Move over Las Vegas, Atlantic City is the nation’s new sports betting capital. At least for the month of May.
New Jersey establishments collected more than their Nevada competitors in the total amount of money wagered in May, beating out for the first time what had long been the only sports-betting state in the nation.
As NJBT reported on June 14, New Jersey’s retail and online sportsbooks collected $318.9 million in bets in May. On Thursday, according to Bloomberg, the Nevada Gaming Control Board said the state’s total for the month was $317.5 million.
“Though the numbers will likely ebb and flow, the milestone shows just how big an industry sports betting can become across the U.S.,” Bloomberg states.
New Jersey instituted legalized sports betting a year ago after a long legal battle that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Since then, it has taken in $2.9 billion worth of bets. And while it’s too soon to declare New Jersey a permanent capital of sports betting, the Garden State has some advantages over Nevada.
“The milestone continues a trend expected in the industry for a few months now,” Bloomberg stated. “Not only does New Jersey have a lot more people than Nevada, but it benefits from customers coming from New York and Pennsylvania to wager remotely. The mobile options in New Jersey also feature better technology, which helps drive betting.”
