Stormy September: Rare Nor’easter Washes Out Atlantic City Casino Revenue

A rare September nor’easter that battered shorelines from the Carolinas to New England disrupted play in Atlantic City last month.

On Monday, Oct. 19, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) published its September revenue statistics, showing that in-person casino win cooled 1.3% to $227.8 million. Atlantic City’s nine casinos won $177.9 million from slot machines and $49.9 million from table games.

While slot revenue rose 4.6%, revenue from table games dropped nearly 18%. James Plousis, chair of the New Jersey Casino Control Commission, suggested the figures show “visitation maintained its momentum” during the month, attributing the decline in in-person gaming revenue to players experiencing “better luck at table games.”

Upcoming quarterly financial reports, which include hotel occupancy metrics, will help clarify whether table players simply got lucky or if higher slot holds and an overall decline in visitation drove September’s retail figures.

Borgata and Hard Rock, the top two casinos in Atlantic City in terms of revenue, saw gross gaming revenue (GGR) fall 11.3% and 4.3%. Five of the casinos reported higher in-person revenue, including Ocean.

September Headwinds

Atlantic City was dealt a difficult hand in September when a rare nor’easter hit the New Jersey beach town over the Sept. 25 weekend.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, local officials noted the city experienced its highest coastal water levels since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Heavy rainfall and dangerous wind gusts kept many regional motorists off the roads, driving play directly to digital channels.

The DGE filing revealed that online casino operators generated GGR of $274.8 million—up 13% compared to September 2025, representing a $31.7 million year-over-year increase. FanDuel ($57.8 million) and DraftKings ($53.3 million) accounted for more than $111 million of the state’s total iGaming win.

Year-to-date iGaming GGR crossed $2.4 billion in the first nine months of the year, reaching that threshold faster than in any previous year on record. September marked the third-highest monthly iGaming total in state history.

With a year-to-date iGaming GGR of $541.1 million, FanDuel holds a 22.5% share of New Jersey’s online casino market. DraftKings follows at 17.5%.

FanDuel operates its online casino in New Jersey under Golden Nugget’s license, while DraftKings’ iGaming platform is tethered to Resorts Casino Hotel.

Sports Betting Check-In

September proved challenging for New Jersey oddsmakers as well.

Sports betting revenue dropped 14.3% year over year to $77 million, down $12.8 million compared to the same month last year. Through September, statewide sportsbook revenue stands 6.3% lower at $748.3 million.

Handle figures indicate New Jersey sports bettors are wagering slightly less through state-licensed sportsbooks. Year-to-date handle fell 4.1% to $8.3 billion.

The rapid rise of sports event contracts traded on financial prediction markets has likely siphoned a portion of overall volume away from traditional sportsbooks.