DraftKings, the daily fantasy sports titan turned sports betting powerhouse, is nearing completion on its first retail location in New Jersey.
The DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts will open at Resorts Casino Hotel Atlantic City sometime in late November 2018.
The permanent facility will replace the temporary location that Resorts opened in August 2018. SBTech has assisted Resorts in the operations of the makeshift book since it opened. However, it is unclear how this news affects Resorts’ arrangement with SBTech.
The new DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts
The new sportsbook at Resorts will have the latest in technology and customer comfort amenities, including:
- Five betting windows
- 12 self-service kiosks
- Ultrahigh-definition video walls
- Stadium-style seats with chargers for mobile devices
- A VIP area
- Full-service bar with food and drink service, and bar top video poker
In a press release, Matt Kalish, chief revenue officer at DraftKings, said the retail plans have been in the works for a while:
“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. We are tremendously excited to launch our first physical presence in the state with such a trusted partner, and to service their loyal patrons.”
Resorts personnel echoed Kalish’s excitement.
In the same statement, Resorts President and CEO Mark Giannantonio declared that DraftKings’ influence would create the “best sports betting scene in Atlantic City.”
DraftKings hoping to build on its online success
Of course, DraftKings is already a well-known sports betting commodity in the Garden State. The DFS operator opened the very first online sportsbook in New Jersey back in early August 2018.
The results from that endeavor have been an unqualified success. The DraftKings Sportsbook app is dominating the NJ online sports betting market.
According to the most recent revenue numbers, DraftKings earned about three times its nearest competitor’s hold. DK owns two-thirds of the entire online market.
DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts is ready to launch
Of course, the new DraftKings Sportsbook retail spot will not have the tremendous first-to-market advantage that the app enjoyed. For the first three weeks of its operation, the DraftKings app accepted sports bets unopposed in New Jersey.
By contrast, there are eight other retail sportsbooks already in service in New Jersey. Indeed, DraftKings will have to provide that best-in-class experience to draw more bettors into the new facility.
Thankfully, DraftKings will get some much-needed experience before the Resorts facility opens its doors. DraftKings should open its very first retail location at the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in Mississippi this week.
The Magnolia State facility is scheduled to launch Nov. 16. No doubt that the New Jersey crew will pay close attention to the growing pains that DraftKings experiences at the Scarlet Pearl.