SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia Launches New Jersey Gaming Site

Posted on: September 16, 2016, 03:00h. 

Last updated on: September 16, 2016, 02:53h.

Casino.org Staff Writer Read More

Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

The SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia has been more than neighborly to gamblers in New Jersey since it opened in 2010.

Located two just miles from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge that connects Philadelphia with Camden, the SugarHouse has long welcomed New Jerseyans to its casino floor.

Now the Pennsylvania gambling venue is going after New Jersey residents on their own turf.

This week, the SugarHouse launched its own internet casino website at PlaySugarHouse.com. The online real-money casino destination features various games with a focus on low minimum slots and tables.

While online video poker is offered, SugarHouse isn’t entering the competitive internet poker market to take on the likes of PokerStars, Party Borgata, and the WSOP/888 rooms.

Rush Street Gaming, the developer and owner of SugarHouse, says it developed the online platform based solely on New Jersey player input.

“The result is a more unique player experience,” Rush Street Interactive President Richard Schwartz said in a press release. “You can play longer and make your entertainment budget go further. And still win big.”

Satellite Office

Players over the age of 21 must be physically located in New Jersey to wager real money at an online casino. But the operator must also have a physical presence in the state through a land-based casino.

SugarHouse has teamed with the Golden Nugget and is authorized for internet gambling through the Nugget’s iGaming license. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) issues online gaming licenses.

The DGE has added the PlaySugarHouse.com domain to its list of authorized internet gaming addresses.

Rush Street also announced it has opened a customer service office in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The “satellite office,” located just 10 miles from the casino, currently has five employees.

Little Sugar to SugarHouse

The SugarHouse is enjoying a warm summer in terms of revenue.

The casino benefited from the July Democratic National Convention held in Philadelphia. SugarHouse generated $25 million in total gross gaming revenue during the month, a 13.64 percent gain compared to 2015.

August was also bountiful for SugarHouse, as the casino grossed $22.5 million, a more than seven percent gain on the previous year.

Named for the Jack Frost Sugar Refinery that previously occupied the casino’s 22-acre complex, the SugarHouse is now trying to sweeten its bottom line with online gambling revenue.

New Jersey is currently in the midst of it best iGaming year since the state legalized online gambling back in 2013. Through August, New Jersey’s online gambling operators are up nearly 33 percent on 2015.

Gamblers in the Garden State have lost $128.2 million to the iCasinos this year, $31.5 million more than in 2015, or nearly $4 million per month.

The Golden Nugget’s three online gaming sites are now the second most valuable internet gambling group in New Jersey. Golden Nugget operators have grossed $3.46 million through August in 2016, and will only improve on that figure by adding a fourth domain with SugarHouse.

Borgata’s five sites, which includes its partnership with partypoker, continues to lead the way. Through the first eight months, the group has generated $3.73 million in gross online gaming revenue.