The popularity of legal online casino gaming appears to be here to stay. While land-based casinos in many parts of the US are back to normal operations, that doesn’t seem to affect the viability of mobile casino gaming.
Both New Jersey and Pennsylvania cleared $100 million in online casino revenue in May, with Pennsylvania hitting that monthly milestone for the first time.
Michigan posted its best month yet for online casino revenue, putting the state’s online casinos on pace to generate just under $900 million by the end of the year. This month’s Bonus.com online casino roundup takes a look at the nation’s top three markets for May 2021:
New Jersey Online Casino Revenue May 2021
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-To-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borgata Hotel Casino | Borgata, BetMGM, PartyCasino, Pala Casino | $32,786,396 | -0.1% | $156,199,321 | +146.9% |
| Golden Nugget Atlantic City | Golden Nugget, Stardust, SugarHouse, TwinSpires | $31,098,654 | -4.1% | $154,376,919 | +27.6% |
| Resorts Digital Gaming | Resorts, Mohegan Sun, PokerStars Casino, DraftKings Casino | $21,551,837 | +9.9% | $105,181,550 | +46.8% |
| Caesars Interactive | Caesars, Harrah’s, 888 Casino, WynnBET, WSOP.com | $9,160,362 | -0.4% | $44,056,237 | +31.4% |
| Tropicana Casino & Resort | Tropicana, Virgin Casino, William Hill | $6,356,778 | -13.1% | $34,477,035 | +32.4% |
| Hard Rock Atlantic City | Hard Rock, Unibet, Bet365 | $6,093,728 | +18.6% | $27,422,466 | +48.2% |
| Ocean Casino Resort | Ocean Online Casino, Parx Casino | $1,122,803 | -10.4% | $5,457,623 | +43.9% |
| Totals | $108,170,558 | +0.4% | $527,171,151 | +56.1% |
The land-based casinos of Atlantic City finally got the green light to return to full capacity on May 19. Does a return to normalcy for retail casino properties spell the end of the online casino boom for New Jersey?
The May 2021 revenue numbers from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement certainly don’t indicate a slump for mobile casino gaming. New Jersey’s online casinos posted $108,170,558 in May revenue, marking the second-highest monthly total in the history of the industry.
The Borgata license (Borgata, BetMGM, PartyCasino, Pala Casino) topped the charts for monthly market share for the third consecutive month. The Golden Nugget license (Golden Nugget, Stardust, SugarHouse, TwinSpires) resided in that spot for years, but now the battle for New Jersey’s top license is playing out as a two-way race.
Betfair Casino, a long-running major player in the New Jersey market, was rebranded as Stardust Casino in April. May marked the first full month for the Stardust brand in the Garden State.
Overall online casino revenue went over the $527 million mark for 2021, a 56.1% increase year-over-year versus 2020.
Pennsylvania Online Casino Revenue May 2021
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-To-Month Change | YTD Revenue | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn National Hollywood Casino | DraftKings Casino, Hollywood Casino, BetMGM | $41,340,290 | +22.3% | $164,295,479 | +685.5% |
| Rivers Casino Philadelphia | SugarHouse, BetRivers | $27,012,007 | +1.4% | $119,711,879 | +158.3% |
| Valley Forge Casino Resort | FanDuel Casino, Stardust | $16,278,475 | +9.7% | $77,787,495 | +167.6% |
| Mount Airy Casino Resort | PokerStars Casino | $6,312,909 | -9.7% | $34,083,201 | +0.2% |
| Parx Casino | Parx Casino | $3,943,662 | -13.6% | $23,887,670 | +34.9% |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | Unibet | $1,948,354 | -15.5% | $12,589,702 | +167.0% |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | Caesars | $1,776,744 | +12.5% | $7,769,909 | +568.2% |
| Wind Creek Bethlehem | Wind Creek Casino | $1,178,084 | +81.9% | $4,426,186 | N/A |
| Presque Isle Down and Casino | TwinSpires | $812,821 | +29.0% | $2,641,571 | 209.2% |
| Live! Casino Philadelphia | PlayLive! Casino | $648,424 | -2.9% | $2,626,458 | N/A |
| Totals | $101,251,770 | +9.3% | $449,819,550 | +190.6% |
Pennsylvania’s retail casinos got the option of returning to 100% capacity on Memorial Day. Much like New Jersey, it appears that decision doesn’t lead to a negative correlation with the popularity of online casinos.
Online casinos in the Keystone State reached an all-time high in May, generating $101,251,771 in gross revenue. May 2021 marked the first time that Pennsylvania’s mobile casino apps cleared $100 million in monthly revenue.
The Penn National Hollywood license stands as the only operator in the state with the maximum of three online casino skins under its umbrella. Those three platforms (DraftKings Casino, BetMGM, Hollywood Casino) boost Penn National into the top market share spot by operator in Pennsylvania.
Rivers Casino (BetRivers, SugarHouse) and Valley Forge (FanDuel Casino, Stardust Casino) also offer some of the most popular platforms in the Pennsylvania online casino market.
Year-to-date revenue is up to nearly $450 million in 2021, an increase of 190.6% year-over-year. You can view the monthly revenue reports from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board here.
Michigan Online Casino Revenue May 2021
| Retail Operator | Online Skins | May 2021 Revenue | Month-to-Month Change | YTD Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MGM Grand Detroit | BetMGM | $36,089,904 | -2.0% | $141,684,435 |
| MotorCity Casino Hotel | FanDuel Casino | $14,683,204 | 4.1% | $66,706,273 |
| Bay Mills Indian Community | DraftKings Casino | $14,109,949 | 1.0% | $62,931,720 |
| Little River Band of Ottawa Indians | BetRivers | $5,979,680 | -0.2% | $23,153,279 |
| Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians | WynnBET | $3,896,204 | +13.0% | $14,270,215 |
| Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians | PokerStars Casino | $3,461,571 | -19.0% | $19,862,362 |
| Keweenaw Bay Indian Community | Golden Nugget | $3,451,673 | -1.7% | $12,444,486 |
| Greektown Casino Hotel | Barstool Casino | $3,018,526 | -1.2% | $14,252,946 |
| Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians | Four Winds Casino | $1,649,979 | +5.7% | $5,049,582 |
| Hannahville Indian Community | TwinSpires | $1,380,423 | -12.3% | $6,041,656 |
| Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians | PointsBet Casino | $612,361 | N/A | $612,361 |
| Gun Lake Band of Pottawatomi Indians | PlayGunLake.com | $455,805 | +181.2% | $617,888 |
| Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians | William Hill Casino | $274,827 | -32.0% | $1,744,605 |
| Totals | $89,064,106 | +0.2% | $369,371,808 |
Online casino gaming continues to exceed all expectations in Michigan. May marked another all-time high for monthly online casino revenue in the Great Lakes State.
Michigan’s 13 mobile casino apps generated $89,064,106 in adjusted revenue in May. Monthly revenue has hovered between $88 million and $90 million in three consecutive months, a sign that the state’s online casinos are emerging as a reliable revenue source for both operators and the state from a tax collection perspective.
BetMGM Michigan has broken out as the clear leader in the Michigan online casino market. Combined revenue from online casinos is already at the $369,371,808 mark in 2021, with BetMGM accounting for 38.3% of that total.
FanDuel Casino, DraftKings Casino, and BetRivers are also popular choices for Michigan players, with the state proving itself as one of the nation’s top online gambling hubs right out the gate since the January 2021 launch of iGaming platforms.
May revenue generated $18.1 million in state gaming taxes. The monthly revenue reports from the Michigan Gaming Control Board can be viewed here.
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