People love to gamble, whether it’s spinning a roulette wheel, placing a bet on a sports match, or trying their luck at online slots. New Jersey has been a key part of this for years already, with Atlantic City and a booming online casino scene pulling in millions of dollars every year.
Other countries have turned gambling into a major industry, countries as Australia, the UK, and Macau. So, how does the Garden State compare to these gambling giants?
Australia has one of the highest gambling rates in the world. Around 80% of adults gamble at least once a year. Poker machines, or pokies as they’re known locally, are found in pubs, clubs, and casinos all over the country. Australia stands out because of how much people are willing to spend.
Online gambling is also growing fast. Online sports betting and lotteries are licensed in Australia, and Aussie players can access online casinos licensed in offshore jurisdictions. Some of the top online casinos offer table games, live dealer games, slots, and even crypto-based games. These sites also feature welcome bonuses, fast withdrawals, and different payment methods, like PayID, cards, and even Bitcoin. With these features, it’s easy for people to play from home.
Australia’s gambling industry brings in more than $13 billion in player expenditure each year. In comparison, New Jersey reported just over $6.3 billion in 2024.
New Jersey is growing every year. But Australia is already ahead in size and player spending.
The United Kingdom has one of the most organized gambling systems in the world. Everything from betting shops to online casinos is fully legal and watched by the UK Gambling Commission.
Online gambling is king, with over 44% of gambling now happening online. That includes sports betting, poker, and slot machines.
Sites are required to protect players, check their ages, and prevent money laundering, and this tight control hasn’t hurt the market in any way. The rules help build trust, which keeps players coming back. For the 2023 fiscal year, the UK gambling industry reported just over the equivalent of $19 billion.
While New Jersey’s numbers are smaller, the state has taken some lessons from the UK. It was the first US state to offer legal online casinos, back in 2013. Today, people across New Jersey can legally play games like blackjack, poker, and slots. Just like in the UK, strict rules help keep it safe.
This small region near Hong Kong earns more from gambling than anywhere else in the world. Macau’s casinos made about $28.3 billion in 2024, more than four times as much as New Jersey. Most of the money comes from tourists, especially from mainland China, who come to play high-stakes games like baccarat at luxury casinos that stay open 24/7.
Unlike New Jersey, Macau doesn’t offer online casinos. They’re all about the in-person experience.
New Jersey’s gambling success comes partly from mobile and online play. This has become especially popular since the lockdown years.
Las Vegas is still the biggest name in American gambling. Casinos along the Vegas Strip brought in around $9.3 billion in 2024. That’s more than New Jersey, but the Garden State isn’t trying to copy Vegas. Instead, it focuses on a mix of in-person and online gambling. While Atlantic City still brings in visitors, online casinos are seeing the biggest growth.
Since launching online play, New Jersey has seen steady growth year after year, especially with sports betting. The Garden State crossed the $1 billion mark in gross revenue in 2024, just from sports wagers.
Canada is also a big player in the iGaming world, but somehow it lacks the attention that places like Las Vegas and Macau get. Each province has its own regulations for in-person and online gaming, and in 2024, the industry brought in around $12 billion.
Ontario has led the way, recently legalizing online casinos, and like New Jersey, the market is quickly growing thanks to mobile apps and online games. The rules are less strict in some areas, but every site has to be approved to operate legally. New Jersey works in a similar, but more centralized way.
While New Jersey doesn’t have the highest numbers in the world, it plays a big role in US gambling. It helped bring online gambling into the spotlight and set rules that other states now follow.
New tech, fast payments, and mobile play is getting better each year. This means that New Jersey’s gambling market is likely to keep growing.
The Garden State might have smaller total earnings than places like Australia or Macau, but it’s one of the only regions that has made online gambling a major part of its economy. And it’s growing fast.
