Resorts Casino Hotel Joins New Jersey Online Gambling Fray

Posted on: February 26, 2015, 01:08h. 

Last updated on: February 26, 2015, 01:08h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

Resorts Casino Hotel may rank last among the remaining Atlantic City casinos in terms of revenue, but that’s not stopping them from jumping right into the online gambling world.

This week, Resorts will become the fifth Atlantic City casino company to offer online gambling in the state of New Jersey. With a little luck, they might even be joined by a very powerful partner in the weeks or months to come.

Resorts will end their five-day testing period on Wednesday, the second of two full days of operation that follow three partial days of gaming.

That means the casino’s online gambling sites will be entirely operational on Thursday, just a week Resorts received their transactional waiver from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).

Resorts Boasts Wide Range of Casino Games, No Poker at Launch

“As New Jersey’s first casino destination, Resorts is committed to delivering the best-in-class online gaming experience in the Garden State by partnering with gaming leaders, including SNG Interactive, which houses Sportech and NYX Gaming Group,” said Mark Giannantonio, CEO and president of Resorts Casino Hotel.

“With SNG’s flexible gaming solutions and exclusive game content, we’re excited to introduce Europe’s industry-leading casino slots and table games to the United States market for the best online user experience.”

Resorts joins the Borgata, Golden Nugget, Tropicana and Caesars Entertainment in offering online casinos in New Jersey. Right now, only the Borgata (partnered with partypoker) and Caesars (with 888 Holdings) offer online poker.

That’s not something that Resorts can boast right out of the gate. However, they’re likely to enter the Internet poker landscape sooner rather than later. Resorts has an existing partnership agreement with the Rational Group, the parent company of PokerStars and Full Tilt that is now owned by Amaya Gaming.

While Amaya’s licensing application has been delayed, there have been signs that the company could gain a New Jersey license soon, which would likely make Resorts a formidable competitor in the online poker sphere.

PokerStars, Full Tilt Could Provide Games if Licensed

“Resorts has built an exclusive relationship with PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, two of the most popular and powerful online gaming brands in the world,” reads an FAQ page for Resorts. “This means Resorts will be providing New Jersey with the best online casino and poker sites with the industry’s most competitive products.”

For now, though, the focus will be on providing casino products. According to Resorts, their site will “feature the largest selection of casino slots and table games in the state of New Jersey as well as exclusive titles and highly coveted content that are unavailable anywhere else.”

Resorts Casino Hotel was the first casino built in Atlantic City, opening in 1978. Resorts had been a heavy contributor to the campaign to legalize gambling in New Jersey, supporting the referendum on the issue that was passed by state voters in 1976.

Resorts will be entering an online gambling market in New Jersey that has been growing in recent months. In January, the state’s online gambling sites brought in $11.6 million, up over 22 percent when compared to the same month last year.

The only part of the state’s Internet gambling framework that appears to be struggling is online poker, which could receive a major boost if PokerStars is allowed to begin operations in partnership with Resorts.