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The basics:

• Total gaming revenue hit $614.7M in May, up 20% year over year
• Internet gaming reached a record $249.5M
• Borgata, Hard Rock, Ocean led growth in casino win
• Sports betting handle surpassed $1B

May was an absolute banner month for the Atlantic City casinos.

The Division of Gaming Enforcement released the May 2025 gaming report June 16. The latest revealed positive trends in key areas.

“In May, total gaming revenue ($614.7 million) grew more than 20% compared to the same month last year ($510 million), with improvements in all three of its components – casino win ($265.3 million – up 10.9% year-over-year), internet gaming win ($246.8 million – up 28.5%), and statewide sports wagering revenue ($102.5 million – up 30.2%),” said New Jersey Casino Control Commission Chairman James Plousis in his remarks about the May report. “Casino win recorded its best May result since 2011, driven by solid table game win ($70.5 million – up 21.9%). Internet gaming win surpassed every other month on record.”

Jane Bokunewicz, faculty director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism (LIGHT), Stockton University School of Business, said, “A little sunshine and an extra Saturday helped Atlantic City’s casino operators realize the best single month brick-and-mortar gross gaming revenue in the year-to-date and the best May return in recent years.

“May 2025’s nearly 11% in year-over-year monthly total gross (brick-and-mortar) casino win seems to have helped make up for early year declines. As of April 2025, year-to-date total gross casino win had lagged the same period in 2024 by 2%. As of May 2025 ($1.12 billion), however, that gap seems to have closed with operators exceeding 2024 year-to-date by nearly 1%.”

Another record

Bokunewicz noted that these gains took place as internet continued its remarkable growth. In May, that sector once again set a new record for a single month in total gross internet gaming revenue.

“At $249.5 million, May 2025 surpassed the previous record ($243.9 million) set in March 2025,” said Bokunewicz.

Other key items in the May gaming report include:

• Top performing properties by casino win:
  • • Borgata – $73.1 million up 19.1%
    • Hard Rock – $51.9 million up 4.2%
    • Ocean Casino Resort – $42.3 million up 32.2%
• Total sports wagering handle: $1.01 billion up 20.4%
• Year-to-date internet gaming: $1.16 billion up 22.5%
• Year-to-date sports wagering gross revenue: $460.2 million down 10.3%
• Year-to-date total gaming revenue for casinos, racetracks, and their partners: $2.74 billion up 6.6%
• Total gross revenue taxes for May 2025: $66.8 million
• Year-to-date gross revenue taxes: $301.7 million

“Visitation to Atlantic City was stable with casino win surpassing internet gaming win for the first time this year,” said Plousis.

Bokunewicz added, “Heading into the peak summer season, we can hope to see the resort’s brick-and-mortar gaming operations gain momentum even as internet gaming revenues continue their upward trajectory.”

“May provided a strong foundation for positive momentum during the summer season,” said Plousis. “Atlantic City’s diverse gaming, leisure, and entertainment provide something to suit every taste and there are plentiful reasons to visit and stay.”

No accident

“The May numbers show strong momentum, with across-the-board growth in casinos, iGaming, and sports betting, but this surge didn’t happen by accident,” Bill Pascrell III, gaming expert and partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group, told NJBIZ.

Pascrell said it’s the result of New Jersey’s commitment to a strong regulatory environment where innovation can thrive.

“This is the moment for policymakers and operators to double down on collaboration, not grow complacent. That means advancing smart policy and embracing strategies that recognize how interconnected the gaming landscape has become—including mobile-first innovation in iGaming and a new focus on high-impact experiences at brick-and-mortar casinos.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 12:22 p.m. EST June 17, 2025, to include a statement from PPAG’s Bill Pascrell III.