Evolution Invests Big in New Jersey as US Online Casino Market Accelerates

Evolution Gaming is one of the most well known providers of online live casino games, and the Swedish based studio is doubling down on its North American market. The studio is set to open a 60,000 square foot tech center in Atlantic City, where it has a strong presence. Currently, there are about 1,000 on their payroll in Atlantic City, and with this extension, it will employ a further 1,200 dealers, technicians, and operators, giving Evolution Gaming a bigger base in the US.

The news is positive for iGaming operators in the US, as Evolution has over 100 new titles in the pipeline this year, and the US market is a focal point. They already boast 20% of the online gaming market in New Jersey, and as more states consider legalizing online casinos, Evolution could be poised for a massive expansion in 2026. However, this is not going to excite all industry insiders. For the landbased casinos, especially those in Atlantic City, have taken a hit in recent months, and this could signal a further decline for them as the online market booms.

Timeline of Evolution’s Expanse into US

Evolution AB, now Evolution Gaming, is best known for its live dealer games. It is arguably the biggest games vendor in this genre, and has slowly expanded its brand, buying and merging with other key software providers. In addition to its own games, Evolution now owns the following brands:

• NetEnt
• Red Tiger
• Ezugi
• Big Time Gaming
• NoLimit City

Established in 2013, Evolution has acquired providers like NetEnt and Red Tiger, famous for their classic slots and assortment of table games. In 2018, Evolution purchased Ezugi, another big live games developer, and entered the US market in the same year. They started in New Jersey, and then spread to Pennsylvania in 2020, Michigan in 2021, and Connecticut in 2022. New Jersey remains the main US branch of the games provider, where it hosts many of its top live dealer games.

Evolution New Studio and Expansions

Within New Jersey, Evolution operates out of some of the most iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk Casinos. It has studios in the Hard Rock, Tropicana and Ocean Resort, and employs over 1,000 staff members. The setup for these live games is quite intriguing. They need studios that have the same services as a casino floor, with gaming tables, chips, cards, dice, croupiers, and dealers. However, these are not accessible to visitors. Instead, the dealers host games behind closed doors, which are recorded by professional camera setups and streamed to online gamers.

The games can be hosted in real life casinos, for that extra authenticity and immersive casino floor ambiance. But they can also be set up in tech centers, where the spatial requirements and logistics can be maxed out. Evolution currently owns around 90% of the live dealer industry in online gaming, and it plans to continue asserting its dominance. At the ICE Barcelona conference in January 2026, Evolution announced a plan to release 119 games during 2026, including branded titles through its partnership with HASBRO. With new partnerships and acquisitions, and continuously bolstering its games portfolio, Evolution is making itself an indispensible B2B games vendor in the US, and one that all the top mobile gaming platforms will have to consider partnering with to compete in the market.

Atlantic City Landbased Casinos in Decline

Atlantic City is arguably second only to Las Vegas in the US landbased casino market. The casinos in the state were historically only allowed in Atlantic City, which has some of the most famous casinos in the US. While that is still the case, there may be some changes as New Jersey will face competition immediately to its North. New York approved 3 downstate landbased casinos back in December of 2025, and with it, the landbased casino competition on the East Coast will be enhanced. These New York Casinos, while still in construction and 2 of 3 will take years to realize, can definitely put pressure on NJ.

In response, the New Jersey lawmakers started exploring possibilities to open casinos outside the Atlantic City zone, potentially offering racinos Meadowlands and Monmouth Park licenses to serve slots and table games. But the main competition is a lot closer to home. In 2024, landbased casinos still made a bigger handle than online platforms, with $2.81 billion to the iGaming $2.39 billion. But in 2025, iGaming beat the landbased venues to the punch, recording $2.91 billion revenue to the landbased $2.81 billion.

• 2024 Landbased Casino Revenue: $2.81 billion
• 2024 Online Casino Revenue: $2.39 billion
• 2025 Landbased Casino Revenue: $2.81 billion
• 2025 Online Casino Revenue: $2.91 billion

Comparing more immediate numbers, in 2025 December, online casinos made $273 million to the landbased casino $216 million revenue. And in the following January, the online platforms kept the lead at $258 million to $213 million.

• 2025 December Landbased Casino Revenue: $216 million
• 2025 December Online Casino Revenue: $273 million
• 2026 January Landbased Casino Revenue: $213 million
• 2026 January Online Casino Revenue: $258 million

At this rate, they will beat landbased casinos by a good 20-25% at least, which will ring alarm bells for the landbased casino operators.

Spread of Legal iGaming in the US

On a broader scale, the United States seems to have changed its stance on online casino gaming in general. Maine became the 8th state with legal online casinos when Governor Janet Mills signed legislation into law in January. While Maine has a pretty limited market, with a tribal run iGaming monopoly, it still made the step. A step that is now being considered in Virginia, and even New York is considering legalizing online casinos. Sports betting is now legal in 39 states, with Missouri launching mobile sports betting back in December, and now most of the legal sports betting states are turning their attention to online casinos.

They have turned on sweepstakes casinos, which offered free to play casino-style games without needing to gain licensure. But this legal loophole is slowly tightening as more states up their bid to ban sweepstakes casinos. And to be fair, they have the gambling authorities and control boards set up to control sports betting. With the infrastructure and no shortage of demand, it only makes sense for states to start thinking about how to introduce online casino games.

Live games are a big part of that sector. Having live games is not a luxury or something that only specialized online casinos offer anymore. Neither are they something that can only be played on desktops and laptops, as more studios, Evolution included, are launching games that can support mobile play.

What Players Can Expect from Evolution

The future of this company is bright, and if the spread of legalized online casinos can continue, Evolution will be in a prime position to capitalize. It already has deals on the table with major gambling firms in the US, including Caesars, MGM, DraftKings and FanDuel, which would be the first bidders to enter new legal iGaming states. The only concern for players is that if one supplier holds the virtual monopoly on these games, then the overall experience could become limited. Imagine you get all the live games from one provider, there is not much variety or competition to drive up the quality of the games.

Evolution cannot really be accused of being monotonous or boring, however, Through Ezugi, and its own innovative team, the company has branched out into all kinds of live games. You have all the classics, such as roulette, blackjack, baccarat, craps, and live poker. Then, there are Asian classic such as Sic Bo, Xoc Dia, Fan Tan, and various Asian poker setups. The studio also has live branded games, game shows, studio card games, and even live slots. Going forward, it will be hard for competitors to enter the scene that seems set up in favor of Evolution, and it will be especially hard for landbased casinos in Atlantic City, and soon Vegas, to win back customers and stop the spread of iGaming in the US.