Editor’s Note: This is the second of a multipart series on Atlantic City gambling and its future. You can find part one here.

1. Is There Sports Gambling In Atlantic City New Jersey
2. Is There Sports Gambling In Atlantic City Md

Macquarie Capital estimates that online gambling will provide Atlantic City's casino with $260 to $400 million in additional revenue per year. The Casino Control Commission will create regulations for online gambling. It is unclear when online gambling licenses will be issued, or if there will be any legal challenges to the new law. Atlantic City is a haven for sports bettors. With eight of New Jersey’s 10 sportsbooks located in the famed casino town, bettors never have to venture far to get a wager in. Five of the books are. New Jersey Restrictions on State Regulated Sports Betting. Even though New Jersey now allows licensed sports betting inside the state, there are three major restrictions that people in the state should be informed of before betting at an Atlantic City or NJ-based sportsbook and is why many residents still prefer to bet at the legal offshore sportsbooks instead.

Remember the days of talking about what a great addition legal sports betting would be to the Atlantic City casino market?

For years, it seemed like a pipe dream.

Several court appearances and lawsuits later, NJ sports betting is a pretty big deal. How big?

Well in 2019 alone, Garden State sportsbooks took in $4.5 billion, yes billion, in wagers. And this is just one of the many eye-catching numbers.

New Jersey recently quietly celebrated the two-year anniversary of legal sports betting in the state. The global pandemic has tempered the market growth. But even while casinos were closed, bets were happening on the sportsbook apps.

This is a documentary that Play NJ created about the rise of sports betting in New Jersey.

Online betting may be the breadwinner, but the new industry provides Atlantic City casino operators with something else to offer customers 365 days a year.

So current global pandemic aside, here is the billion-dollar question: Does Atlantic City have what it takes to become an East Coast sports betting destination?

NJ sports betting history lesson

The legalization process for NJ sports betting is a very long story. So instead of rehashing the history and steps, we will highlight two key dates.

The first is May 14, 2018. This is the date the US Supreme Court dismissed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) as unconstitutional.

And one month later, on June 14, the first legal sports wager in Garden State history was placed at Monmouth Park. Gov. Phil Murphy did the honors. Later that day, the first wager in Atlantic City history was placed at the Borgata.

Bottom line, 40-plus years into its gambling history, Atlantic City (and the rest of the state) now have a new avenue for legal betting. And two years after that first bet was placed, New Jersey boasts a robust sports betting market to complement its record-breaking online casino market.

Operators want a piece of the NJ sports betting pie

The New Jersey sports betting market provided an entry point for both American operators and European companies.

And why not? The market not only boasts billions in dollars of wagers annually. But even when sports shut down during the pandemic, online operators were still pulling in bets. May 2020 saw a jump in total bets from $118 million the month before to $165 million.

To make things even more enticing, New Jersey regulators gave operators plenty of avenues to pursue sports betting.

Each of the 10 license holders is permitted to have a retail sportsbook along with up to threeonline skins. That means the market can have up to 12 retail books and 36 apps.

AC casinos and NJ racetracks were quick to open sportsbooks in 2018. That tally sits at 10 total, eight of which are in Atlantic City. As far as mobile goes, the initial launch included some big names:

• DraftKings Sportsbook
• FanDuel Sportsbook
• William Hill NJ
• BetStars NJ (now Fox Bet)

Call it a small sampling. The market currently includes 18NJ sports betting apps, with more preparing to launch.

Here is a look at the breakdown by license holder:

*Tipico is awaiting licensing approval from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. **William Hill shares licensing between its three casino and racetrack partners.

Looking at the chart, the door is still wide open for additional operators to come aboard.

Bally’sis the perfect example.

Twin River Worldwide Holdings is purchasing the property from Caesars. And once the licensing process is complete, the new owner plans on pursuing NJ sports betting opportunities.

“As soon as we’re licensed and close on this transaction, we think that we can bring an exciting sports betting brand to AC,” George Papanier, CEO of Twin River, told Play NJ.

Making sportsbooks an Atlantic City destination

AC casinos have invested millions building state-of-the-art sportsbooks. The hope, of course, is they become viewing destinations for major sporting events such as the Super Bowland March Madness.

William Hill is one of the companies that has gone all in, setting up retail operations not only at Monmouth, but also at Ocean Casino Resort and the Tropicana. The latter was unveiled in March 2019, just in time for the NCAA basketball tournament.

Joe Asher, CEO at William Hill US, said he is a big believer that you “have to make a sportsbook a great social environment.” Case in point is the one at Ocean, which sits as the center of the casino floor and includes skyboxes.

“[It’s about] having great places where people can come and hang out, be with their friends and really enjoy a social experience that you can’t replicate sitting on your couch at home. It’s really designed to be a destination.”

Caesars and MGM took a similar approach with opening permanent retail sportsbooks last year.

Borgata unveiled Moneyline Bar & Book last summer, which doubles as a restaurant. The space was recently given a BetMGM branding.

And Caesars opened The Book at Bally’s, which at more than 15,000 square feet, is Atlantic City’s largest. Caesars will maintain ownership once the Bally’s sale is completed.

DraftKings Sportsbook sets the table

But while retail operations provide entertainment value, sportsbook apps attract the bulk of the action.

Just look at the Division of Gaming Enforcement’s monthly revenue numbers. In 2019 for instance, out of the $4.5 billion in handle, more than $3.8 billion came via mobile.

DraftKings certainly saw the potential as they were first to market with the DK Sportsbook app. New Jersey also served as a launching point for the Boston-based company that has since expanded into Pennsylvania, Colorado, Indiana, and other US markets.

So what made the Garden State such an attractive starting point?

DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello said New Jersey regulators did a couple of things that really made a difference.

“They allowed us to offer a multitude of content, things that were never offered before in Las Vegas, which was really the only sportsbook offering in the entire country,” said Avello.

“And the mobile with the remote signups, that is just huge. To me, that is the way everyone should be doing it, and that is the way Jersey did it out of the box. So I think those are the two things that made the push significant.”

Sportsbook operators react to pandemic times

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic is something none of the operators saw coming. Days before March Madness betting was slated to tip-off, the entire sports world came to a screeching halt.

Just like that, the MLB, the NBA, and NHL all halted their respective seasons. As a result, there were extremely limited customer offerings during April and May.

Unless you’re one of those new fans of Russian table tennis, there was not much to bet on for three months. So sportsbooks had to keep bettors engaged.

DraftKings is one of the operators that took a creative approach during the shutdown.

“We just tried to get creative and keep our customers engaged. We had [and still have] the free to play pools which anybody around the country can play,” said Avello.

Slowly but surely sports are coming back. The PGA Tour, UFC, and NASCAR got things started. MLB returned in July, and now the NBA and NHL have restarted, too.

That’s a lot of sports happening all at the same time.

August is looking hot for NJ sports betting

Avello also tossed out an intriguing question: “What do you usually have in July and August? You have baseball,” and that’s it. But not this year.

In other words, DraftKings foresees an extremely active month in August.

“This is different than any offerings I’ve been able to give to our customer base before. … Just look for DraftKings to be at the top of its game.”

The DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts is open, too. However, like the casino floors, sportsbooks are limited to 25% capacity. And food and beverage is not being offered.

But watching and wagering is what it’s all about.

Avello isn’t the only person forecasting a huge August.

Tom Gable, director of race and sportsbook operations at Borgata, sees a spike on the horizon.

“Now with the major sports coming back, [it’s] probably going to be a record August, I would assume, for most books out there. It’s going to be great,” said Gable.

And when the Borgata held its July 23 soft reopening, so did the sportsbook. It just happened to be opening day for the New York Yankees and defending World Series champion Washington Nationals.

Bettors couldn’t wait to get in on the action.

“We did probably in two days, the last few days, in handle what we would typically do in two weeks handle on baseball. So there’s definitely a pent-up demand to bet right now.”

But how much of a demand is there? The number to beat is $293.6 million. That is the NJ sports betting handle from last August.

Atlantic City sports betting: a regional destination

Eventually, things will get back to normal when sportsbooks and casinos will be operating at full capacity again.

Whether or not it comes before the next Super Bowl, nobody knows.

But this brings us back to the bigger question: Does Atlantic City have what it takes to be an East Coast sports betting destination?

Asher says yes it does.

“I think clearly it’s a regional destination. Sportsbooks are built to be really nice places,” said Asher.

“If you just want to drive an hour or two versus getting on an airplane and flying across the country, it’s certainly a convenient place to have a great time for the weekend.”

Is There Sports Gambling In Atlantic City New Jersey

Avello believes in Atlantic City, too. And here’s why:

“Las Vegas only has about 2 million, two-and-a-half million people but draws mostly on people who are frequenting it five times a year. Why not Jersey that has a population of 10 million and [is in] close proximity to some bigger cities like New York and bigger cities in Pennsylvania?”

Bottom line? Thanks to legal sports betting, Atlantic City is back on the map.

Is There Sports Gambling In Atlantic City Md

Sports betting in New Jersey has been immediately taken off and with this, we decided to provide a review of Resorts Casino Sportsbook in AC. Our goal is allow you to fully understand what the DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts has to offer from its lounge design, operating, hours, wagering options, and more. Resorts became the seventh casino to offer legal sports betting and their highly trained staff and modern design making the watching of sporting events even more inviting and comfortable.

The state is building its industry up as one of the first to bring legal sports betting in the doors. This is all due to a former federal law known as PASPA that was fought in the Supreme Court by New Jersey Representatives themselves; therefore, it is only fitting that it is here the industry flourishes first. Only a short trip from Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware, Resorts is an excellent vacation destination for those who want to be on the water and able to throw some money down.

When Did DraftKings Sportsbook At Resorts Launch?

When PASPA was repealed in 2018, the sportsbooks almost immediately opened up a temporary location in order to begin accepting sports bets. The temporary locale continued to host betting lines and odds for New Jersey sports bettors until they officially launched in November of 2018. This marked the third sportsbook located in Atlantic City. Since then, the sportsbook has continued to provide all NJ residents and tourists with both land-based and online sports betting throughout the year. The lounge also hosts a full-service bar that serves food and drinks to all sports bettors.

Where Is The Resorts Atlantic City Sportsbook Located?

Enter in through the boardwalk entrance for the easiest navigation to the lounge. It is situated next to East Wind Chinese Restaurant and you can’t miss it as its 5000 square feet and 135 ultra-high definition LED TVs illuminate the whole area. With twelve self-service betting kiosks and five betting windows with cashiers, there is no excuse for not getting your bet in on time. Sit down in one of the 135 stadium seats where you can watch sporting events from all over the world with live odds displayed or reserve the VIP area for even more comfort. The hours for the lounge are:

• Monday–Friday: 10 a.m. – 1 a.m.
• Saturday–Sunday: 9 a.m. – 1 a.m.

How Old Do I Need To Be To Bet At DraftKings Sportsbook At Resorts?

In order to participate in sports betting at the DraftKings sportsbook you need to be the required 21 years old or older. This age restriction is New Jersey state law and is strictly enforced. Failure to comply with this regulation may result I legal ramifications so it is not recommended that underaged aged individuals attempt to sneak into the sportsbook or try and use a fake ID as that may result in persecution. For all sports bettors who are of the legal age to wager, there are no other restriction preventing them from participating in sports betting.

Does Resorts AC Sportsbook Offer Full-Service Sports Betting?

There is only one main limitation to the types of bets you can make in DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts and this is betting on collegiate teams that are from New Jersey. This is a state law and no other lounge will offer betting lines on these teams even if the game is being played out of state – look into an offshore sportsbook if this is the style of gambling you like. Other than that, the lounge offers single-game wagering you find in a Vegas-style casino offering straight bets, parlays, teasers, futures, and many more. Their website even provides a betting guide pdf for those who are unsure about how to get started.

Mobile Wagering At Resorts AC Sportsbook

DraftKings is known for their DFS games and their platform for sports betting became the first mobile app to launch in August 2018. You can also access their betting lines from a mobile webpage if you do not want to download the app but be aware that you can only submit wagers if you are located within New Jersey. This is just to be in accordance with state and federal laws that do not allow for interstate gambling. The app allows you to withdraw money if you use Play+; however, the cashiers at Resorts will be your only option if you do not have this feature.

How Do I Sign Up For DraftKings Mobile Sportsbook At Resorts AC?

It is not difficult to use DraftKings as it is one of the more accessible sportsbooks for players to use. The DraftKings mobile app is available in the app store or Google play store and you can download the app and have access to the full casino. You have to physically be in New Jersey in order to bet on sports from the app, however, as it will be geo-locked to the state. The signup process is simple as you just need to answer a few basic questions such as name, birthday, etc. After you make an account, you are able to log in and bet on sports anytime anywhere in New Jersey.

Live Betting At DraftKings Sportsbook At Resorts Casino

If you haven’t heard of live in-play betting, you will soon as it is the noted as the future of sports betting. This type of wagering allows you to enter into a wager after the game has started. The AC Resorts Casino Sportsbook reviews the betting lines every moment of the game and betting lines and odds can change almost instantly. You must be decisive when gambling this way as you could miss out on a great moment to bet. Both the mobile app and the sportsbook lounge offer this feature and present many moments to put your money where your mouth is.

Can Money Be Transferred Between A DraftKings DFS Account and DraftKings Sportsbook?

Yes, one is able to transfer money between the DraftKings DFS account and the DraftKings Sportsbook. If you make a deposit into one, you do not need to make a deposit into another. The accounts can be shared and you can use the same funds that you use to bet on sports in order to wager on the daily fantasy sports. This convenience is one of the prime benefits of the DraftKing Sportsbook in New Jersey.

How Do I Use DraftKings Sportsbook?

You can download the DraftKings Sportsbook to your cellphone. Once it’s been downloaded, it will need access to your location to make sure that you are in New Jersey. After that, you simply sign up as you would with anything. If you already have an account, login with your personalized information.

How Do I Withdraw From My DraftKings Sportsbook Account?

Withdrawing money from your DraftKings Sportsbook account could not be easier. Once you’re on your account balance page, you put in the amount of money you wish to take out of your account with the minimum being $20. After entering the amount, choose the method of how you would like to receive your winnings. Once you’ve chosen, click the button that says “request” is the final step in completing your withdrawal request.

What Promotions Are Offered At Draftkings Sportsbook Atlantic City?

Most of the times players know that when they go to this famous sportsbook, there will ways be some new promotions that will be there all the time. To keep players coming back and grab new players these casinos need to have promotions and Draftkings will continuously have them. These promotions change from month to month or whatever the most popular sports event is going on. Most of the time new players will have different promotions that they can choose from. With all the money options, there will be promotions that lead towards that as well!

Name: DraftKings Sportsbook

Date Opened: 11-20-2018

Location: 1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401

Phone: (800) 334-6378

Players Club?: Yes

Mobile Betting: Yes

High Limits: Yes

Hours: 10am – 1am

Betting Age: 21

Hotel: Yes

Casino Attached: Yes