Thursday, May 21, 2026

New Jersey Breaks National Sports Betting Record, Again

Chris Pedota-USA TODAY NETWORK/Design: Alex Brooks

Just one month after becoming the first state to reach $1 billion sports wagers handled in a single month, New Jersey has beaten its own record, hitting $1.3 billion sports bets handled in October — a 30% monthly increase.

Since January, the state has recorded nearly $8.5 billion worth of sports bets.

One of the 18 states that allow mobile betting, about 90% of New Jersey’s October bets were placed online, totaling $1.18 billion of the $1.3 billion. The rest were placed at physical sports books.

Sports betting revenue rose 44% year-over-year to $84.1 million.

  • More than half of the revenue made in the state was from bets placed at the Meadowlands Racetrack, winning over $44 million in October.
  • In September, the Associated Press mentioned the NFL season as a reason for the rise in sports wagers. 
  • The American Gaming Association expects 45.2 million Americans to bet on the NFL season — a record for the sport and 36% more  than last season.

New Jersey brought in $45.8 million in gaming taxes in October, just under the $46 million in rake-in the month before. Year-to-date, the state has brought in $396.8 million in gambling-related tax revenue.

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