Resorts Atlantic City is moving ahead with its own online gambling site as it waits for online partner PokerStars to wend its way through New Jersey’s licensing procedures.
The new site—www.ResortsCasino.com—will offer slots and casino games through a partnership with Sportech NYX Gaming LLC.
“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, president and CEO of Resorts in a press release. “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.”
The launch—which would include a five-day “soft” test—is expected this month. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement approved Sportech for online gaming in the state last week through a “transactional waiver.” Resorts had already been approved in the state.
Casino officials said they expect the site to be fully operational by February 25.
The casino promises that the 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.”
The site will also include “several easy, convenient and foolproof payment options allowing guests to safely and securely deposit funds into their online accounts through online bank transfers, electronic bank transfers, MasterCard and/or Visa, or by visiting the Resorts Casino Cage on property.”
The casino becomes the sixth Atlantic City casino to offer online gambling, which went live in the state in November 2013.
“One of the benefits of having waited more than a year to start this is we understand what the challenges of the market are, and we’re able to offer the kind of content that customers have shown they want,” said Giannantonio.
Resorts is also partnered with PokerStars—Atlantic City casinos can partner with multiple online providers under state law—but the online giant has been trying to get licensed in the state. Licensing for PokerStars had been expected as early as October, but the state Division of Gaming Enforcement is still reviewing its application.
PokerStars licensing in New Jersey had been blocked in the past due to the site’s run in with the U.S. Department of Justice in 2011. PokerStars continued to accept bets from U.S. players after a federal ban went into effect in 2006.
However, the sale of PokerStars to Amaya Gaming—which is already approved in the state for online gaming—had been expected to remove any obstacles.
Still, the new site should help Resorts—which has the lowest revenue of Atlantic City’s eight casinos—as online wagering on slots and casino games in the state has easily outpaced online poker play.
Though Resorts is last in the market, its revenue has been increasing consistently for the last year after casino operations were turned over to Mohegan Sun.
