker now that it is not as safe to go out and do things?
The pandemic may be what poker needed to get back on player radar. Only time will tell if online poker will continue to succeed in New Jersey or if it just received a boost while the pandemic is currently a major issue.
