LIGHT comments on the June 2026 casino numbers provided by the N.J. DGE

July 16, 2026

Comments from Brian Tyrrell, faculty director of the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism (LIGHT), ÒùÐÔÊÓƵ School of Business, on the June 2026 numbers released Thursday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement:

In terms of gross gaming revenues, June 2026 was a strong month that only suffered in comparison to other recently stronger months. Despite declining 5% from a near-record, single- month high in May 2026, total GGR for Atlantic City’s casino operators was up year-over-year in June 2026 and for the year-to-date - showing a trend that should put operators ahead of 2025 by year-end. Total brick and mortar gaming revenues for June 2026 was down less than 1% year-over-year but still up slightly (2.3%) for the year-to-date.

It was the best June in recent history for total GGR with internet gaming remaining the main contributor – not a new record but close. The one disappointment was the month’s sports wagering revenue, which declined significantly year-over-year and month-to-month. Deceptively, this was not due to a decline in handle, but rather a decline in win percentage – in other words patrons were luckier than the bookmakers.

While hard to say definitively based on publicly available data, this result was perhaps due to wagering on local favorites the New York Knicks who turned in an unexpected performance completing a successful NBA championship campaign in the first half of June. A similar phenomenon was observed when the Philadelphia Eagles successfully completed their own NFL championship run in early 2025.

While gross gaming revenues are generally trending upward, this is not an assurance that net revenues and gross operating profits will follow the same trend. As operators continue to respond to market pressures (inflation, competition, wage increases etc.), as well as changes in tax rates, less of their gross gaming revenues are making it to the profit line. With the release of second quarter net gaming revenue numbers (on Aug. 24, 2026), we will have more information to assess these impacts and trends – particularly with respect to tax rates.

Brian Tyrrell can be reached at brian.tyrrell@stockton.edu. You can also contact Mark Melhorn, associate director of News and Media Relations, at mark.melhorn@stockton.edu to set up an interview with Professor Tyrrell.