Live dealer online games are no longer the sole purvey of the Golden Nugget.
This past week, three different NJ gambling sites launched live dealer games, all the result of Evolution Gaming getting regulatory approval from the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement.
The company has deals in place with a few NJ-facing sites: 888 Casino, Hard Rock online casino, PlaySugarHouse.com, and Ocean Online Casino. Only three went live this past week.
Evolution’s Martin Carlesund issued the following statement after it opened its live casino studio this past Friday. It is assumed the live casino studio will be used for its manifold NJ online casino clients.
“Having closely monitored US market developments over the past few years, while reinforcing our position as Live Casino market leaders in Europe, we believe that now is the right time to launch with a full-fledged studio facility for the US. Now we have a fantastic Live Casino studio in New Jersey — with a wide choice of live games from day one, and ample room for expansion and the rapid ramping up of services to meet our new US licensees’ needs.”
Live dealer games are on the march in NJ
Evolution and its partners made swift work of its newly won approval, launching three live dealer casino platforms in less than a week.
At the time of publishing, the list of each sites’ live dealer options included the following:
- 888 Casino: roulette, blackjack, baccarat, three-card poker
- PlaySugarHouse.com: blackjack, roulette, three-card poker, Texas Hold ’em
- Hard Rock: baccarat, roulette, blackjack, three-card poker, Texas Hold ’em
Ocean Resort Casino had yet to launch its live dealer games, but a press release dated Aug. 13 indicated that the launch is imminent. CEO Frank Leone said its partnership with Evolution helps further the company’s goal of becoming a premier destination.
“Adding Evolution’s world-class Live Casino to our service for both on-property and remote players is another key ingredient in making Ocean Resort Casino a standout destination. “We have the most amazing location and on-property attractions and will also have a superb online offering that will include not only Live Casino but also Live Sports Betting.”
Live dealer games latest in NJ online gambling expansion
This year has no doubt been one of the most zealous in Atlantic City’s history.
The emergence of live dealer games in NJ online gambling is just a quick burst among a barrage of big news, not the least of which was the launch of NJ sports betting.
New Jersey casinos and tracks have taken full advantage of that historic decision, launching numerous sportsbooks and online platforms.
In addition to the launch of sportsbooks across the state, Hard Rock and Ocean Resort brought the count of NJ online casinos to 18. But it’s live dealer that has everyone talking right now.
Since 2016, Golden Nugget online casino and its counterpart, Betfair (now FanDuel), have held all the cards when it comes to a live casino. Earlier this summer, Borgata and its affiliated sites joined the game.
But Evolution is new to New Jersey. A well-known brand in Europe, its live dealer games could easily give Golden Nugget’s place at the top a scare.