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PlayNJ.com: Sportsbooks cool to $950 million in January while online casinos reach $100 million in revenue

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New Jersey sportsbooks took in more than $950 million in wagers and a record $82.6 million in revenue in January while the state’s online casinos crossed $100 million in revenue, becoming the first legal gaming jurisdiction in U.S. history to cross that threshold in a single month. The Garden State’s opening salvo to 2021 sets the stage for a year in which the state could reach $10 billion in sports wagers and more than $1 billion in online casino revenue, according to analysts from PlayNJ.

“New Jersey’s online casinos and sportsbooks have defied conventional wisdom from the beginning, and are hitting milestones that many thought would take years longer to reach,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “The rapid maturation of the online products in New Jersey has made the state the new standard bearer for the modern U.S. gaming industry.”

New Jersey’s sportsbooks fell short of breaking the all-jurisdiction handle record for the sixth consecutive month by collecting $958.7 million in wagers in January, according to official data released Wednesday. That is up 77.5% from $540.1 million in January 2020.

Operator revenue rose to $82.6 million in January, up 29% from $53.6 million in January 2020 and topping December’s record-breaking $66.4 million. And with $10.4 million in state taxes in January, sportsbooks have now generated $107.3 million for the state since launching in June 2018.

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The brisk opening month builds momentum for what should be another leap forward this year. If the growth continues through the year, the state could reach nearly $10 billion in sports bets, more than $600 million in revenue, and $75 million in state and local taxes, according to PlayNJ projections.

“2020 was an unusual year, obviously, so year-over-year growth is a good bet so long as the sports schedule remains intact,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “Considering the current momentum of New Jersey’s market, the year could really bring some eye-popping results, especially if the retail market can return to health.”

Online betting generated 92.5%, or $886.7 million, of the state’s total handle in January. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet was again the market leader with $41.8 million in gross revenue, up from $29 million in December.

FanDuel was followed in revenue by:

  • Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($15.7 million, up from $15.4 million in December)
  • BetMGM/Borgata ($7.9 million, up from $6.3 million)
  • Ocean Casino/William Hill ($4.2 million, up from $3.2 million)
  • Monmouth/William Hill/Sugarhouse/TheScore ($2.3 million, down from $3.3 million)
  • Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($1.5 million, up from $562,188)
  • Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($375,129, down from $489,141)
  • Golden Nugget/BetAmerica ($176,199, down from $343,849)
  • Tropicana/William Hill ($76,933, down from $108,427)

Retail sportsbooks began to rebound with $72.1 million in bets, up from $67 million in December. Meadowlands/FanDuel topped retail books in January with $5 million in revenue.

Predictably, the NFL playoffs — which featured an expanded format this year — attracted heavy action, fueling $201.8 million in football wagering in January. But college basketball and the NBA, which enjoyed its first full month of its season, placed basketball first with $320.3 million. And sports categorized as “other,” which includes NHL betting, topped football with $214.4 million.

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“With the NHL back in action and the NBA with a full schedule, January’s sports schedule was more or less normal for the first time since February 2020,” Gouker said. “That gives us a reliable barometer for where New Jersey is as a sports betting market.”

Online casinos and poker

New Jersey’s online casinos have been on a roll themselves, hitting $100 million in combined casino games and poker revenue for the first time. In all, online gaming and poker generated $103.8 million in January, up 88.4% from $55.1 million in January 2020 and topping the previous record of $99.5 million set in December. January’s win yielded $15.5 million in state taxes.

Online gaming continues to be one of New Jersey’s great success stories. Its year-over-year revenue is a continuation of a long pattern of growth that has now generated $2.6 billion  in operator revenue since launching in November 2013.

“Online casino games continue to show no signs of letting up,” Ramsey said. “Obviously with pandemic-related restrictions in place on Atlantic City casinos, online casinos were in position to pick up some slack. But the online gains made over the last year should withstand the reopening of retail casinos, continuing to buoy the entire gaming industry.”

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Some other highlights from January’s report:

  • Borgata inched closer to the Golden Nugget, which has led the online casino market for years. Borgata generated $28.7 million in January revenue, which was just behind the Golden Nugget’s $31.2 million in January revenue. Resorts Digital, which has also made significant gains over the last year, was third with $22.8 million.
  • Online casinos and poker generated $3.3 million a day over 31 days in January, up from $3.2 million a day over 31 days in December.
  • Revenue from online casinos was $101 million, up from $96.4 million in December. Online poker produced $2.7 million, down from $3 million in December.

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting and online gaming in New Jersey, visit PlayNJ.com/news.

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SGG Media Announces Exciting New PlayOJO Partnership

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Industry-leading social media marketing agency SGG Media is thrilled to announce an exciting new collaboration with the prominent Canadian online casino PlayOJO.

Under the new agreement, SGG Media is set to become PlayOJO’s exclusive provider of live-action casino shows. Leveraging SGG Media’s extensive network of over 2,500 sports and casino influencers, these shows will stream thrilling casino experiences directly to PlayOJO players. Viewers will have the opportunity to interact with the streamers and place bets while witnessing all the exciting live casino action offered by PlayOJO.

Following the live shows, SGG Media will create and share short video highlights of the most captivating moments from the games across various social media platforms, engaging with SGG’s combined following of over 75 million fans. This is the third largest database of sports social media followers, a huge portion of whom have crossover potential and interest In the online casino industry.

The marketing agency has achieved significant success with its casino streams in 2024. They launched their groundbreaking ‘Casino Stream’ show in February. This innovative show offers nightly live-action casino games, providing viewers with an immersive experience in the fast-paced world of roulette, blackjack, slots, and other online games.

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PlayOJO is one of the most popular legal online casinos in Ontario. The casino collaborates with major developers and content providers in the industry, offering a distinctive and enjoyable online casino experience to Ontarian’s, all of which will be highlighted as a result of this deal.  “We’re thrilled to partner with the SGG team as we introduce our live casino shows in Canada. This unique live show experience will highlight PlayOJO’s best-in-class online casino, featuring slots, live casino, and table games, truly demonstrating why PlayOJO is the home of feel-good fun!”, says the PlayOJO Team.

SGG Media and PlayOJO are dedicated to ensuring a fun and safe online casino environment for players. Both parties will display clear responsible gambling messages throughout the streams, helping to inform players to gamble legally and responsibly.

Speaking about this commitment to responsible gambling, Troy Paul, CEO of SGG Media, said, “We want to create a fun and exciting show, but also make sure viewers know this is a legal casino and players need to wager only money they can afford to lose as entertainment.”

On the deal, Paul said: “We are extremely excited to begin working alongside PlayOJO. It is a brand that wants to drive innovation in the industry, sharing our vision for a more community-driven online casino experience.”

Through our streams, our micro-influencers and content creators will help shine a spotlight on PlayOJO’s fantastic gaming experiences while also growing a community that will want to return for more.

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This extends beyond the streams, with our huge network of micro-influencers sharing video content across their platforms, ensuring engagement continues after the stream goes off the air.”

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Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Announce Agreement for Purchase and Sale of Elements Casino Victoria

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Great Canadian Entertainment announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Elements Casino Victoria to Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. (PDG) in yet another historic transaction for both parties.

This transaction comes on the heels of the previously announced definitive agreement for Great Canadian Entertainment to sell its other landmark property and business on Vancouver Island, Casino Nanaimo, to PDG. PDG is a wholly owned corporation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation (the Nation) and is dedicated to realizing the economic potential of the Nation.

Great Canadian’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by the regulatory authorities. The Company will provide transition services to PDG for up to two years post-closing.

“We are very pleased to have executed this second historic agreement with the Snuneymuxw First Nation. From its original opening as View Royal Casino in 2001, to major expansion and rebranding of the property in 2018 as Elements Casino Victoria, we are looking forward to the next chapter for this beautiful and historic Vancouver Island destination under PDG’s stewardship. We are excited to work with the Petroglyph team during the transition period to ensure yet another outstanding outcome for the community, our guests, our team members, and the Nation,” said Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment.

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“We celebrate our growing partnership with Great Canadian and our continued progress toward building a strong Snuneymuxw economy that provides a solid foundation for Snuneymuxw self-determination and nationhood. With the acquisition of a second casino operation, we continue to honour the decades of work by past Snuneymuxw leadership who tirelessly pursued this goal, as we begin to realize various opportunities that contribute to optimizing Snuneymuxw socioeconomic potential. Our Nation is sharply focused to make investments that bring returns to our people and builds our presence in the economy so that Snuneymuxw takes its rightful place. Today, we also celebrate our partnership with the B.C. Lottery Corporation in our shared pursuit to support the growth of the provincial economy and First Nation participation,” said Snuneymuxw Chief Mike Wyse.

Erralyn Joseph, President of PDG, said: “This measured acquisition is one that PDG celebrates on our quest to build a corporate enterprise that reinvests into Snuneymuxw First Nation. With a strong operating plan that includes risk mitigation and yields sizable gains, PDG is well on its way to generating wealth for Snuneymuxw and taking a seat at the local, regional, provincial, national and global economic tables. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to share this news and remain committed to advancing the region’s economic growth in support of all its residents.”

Ian Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of PDG, said: “Acquiring this significant asset will unlock unprecedented economic potential for Snuneymuxw and PDG, paving the way for transformative growth in Snuneymuxw’s economy and the profits that PDG returns to our Nation.”

McMillan is serving as legal counsel to Great Canadian. McCarthy Tétrault is acting as legal counsel and KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. is acting as financial advisor to PDG.

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Edmonton Oilers and Play Alberta Extend Partnership

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The Edmonton Oilers and Play Alberta announced a new agreement that makes Play Alberta the exclusive sports betting and online gaming partner of the Edmonton Oilers.

The deal will see the Play Alberta logo featured prominently on the Oilers home jerseys and GameSense, AGLC’s responsible gambling program, displayed on the helmets of the Oilers for each home game.

“Play Alberta is proud to continue its partnership with the Edmonton Oilers over the next several seasons. We value our patrons and the fans of the Oilers and are thrilled to see PlayAlberta.ca, Alberta’s trusted gambling platform along with the best-in-class responsible gambling program – GameSense – as prominent fixtures on the Oilers uniformsuniforms,” said Kandice Machado, Chief Executive Officer at AGLC.

PlayAlberta.ca is a leader in the iGaming landscape in the province. All money generated through the site goes to the General Revenue Fund, which supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day. In addition, the website has integrated AGLC’s GameSense and Self-Exclusion programs to better support players in their gambling journey.

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“We are proud to call Play Alberta the official sportsbook of the Edmonton Oilers. With the revenue generated by Play Alberta going to valued services and programs that help enrich the lives of Albertans, donning the Play Alberta logo on our iconic home jersey is a testament to our long-term commitment to communities across Oil Country,” said Stew MacDonald, President & Chief Revenue Officer, OEG Sports & Entertainment.

The relationship between the Edmonton Oilers and PlayAlberta.ca will allow fans to experience the Play Alberta and GameSense brands through promotions in Rogers Place and ICE District, as well as giveaways throughout the season, including game tickets and memorabilia.

This past year, PlayAlberta.ca generated $235 million in net sales, an increase of more than $42 million from 2022-23. That number contributes to the $1.5 billion in total gaming revenue that’s sent to Alberta’s General Revenue Fund and supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day.

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