New Jersey’s regulated online gambling marketplace welcomed an additional player Thursday using the launch of Hardrockcasino.com.
On Thursday, Hard Rock International’s new Atlantic City casino (the former Trump Taj Mahal) held its official grand opening ceremony, complete having a mass smashing of guitars and indoor fireworks. The Hard Rock Atlantic City venue actually opened its doors towards the public on Wednesday afternoon following receiving approval from state gaming regulators.
On Thursday, the Hard Rock venue’s on-line gambling technology partner Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) announced that it had received a transactional waiver in the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to supply the Hard Rock with a real-money on-line casino platform.
GiG’s press release indicated that the Hard Rock on-line casino would launch “later this month” – all two days of it – but the site appears to become currently active. The site is casino-only, i.e. no poker except video poker, but then poker has become some thing of an afterthought in New Jersey’s red-hot online gambling market.
The site’s FAQ mentions the guarantee of reside dealer games “broadcast straight from Atlantic City.” You will find currently two New Jersey sites providing a reside casino product – the Golden Nugget and Befair (which piggybacks on the Nugget’s gaming license).
The identity of the Hard Rock’s live dealer tech companion remains a mystery. The Nugget’s product comes courtesy of Ezugi but this month saw live dealer specialists Evolution Gaming announce two separate deals using the New Jersey online casino operations of 888 Holdings and also the Resorts Casino Hotel.
HRI and GiG announced their partnership in February, marking the first instance of HRI branching out into online gambling as well as the very first instance of GiG planting its flag in the nascent US on-line gambling marketplace.
GiG CEO Robin Reed expressed delight at the Hard Rock website launch, calling it “a initial step in our mutually ambitious plans to take marketplace share within the regulated online gambling market in the US.”
The other AC casino that officially opened Thursday, Ocean Resort Casino, announced last week that it planned to launch its on-line gambling site on July 1. Ocean Resort has partnered with tech provider GAN, which powers Betfair New Jersey’s on-line casino.