New Jersey’s top-grossing online and mobile sports betting app now has a physical presence in the state.
DraftKings Sportsbook opened up a new permanent retail sportsbook location with its partner Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City on Tuesday morning.
DraftKings is already the top daily fantasy sports operator in the country. But it launched the first mobile sports betting app in NJ in August and quickly emerged as the NJ sports betting market leader.
In fact, DraftKings Sportsbook, and to a much lesser extent The Stars Group’s BetStars NJ, has helped Resorts Digital post an industry-best $5,090,253 in sports betting revenue in October and a whopping $16,566,524 so far this year.
Now, the company is going after the retail market with a Las Vegas-style lounge and physical sportsbook sure to rival anything else in Atlantic City.
DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts
The 5,000-square-foot DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts opened with 12 self-betting kiosks and another five walk-up wagering windows.
Both DraftKings and Resorts expect it to be a great place to watch games. In fact, it features 135 stadium-style seats and 1,000-square-feet of video walls with ultra-high-definition screens.
There’s also a full bar, complete food menu, and tableside bottle service like one might find in a high-end nightclub.
Click on the photos for a closer look:
DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts is near the property’s boardwalk entrance, next to the East Wind Asian restaurant. It replaces the previous, temporary, Resorts-branded sportsbook in the middle of the casino floor.
That temp facility clearly lagged behind the rest of the casino-based sportsbook market.
Resorts president and CEO Mark Giannantonio told The Press of Atlantic City that DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts has everything a sports fan could ever want:
“The DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts is sure to satisfy, in every way, the most serious sports fans.”
DraftKings CFO Tim Dent said the new facility could help DraftKings dominate yet another side of NJ sports betting:
“DraftKings is truly excited to be here and to extend our current partnership with Resorts Casino. Since being the first mobile sports betting app to launch in early-August, we’ve been able to build up a dominant market share within this growing, exciting industry. We are well positioned to capitalize on this market.”
Atlantic City sports betting in a nutshell
Remember that NJ sports betting launched in June.
On the surface, that makes DraftKings Sportsbook look like a late addition to the retail sports betting market. However, it’s actually ahead of most of the casino-based sportsbook competition.
Only the Ocean Resort (Caesars NJ sportsbook) and Golden Nugget sportsbook have revealed permanent sportsbook lounges in Atlantic City.
Bally’s Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, and Tropicana Atlantic City are all operating sports betting out of temporary facilities while permanent sportsbooks are under construction.
Hard Rock Atlantic City, for its part, also has plans for a permanent sportsbook location, but it, too, is under construction.
Giannantonio said the project was completed on time and on budget. He must also be thinking Resorts can trade in on the popularity of the DraftKings SportsBook NJ gambling site.
Additionally, Resorts can grab a good chunk of the casino-based retail sports betting market while construction continues elsewhere.
As for the ceremonial first bet, New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson did the honors during the ribbon-cutting ceremony on the property. He put $10 on the New York Yankees to win the 2019 World Series at 7-1 odds.