Atlantic City gambling quickly may become more of a virtual, rather than in-person, market.

Will it take only one more year for New Jersey's online gamblers to make virtual gaming a bigger business for the casino industry than on-site casinos in Atlantic City?

Internet gambling wins in 2024 equaled 85% of the wins at slots and casino tables in Atlantic City, according to statistics released on Thursday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement.  

Just five years ago online gambling sponsored by the Atlantic City casinos for New Jersey residents stood at only 18% of the wins from the city's bricks and mortar casinos in the city.

Gamblers in New Jersey can lie in bed or sit on the couch and play dozens of slot machine games, video poker and virtual table games online. They use PayPal, Venmo, credit cards or other means to fund their accounts. And even with relatively large wins against the online casinos, gamblers sometimes can see their profits sent to their accounts within minutes.

Atlantic City casinos' on-site wins totaled $2.82 billion in 2024, down 1.1% from 2023. The casinos' online wins totaled $2.39 billion, up 24.1% from 2023.

Online gambling has changed the business dynamic in Atlantic City.

Consider relatively small Golden Nugget, the casino away from the Boardwalk next to the Farley State Marina. This is no giant casino compared to several of the nine others in the city.

In 2024, Golden Nugget's wins from slots, table games, video poker and other gambling on site totaled $147 million — only Bally's $145 million win was smaller.

But Golden Nugget has plunged into online gambling with both feet and was the Atlantic City market leader in 2024 with $688.9 million in internet wins. 

Combine on-site and internet gambling and Golden Nugget in 2024 was No. 2 in wins in Atlantic City. The casino's combined wins totaled about $836 million, second to only Borgata's nearly $1.29 billion.

One thing is assured: The state will get its cut no matter how the cards are dealt. And if state bureaucrats are looking for the most lucrative cut, they are rooting for online gambling.

In 2024, the 8% gross revenue tax on the casinos in Atlantic City totaled $180 million. 

But online gambling was the high roller in tax dollars collected last year — the 15% internet gaming tax pulled in nearly twice as much, a total of $358 million.

READ THE STATE'S NEWS RELEASE AND STATISTICS FOR 2024 HERE.