Atlantic City Poker Revenues Rebound Online and Off

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According to July 2017 figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the five casinos with poker rooms in Atlantic City, New Jersey reported revenue of $3.01 million last month. This represented the first $3 million month since January 2017. Atlantic City poker rooms posted more than $3.3 million in revenue in January.
The July 2107 figures also represented a substantial increase from the $2,011,585 in poker room revenues reported in June 2017. June is traditionally a slow month for Atlantic City poker rooms. Warmer temperatures on the East Coast and the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, Nevada often draw regular players away from the properties.
Borgata sets the pace for Atlantic City poker rooms
The poker room at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa continued to set the revenue pace for the local poker industry. In fact, the Borgata was responsible for almost 70 percent of all Atlantic City poker revenue in July 2017. The room’s 94 tables pulled in $2,073,649 in revenue throughout July.
The 40-table poker room at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City was a distant second to Borgata. The room posted $324,842 in poker revenue in July 2017. Bally’s Atlantic City was next with $291,576 in poker room revenue reported from its 42 tables. The 18-table poker room at Tropicana Casino & Resort reported $240,940 in revenue.
The Golden Nugget’s 10-table poker room reported $85,152 in poker revenue. This marked an above average month for the room.
NJ online poker on the upswing
The numbers also improved online in July.
While New Jersey online casinos continue to average approximately $20 million in revenue each month this year, June 2017 marked the worst month for online poker revenues since the market launched in November 2013. In fact, the state’s legal and regulated online poker rooms pulled in just $1.74 million in revenue in June.
However, according to New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement figures, the state’s now seven online poker rooms pulled in a total of $2,008,124 in July.
PokerStars NJ continued to lead the local online poker room industry, reporting $816,227 in revenue throughout the month.
Online poker sites operating under the Borgata’s internet gambling license, which included two new poker sites from Pala and playMGM, came second with $642,289 in revenue. Caesars Interactive Entertainment online poker rooms, including 888 and WSOP.com, reported $549,608 in revenue throughout the month.
The year-to-date numbers in the state through the first seven months of the year indicate 2017 will likely end up a down year for online poker. In fact, up to the end of July, year-to-date revenue numbers for online poker are down from $15,746,339 to $14,593,847 in the same period this year. While the $1.1 million difference does not seem insurmountable, the numbers are skewed by the fact PokerStars NJ did not enter the market until the end of March in 2016.