- New Jersey’s June sports betting handle rose 16% from a year earlier to $917.2 million.
- Sports wagering revenue fell 37.7% to $57.3 million as the hold dropped to 6.24% from about 11.6%.
- Bettor winnings on the FIFA World Cup and NBA Finals drove the decline, the Division of Gaming Enforcement said.
- Retail sportsbook lounges lost $672,671 for the month, paying out more than they took in.
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey sports betting revenue fell 37.7% in June to $57.3 million even as bettors wagered $917.2 million, as a bettor-friendly FIFA World Cup and NBA Finals cut the state’s books to a 6.24% hold, the Division of Gaming Enforcement reported.
A Rising Handle, A Collapsed Hold
Bettors pushed $917,157,048 through New Jersey’s sportsbooks in June, up 16% from June 2025, the Division of Gaming Enforcement reported. Nearly all of it, $891.9 million, came from online books; retail lounges took the remaining $25.3 million.
The books kept almost none of it. Sports wagering gross revenue was $57,251,990, down 37.7% from $91.9 million a year earlier, leaving a hold of 6.24% of the amount wagered. A year earlier the books held about 11.6%.
Through the first half of 2026, New Jersey’s sportsbooks won 8.9% on completed events. June’s rate ran less than three-quarters of that pace, one of the leanest months since the state opened its market. New Jersey ranks among the busiest states for legal sports betting in the country.
The World Cup Handed Money Back
The decline “primarily reflects patron winnings associated with the NBA Finals and FIFA World Cup games,” the Division said. The World Cup opened June 11 across the United States, Canada and Mexico, drawing a wave of new wagering during a stretch in which favorites and popular sides repeatedly won.
When heavily backed outcomes hit, sportsbooks pay out more of the handle and their hold falls, which is what turned a strong month of action into a poor one for revenue.
Retail Books In The Red
New Jersey’s sportsbook lounges collectively lost $672,671 in June, against a $612,656 profit a year earlier, meaning the state’s in-person books paid out more than they collected. The Meadowlands lounge alone lost $929,430. Online sportsbooks stayed positive at $57.9 million but still fell 36.5% year over year.
FanDuel, operating through the Meadowlands, remained the largest online book with $25 million in sports revenue, down 30.2%. DraftKings, tied to Resorts, followed at $13.7 million, a 43.7% drop.
Taxes And The Year So Far
Sports wagering produced $12,453,474 in state taxes for June, levied largely at New Jersey’s 19.75% rate on online gaming and betting revenue. Because the tax applies to gross revenue, the state’s take fell alongside operator profit.
Year-to-date sports wagering revenue stood at $513 million through June, down 7.1% from $552 million over the same period last year, even as New Jersey sports betting revenue grew in April before the World Cup arrived. The Division releases its July revenue figures in mid-August, after the tournament’s final weeks close out.
