For the month of January, online poker earnings in the US seemed to go different ways. In Delaware, online poker earnings saw a significant decrease while New Jersey was able to see significant gains. Just over 15% in decreased earnings were seen in Delaware while New Jersey increased their earnings for January by just over 8%.
For New Jersey, the state has been able to see an increase in revenues for four months running. The state even saw earnings over $2 million which is a first in a ten month time frame. The four online poker sites of New Jersey were able to earn $2,151,232 for January 2016, higher than the December 2015 totals of $1,984,137. The state started off 2016 the right way, with operators hoping the $2 mark is hit each and every month in total earnings.
New Jersey continues to be the leader in the United States when it comes to online gaming earnings. From poker to casino gaming, the state is the top earner in iGaming. For online casino gaming, the state was able to earn just over $12 million in January which is a new record. Along with setting a new record for earnings, the state was also able to see gains for the fifth month running in regards to online casino gaming.
When you add in the online poker gaming earnings to the casino gaming, the total surpasses the $14 million mark, which is also a record-breaking amount. Just one year ago, the state’s online gambling market was bringing in just over $11 million, marking a solid increase for year-over-year at over 26%.
While New Jersey was doing well, Delaware was seeing less than stellar online poker numbers. The state is the only other, besides New Jersey to provide online poker and casino gaming within their borders. For poker gaming, the state of Delaware was able to earn just $26,348 for the month of January, which is way under the December 2015 totals. Just one month previous, the state had earned $31,124. The totals were much higher in January 2014, with the state earning in the high $88,000s.
It seems that players were curious to see what online poker was all about in the beginning but soon tapered off to avoid competing in online poker game play. The most popular form of online gaming in the state seems to be the video lottery. This avenue earned the state over $138,000. Casino gaming online brought in over $26,000, still low though when compared to New Jersey’s numbers. The total amount for online gaming in Delaware for January stands at $190,829.
On the positive side, Delaware was able to see nice numbers with new player registrations. In January, 456 players registered for a gaming account, which is the highest sign up totals since March of 2014, when 640 players signed up for accounts.
Delaware does not have the opportunity to increase player totals like New Jersey as the state is much smaller. Delaware has partnered with Nevada in combining online poker player pools but this has not helped the state as it was first believed it would in regards to player traffic. For New Jersey, the totals should only get better as PokerStars is set to launch sometime this year. Supposedly in the spring, PokerStars will begin offering real money gaming which will be a big draw for player traffic in New Jersey. It will be interesting to see the impact the top poker brand has on the state once they are live with their poker gaming offerings.