New Jersey’s early leader in the online sports betting competition, DraftKings Sportsbook, finally has a brick-and-mortar counterpart in the Garden State. The DFS giant announced on Wednesday that DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts will open by the end of the month at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City.
“We are proud to partner with an industry leader in sports betting and open an innovative sports betting experience that only DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts will offer,” Resorts Casino Hotel President and CEO Mark Giannantonio stated. “Once completed, the new on-property retail space will bring an immersive and entertaining gaming experience for our guests and sports fans alike, ensuring the best sports betting scene in Atlantic City.”
Construction on the sportsbook is nearly complete and, pending final approval by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, a late-November opening is expected.
An inside look at the book
DraftKings announced plans earlier this week to open its first land-based sportsbook, at Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in Mississippi, this Friday. It was somewhat of a surprise that DK’s initial brick-and-mortar book landed outside New Jersey, but now we see that it’s only a matter of a week or two separating the launches.
DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts will feature five betting windows and 12 kiosks, along with ultra-HD video walls, a VIP area, stadium-style seats with chargers, and a full bar with food and drink menus. And for those who need more action that just sports betting, the bar top will have electronic slots.
“We’ve been working for months with the team at Resorts to make sure the DraftKings retail sportsbook meets the highest bar for quality and customer experience,” said DraftKings Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder Matt Kalish. “We are tremendously excited to launch our first physical presence in the state with such a trusted partner, and to service their loyal patrons.”
The online leader
The October gambling revenue report for New Jersey will be released tomorrow, and expectations are that DK Sportsbook will be tops in the online space.
In September, Resorts Digital Gaming led the way with $8.51 million in revenue, approximately 95% of which is believed to have been generated by DraftKings. (BetStars NJ is also a Resorts product, and it launched in a limited capacity in mid-September.) That was miles ahead of FanDuel’s online/mobile offering, which landed in second place with $2.85 million in revenue.
On the land-based side of things, FanDuel Sportsbook at the Meadowlands was the leader in September with revenue of $4.37 million. Starting soon, it will have brick-and-mortar competition from its longtime digital rival.
