New Jersey Online Poker Numbers Decline, Yet Are 77% Higher Year-Over-Year
Online poker revenue in the state of New Jersey has reached its lowest point since the outbreak of COVID-19 caused Governor Phil Murphy to issue a statewide stay-at-home order on March 21.
According to figures released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, online poker operators in the state combined to generate $3 million in revenue during the month of August.
Currently, there are three online poker networks operating in the state: PokerStars NJ, the partypoker NJ network and the All American Poker Network (AAPN) which features WSOP.com, the most popular online poker room in the state.
New Jersey Online Poker Revenue by Network:
WSOP NJ – $1,313,066
PokerStars NJ – $971,811
partypoker NJ – $ 750,126
Based on revenue, the AAPN led the market with a 43% share and PokerStars NJ ranked second with a 32% share. The partypoker US Network, which is expected to launch soon in Pennsylvania but without sharing liquidity with its New Jersey operation), was the smallest of the three with a 25% share.
Though the $3 million collected last month represents a 78% increase on August 2019, it also represents a decrease of 37% from July 2020 when the market collectively made $4.8 million in revenue.
In fact, the 37% decline from July 2020 to August 2020 is the biggest monthly decline in history of the market. The next largest decline was in June 2016 when revenue fell 23.4%.
As another point of reference, the decline from July to August last year was just 9.5%.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused online poker revenue in the state (as well as around the world) to rise to levels previously not seen in the market.
So, it wouldn’t be surprising to see online poker revenue drop a bit further in September, but it’s likely the pandemic has created awareness for online poker that will remain well after the public health crisis is over.