Atlantic City’s Golden Nugget First U.S. Casino to offer Live Dealer Games Online
When online gambling became legal for residents of New Jersey in November of 2013, land-based casinos cast a wary eye toward the future; they had fought the legislation fearing that the addition of online gaming would cut into their revenue. It didn't take long for the casinos to realize that there was an opportunity with online betting to increase their bottom line. Casinos who offered online betting saw combined revenue of over $100 million dollars in the first year of legalized play and it soon became apparent that the new option would not take revenue from existing land-based casinos.
Online Gamers Converting to Land-based Play
Internet play was instantly a success but the Golden Nugget Casino management team began to look for another way to take advantage of the changing laws in New Jersey. As online gamblers started visiting land establishments that they had previously ignored, the Nugget team searched for a way to expand the bridge that brought those new players into their facilities. Live online casino play had already made headway in Europe, Australia and other countries by bridging the gap and allowing internet players the experience of a live casino before ever stepping into one and alleviating the nervousness of playing live games.
Golden Nugget First to Offer Live Online Play
On the 11th of August this year the Golden Nugget Casino debuted their live dealer games to residents of New Jersey 21 or older with a ribbon cutting ceremony. In accordance with New Jersey law, the live games are broadcast from a studio within the casino that is expressly for that purpose. The live games are available in the evening and early morning hours; Roulette, baccarat and Blackjack are the initial offerings but the casino is planning an eventual expansion of games and possibly the times of day that they are available.
Stepping Out from the Crowd
With 13 casinos offering internet betting, the Golden Nugget has found a way to differentiate themselves in a limited and competitive market. The customer base for all online games is limited to those who are in New Jersey and the casino uses Global Positioning Software to assure that all players are physically in the state. Other casinos are watching very closely as this is the first venture of its kind to be legal anywhere within the United States.
Already Number One and Looking to Increase Profits
The casino has already taken the lead on internet betting in the state and created a state record for profits when they had $3.5 million in revenue from web traffic alone in June of this year. The addition to the casino is expected to increase profits but how much is yet to be determined. It can probably be assumed that if this venture shows at least a moderate amount of success some of the other New Jersey establishments may follow the example and possibly all if this is a large success. While success isn't a sure thing, it would be foolish to consider this a sucker's bet.