Four years on from the US state of New Jersey legalising and regulating real-money igaming, analysts are hailing the jurisdiction’s record “an unqualified success.”
“Four years of data shows us the incredible potential of legal online gaming," said Steve Ruddock, lead analyst at PlayNJ.com.
“Online play has increased the revenues and customer bases of New Jersey's land-based casino operators.
"And the residents of New Jersey have benefited from being able to safely gamble online at regulated sites that protect their financial information, offer fair games, and promote responsible play."
As the jurisdiction’s fourth birthday approaches on November 26, the state’s online casinos have collected $682.6m in lifetime gross revenue.
Online casino games have generated 85 per cent of the total ($577.96m), while online poker accounted for the remaining 15 per cent.
Meanwhile, gross revenues have injected $119.3m in tax revenue into state coffers. Into 2017, igaming now accounts for around 10 per cent of the state’s gross gaming revenues, with more yet to come, said Ruddock.
“There are two reasons to believe 2018 is going to be another growth year in New Jersey," he said. "First, online casinos are showing no signs of slowing down. Second, online poker appears to destined for growth after New Jersey entered into an interstate agreement with Nevada and Delaware, in addition to the legalisation of online gaming in Pennsylvania, that could end a prolonged period of stagnation."
