Despite the market having become more saturated in the last couple years, the NJ online gambling industry saw two new operators, playMGM and Scores, launch online casino brands in 2017.
And with all the change happening in Atlantic City, along with the imminent launch of online gambling in Pennsylvania, there will almost certainly be new companies looking to get involved in relatively short order.
So let’s take a look who might join the party in 2018.
Hard Rock International isn’t holding back about its ambitious plans for Atlantic City. The entertainment conglomerate, which purchased the former Trump Taj Mahal for a mere $50 million, plans to spend 10 times that amount to reinvent the property.
Hard Rock has repeatedly stated, in job postings and elsewhere, that it has been building out an online gaming division within the company. It seems obvious its first real money venture will launch in New Jersey, and it shouldn’t take them long after opening their property to start taking real-money wagers.
Hard Rock should be taken seriously as a competitor as soon as it goes live. It’s a major brand, backed by big money and plenty of high-end talent.
Formerly known as Revel, Ten Casino is still a property that could make impact in Atlantic City, assuming it does eventually reopen.
Owner Glenn Straub has sent out mixed messages at times regarding plans for the building, but Ten already offers a free online casino on their website. It seems likely it would eventually be in the real money business as well, and Straub has said he thinks Ten will be in.
It’s hard to know what kind of impact Ten could make on the market, but it wouldn’t necessarily be proportionate to its B&M market share. As Golden Nugget Casino and Tropicana Casino have proven, you don’t have to be the biggest land-based casino in town to make big money online.
I mentioned in my five predictions for the fifth year of NJ iGaming article that I think sports-focused gambling companies from abroad will take another look at New Jersey if the Supreme Court PASPA case, scheduled to be heard in December, plays out in the state’s favor.
888 and Betfair have already gotten ahead of this, and are both in position to reap further benefits in New Jersey if sports betting becomes part of what’s allowed in the state.
More of their European competitors could come into play as well, including, but not limited to:
That’s really a short list, but they’re the companies that would likely make the most sense. For companies in this group, the key variable is whether or not they’re interested in the US as a whole. With Pennsylvania coming online and the possible legalization – at least on a limited basis – of sports wagering, this is a key time for these big groups to make a decision about that.
William Hill, given their existing US business, would seem like the best bet of the bunch to be looking to expand their American footprint. The operator has already sunk millions into a New Jersey-based sports bar (to hopefully turn into a sports betting venue) at Monmouth Park.
The New Jersey online casino market isn’t finished expanding, despite revenues reaching somewhat of a plateau in the second half of 2017. And given the coming opportunities for growth, in Pennsylvania and quite possibly more states, expect online casino companies to start looking at NJ decisions as part of their plans for the US as a whole, as opposed to one isolated state.
That could very well mean more competitors in the arena, and soon.