AFTER SOME OFFICIAL prompting from New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), Atlantic City’s land-based casinos have been busy securing partnerships with online gaming entities ahead of the opening of the state’s regulated iGaming market at the end of the year.
The DGE issued preliminary deadlines by which all twelve of Atlantic City’s casinos had to clarify their online gaming plans in order to meet the scheduled November go-live date, but there are already reports that this could well extend into 2014. Indeed, two casinos, Revel and Atlantic Club, are still to announce their online partners which could prolong a process that state regulators are keen to expedite.
Lisa Spengler, a spokesperson for the DGE, explained that for those casinos who do meet the deadline, “the Division will be in a position to determine if they can commence Internet gambling operations by the go-live date.” So far, the Division will be determining the fate of the ten Atlantic City casinos who have announced strategic partnerships for their online operations.
Caesars Entertainment’s four casinos - Caesars, Harrah’s Resort, Bally’s and Showboat - will be powered by 888 Holdings, Dublinbet Casino, PokerStars has moved on from its acrimonious split from the Atlantic Club by partnering with Resorts Casino, while the two Trump-owned casinos have gone their separate ways in forming alliances; the Trump Plaza siding with UK betting exchange, Betsafe Casino, while the Trump Taj Mahal has entered into agreement with Fertitta-owned Ultimate Gaming.
MGM and Boyd have extended their partnership with bwin.party to power the Borgata casino, while Gamesys enters the U S market through its alliance with the Tropicana and SHFL Entertainment acquirer, Bally Technologies, will power the Golden Nugget.
The fate of Revel and Atlantic Club is firmly in their own hands, and we wait with interest to see who will be announced as interactive partners for Atlantic City’s two hardest-hit casinos. UK-based operator, 2-UP Gaming, has also entered the fray with a reported $330 million to spend, via Asian investment backers, on entering the New Jersey Market, either through an acquisition of the two remaining Atlantic City casinos, or by building its own.
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