New Jersey strengthened its position as one of the most powerful gaming ecosystems in the United States during 2026 after reaching US$2.304 billion in cumulative gaming revenue between January and April, representing an 8.6% year-over-year increase driven by land-based casinos, iGaming and sports betting. The market’s expansion continues transforming Atlantic City while positioning the state, governed by Mikie Sherrill, as one of the most profitable regulated gambling hubs in North America.
The market is supervised by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), an agency operating under the Department of Law and Public Safety, led by Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, while Mary Jo Flaherty serves as interim director of the DGE in 2026.
Mikie Sherrill
During April, Atlantic City’s nine land-based casinos generated US$235.6 million, an increase of 11.7% compared to 2025. The market leader remained Borgata with US$67 million, followed by Hard Rock Atlantic City with US$45.3 million and Ocean Casino Resort with US$36.6 million. Other major contributors included Caesars with US$19.3 million, Harrah’s with US$16.5 million, Tropicana with US$16 million, Resorts Casino Hotel with US$13.2 million, Bally’s with US$10.9 million, and Golden Nugget with US$10.7 million.
The January-April cumulative figures confirmed Borgata’s dominance with US$244.7 million, followed by Hard Rock with US$169.9 million and Ocean Casino Resort with US$142.9 million. Caesars also posted one of the strongest annual growth rates, rising 15.6%.
The true growth engine remains iGaming. Online casinos generated US$263.1 million in April alone, increasing 11.9%, while cumulative online gaming revenue reached US$1.045 billion, already surpassing Atlantic City’s physical casino revenue. The leading online operator was FanDuel/Golden Nugget with US$58.9 million, followed by DraftKings/Resorts with US$41.9 million and BetMGM/Borgata with US$32.7 million. The fastest-growing operator was BetFanatics/Bally’s, surging 114.1% year-over-year.
Sports betting also maintained strong momentum. April closed with US$102.1 million in sports wagering revenue, up 12.8%. Market leader FanDuel/Meadowlands generated US$39.7 million, followed by DraftKings/Resorts with US$25.8 million and BetMGM/Borgata with US$8.8 million.
The fiscal impact remains enormous for New Jersey. Gaming taxes generated US$96.9 million in April alone, while cumulative January-April tax revenue reached US$332.1 million, funding the Casino Revenue Fund, infrastructure, tourism marketing and public state programs.
Although Q1 showed a 22.6% decline in operating profits for Atlantic City’s land-based casinos, the overall ecosystem continues expanding thanks to the strength of online gaming, mobile betting and technological integration between physical and digital operators in one of the world’s most advanced regulated gambling markets.
