Swanky New DraftKings Sportsbook Opens At Resorts Casino In Atlantic City

New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson bet the New York Yankees to win the 2019 World Series on Tuesday morning, the first wager at DraftKings Sportsbook located at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City.  It’s DraftKings’ first physical location in New Jersey and the first on the East Coast, as the Boston-headquartered company continues its push from an online-only operation into physical spaces.

The sportsbook is the second of two at Resorts. The first is Resorts-branded, run by SB Tech and opened earlier this summer. 

The new sportsbook features 135 50-inch televisions and a video wall that is more than 1,000 square feet. Rows of club chairs sit in front of the video screen, with a bank of teller windows to the right, and a VIP Lounge to the left. According to the Nov. 14 DraftKings press releasethe facility has five teller windows, a full bar, charger stations at each seat and bar-top electronic slot games. The chairs are set stadium-style to allow for unobstructed viewing.  The risk-management and trading operation, as well as the 12 sports betting kiosks, are powered by U.K.-based supplier Kambi Sports, which also powers DraftKings’ online sportsbook.

 

Read more Swanky New DraftKings Sportsbook Opens At Resorts Casino In Atlantic City on SportsHandle.

New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Surges to $261M, Revenue ‘Just’ $11M As Bettors Exact Revenge

The good news for the New Jersey sportsbooks in the newly released revenue report for October is a large jump in handle from $186 million in September to $261 in October. The downside is that the bettors took a bigger bite of the books this month than usual, cutting revenue by more than half month-over-month from $24 million in September to “just” $11.7 million in October.

Overall that spells a 4.4 percent hold, down from 13 percent in Sept., which may be partly attributable to baseball (more on this below) and perhaps moreso a lot of “public” teams covering the spread in October NFL contests. The rise in betting handle is almost entirely attributable to the mobile/one sector, which grew from $105 million in September to $174 million in October. On-site sports betting inched up from $79 million in the prior month to $86 million.

Resorts Digital continues to lead the way by a lap on the revenue front, reporting $5.1 million in October, which is nearly half of the entire haul across all sportsbooks for the month. An arm of Resorts Casino, Resorts Digital figures represent DraftKings Sportsbook as well as BetStarsNJ.com.  We can no longer parse out which side is driving what, but based on prior figures we can safely say that DraftKings is responsible for the lion’s as well as the cub’s share. Let’s dig in a litter deeper now.

 

October Brick-and-Mortar Sportsbook Revenue:

  • Bally’s: $303K
  • Borgata: $120K
  • Golden Nugget: $46K
  • Harrah’s: $104K
  • Meadowlands (FanDuel Sportsbook): $1.1 million
  • Monmouth Park: $606K
  • Ocean Resort: $438K
  • Resorts: $97K
  • Tropicana: $15K

A spokesperson for FanDuel Sportsboook said: “Demand for the FanDuel Sportsbook continues to outpace our expectations with online handle 2.5 times higher than September and continued double digit growth in retail handle. It was an exciting month for bettors who won at a high rate on football and benefitted from our industry-leading pricing and odds boosts.”

October Online Sportsbook Revenue:

  • Bally’s (combination of CaesarsCasino & 888sport): $108K
  • Borgata (PlayMGM): $67K
  • FanDuel Sportsbook (Meadowlands): $2.43 million
  • Golden Nugget (PlaySugarHouse): $151K
  • Monmouth Park (William Hill and PlaySugarHouse): $609K
  • Ocean Resort (William Hill): $385K
  • Resorts Digital (combination of DK Sportsbook and BetStarsNJ.com):  $5.1 million
 

Read more New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Surges to $261M, Revenue ‘Just’ $11M As Bettors Exact Revenge on SportsHandle.

Physical DraftKings Sportsbook Set to Open At Resorts In Atlantic City

For the second time this week, DraftKings has announced the forthcoming opening of a physical sportsbook — this time where the post-PASPA U.S. sports betting expansion started, in New Jersey*.

“Construction is near completion on the DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts, slated to open by late November 2018,” pending approval from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. The Associated Press reports a more specific date — Tuesday, Nov. 20.  According to the AP, the sportsbook will be situated in an area where patrons can access it via an entrance off the Atlantic City boardwalk.

But wait, didn’t Resorts already open a sportsbook over the summer, branded Resorts, in conjunction with SB Tech? Indeed it did, but apparently there’s room for more than one operation to co-exist under the same roof, same as the digital arms for each property, which can implement up to three “skins” online.

 

Read more Physical DraftKings Sportsbook Set to Open At Resorts In Atlantic City on SportsHandle.

September New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Jumps to $184M, Revenue $24M

In Las Vegas on Tuesday, New Jersey Director of the State’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) David Rebuck said that the September sports betting financial reports would be stunning.

They weren’t quite stunning, but the numbers were pretty huge: $184 million betting handle across retail sports betting operations at Atlantic City casinos and two racetracks, with the majority of the betting handle coming online, $104.8 million, versus $79 million across counters in person. Total revenue was just about $24 million, or a roughly 13 percent hold (which is a bit inflated as a result of accounting methods, explained below).

Month-over-month, the $184M represents nearly a doubling from the $96 million betting handle and $9.2 million revenues in August, when only the DraftKings Sportsbook was operating online the entire month, to be joined in Sept. by FanDuel Sportsbook, SugarHouse, William Hill and others. Below let’s dig a bit closer into the numbers.

 

Read more September New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Jumps to $184M, Revenue $24M on SportsHandle.

Get a Grip: The Week In Sports Betting & Sports: NJ Sports Betting Handle, Congress Coming & Much More

The post Get a Grip: The Week In Sports Betting & Sports: NJ Sports Betting Handle, Congress Coming & Much More appeared first on SportsHandle.

It’s information overload everywhere, and there’s not time enough to sleep and eat and stay fully apprised of what’s happening on this crazy blue dot of ours (two out of three ain’t bad).

Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories, and rounding up key stories in sports betting, gaming, and the world of sports at large. You may have missed them, and they are worth reading.

NJ Sports Betting Revenue Exceeds (Some) Expectations And Will Rise Much Higher; Feds May Get Involved In Sports Betting, But How; Much More

A lot to get here. Off the top rope: The NJ sports betting August revenue report came in on Wednesday and the results indicated what we expected: the Garden State market is going to get large.

In a month in which four physical sportsbooks operated throughout and four more for a portion of the month; with the DraftKings Sportsbook operating digitally for most of the month and two more digital launches in the final week, the total handle reached $95.6 million and total sportsbook gross revenue was $9.18 million. The books online — the vast majority by DK — generated $2.97 million on a $21.7 million handle. In retail, the FanDuel Sportsbook at the Meadowlands Racetrack led the way with over $3 million in revenue while no other property cracked $1 million.

New Jersey Sports Betting Generates $9.2M Revenue on $95.6 Handle In August

The post New Jersey Sports Betting Generates $9.2M Revenue on $95.6 Handle In August appeared first on SportsHandle.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement on Wednesday released its monthly revenue figures, reporting a total handle of $95.6 million and gross revenue of $9.18 million for the sportsbooks across the seven licensed NJ sportsbooks that reported on the month’s operations.  

That’s a hold or win percentage of 9.6. The August report includes for the first time dollars connected to online sports betting, which produced a total of $2.97 million on a $21.7 million handle, or an online hold (win percentage) of roughly 15 percent. The vast majority of both figures are attributable to the DraftKings Sportsbook — meaning DraftKings alone accounted for almost exactly one-third of the monthly revenue.

 

Read more of New Jersey Sports Betting Generates $9.2M Revenue on $95.6 Handle In August on SportsHandle.

New Jersey Gets Seventh Mobile Betting Option With 888sport’s Launch

The post New Jersey Gets Seventh Mobile Betting Option With 888sport’s Launch appeared first on SportsHandle.

Add the European-based 888 brand to the red hot sports and online gambling market in New Jersey in a move further integrating sports betting with online casino gaming.

888 Holdings is based in Gibraltar and listed on the London Stock Exchange. The company announced today (Monday) that it has set up its first 888 sport brand in the New Jersey, clearing the way for growth in other U.S. markets as they become legal.

Continue reading New Jersey Gets Seventh Mobile Betting Option With 888sport’s Launch on SportsHandle.

FanDuel Sportsbook And William Hill Mobile Apps Soft Launch in NJ

Both FanDuel and William Hill debuted their online sportsbooks this past weekend in soft launch phases as the NFL regular season kickoff nears on Thursday, Sept. 6. These trial launches came after the companies received authorization to run a five-day testing period by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, according to the Associated Press.

During the trial phase, Sports Handle was able to deposit and observe the FanDuel Sportsbook web platform, but was unable to download the mobile app. The William Hill mobile/online sportsbook is currently operating only on Android for now and was not available for download during a period of “restricted opening hours.”

The post FanDuel Sportsbook And William Hill Mobile Apps Soft Launch in NJ appeared first on SportsHandle.

MGM Drops Mobile Sportsbook In New Jersey With Borgata’s PlayMGM App

On Wednesday after two-plus weeks of waiting, the MGM-owned Borgata’s playMGM app will give company to the DraftKings Sportsbook, which had fully launched on August 6 and remained the only online sports betting app available in New Jersey.

But wait no more: the playMGM app is available now to New Jersey-based Android users. “The playMGM NJ Sports app is being initially soft-launched on the Android platform, with an iOS version due to launch imminently,” said MGM Resorts International in a statement coinciding with the app’s release. “Through our partnership with GVC Holdings, our mobile betting operations in New Jersey will be delivered on a best-in-class mobile platform that positions us as a leader in technology, accessibility and sports betting expertise” added Scott Butera, MGM Resorts International President of Interactive Gaming.

After zipping around the platform a bit from here in New Jersey, what follows is some initial impressions, notes on what you can bet and some odds and ends.

MGM’s New Jersey Online Sportsbook Available Through Borgata’s and playMGM App Ahead of Football Season

mgm online betting app nj legal sportsbooks


So what can patrons wager on? A lot.

There’s straight bets, futures, props, and parlays all available. The professional (NFL) and college football menus are queued up with a wide variety of different player and team props, futures and totals, such as:

  • Most regular season losses by any NFL team: o/u 13 (-110)
  • Deshaun Watson regular season touchdown passes o/u 26.5 (-110)
  • Kareem Hunt regular season rushing yards o/u 1099.5 (-110)
  • Regular season points by Philadelphia Eagles o/u 404.5 (-110)
  • Will the Texans make the playoffs?  Yes -130, No +110
  • Which two teams will make the Super Bowl? For example, Steelers/Saints is 50-1
  • Will Grier (West Virginia) regular season passing touchdowns: o/u 35.5 (-110)
  • Regular season wins by Nebraska 6.5 (o/EV, u -120)

What can’t folks wager on for now?  So far I did not find live or in-play wagering options on playMGM. It’s possible I’m missing them or they simply may not have been introduced yet. 

To read the rest of this article please visit SportsHandle using the link below:

DraftKings Sportsbook Fully Launches

The post DraftKings Sportsbook Fully Launches: What’s Up And What You’ll See appeared first on SportsHandle.

The DraftKings Sportsbook soft launch period is over and is now open to all players in New Jersey, the company announced on Monday. On Wednesday, August 1, the DFS-turned-sportsbook operator’s mobile sports betting app/web platform went live on an invite-only basis, the first such app available amongst the New Jersey sports betting licensees.

“I am excited to begin this new chapter in our story by officially launching what I believe to be the most innovative, mobile sports betting product in the U.S.,” said Jason Robins, CEO and co-founder of DraftKings. “We have put immense thought and significant resources behind the development of DraftKings Sportsbook and I’m confident that sports fans in New Jersey will enjoy using it to make the experience of watching the games even more interesting and thrilling.”

The initial launch period was met with some positive reviews — mostly of the technology — and some negativity, mostly of its pricing. Going forward, there’s room for upgrades on both fronts.

DraftKings Sportsbook Goes Live to Masses After Becoming First NJ Online Sportsbook to Launch Last Week; A Look What You’ll See & Some Notes

On its hours-old Twitter handle @DKSportsbook, the company was quick to notify people that you don’t have to be among the 9 million New Jersey residents to use the book (or roughly 6.75 million ages 21 and up):

 

The soft launch period served to allow testing of its product and servers, flagging and ironing of glitches, and we presume collect some data on its initial user cohort.

During an opportunity to play around and wager on Friday and Saturday, we made some observations:

 


Those taking their first spin today will find a variety of props on baseball (below), and those throughout the country not yet able to check it out will eventually find the same options:

  • Total runs odd/even
  • Pre-made parlays, such as: “home team and over”
  • Team with the highest scoring inning
  • Last team to score
  • Team totals (runs scored)
  • Result of first inning (one or the other team will score or tie)

And the ability to bet on a wide variety of sports/events, including ATP-Rogers Cup, PGA Championship, Rugby Union, motorsports (Belgian GP), darts, cricket, and NCAA football futures, such as conference winner.

One not-yet-mentioned feature I like is that inputting bets both on mobile and desktop is pretty seamless: You put the bet in and hit “Place Bet.” You don’t have to re-enter your password or anything, which in the case of live-betting or halftime/quarter betting, can result in missing the window.

draftkings sportsbook review

The main drawback? The prices/juice is for the most part higher than at Las Vegas sportsbooks and offshores offer.

Critics have been loud on this front, but the reality is — there is a cost of doing business and playing in legal, regulated markets. DraftKings and the other legal NJ sportsbooks will have to pay 13 percent of gross revenues to the state of New Jersey.  And this is why Pennsylvania absolutely must reconsider the ludicrous fees ($10 million just to get a license) and taxes (36 percent) imposed by its sports betting legislation. 

Compared with zero percent in offshore markets. That money must come from somewhere. The Las Vegas books today mostly have 10, 15 or in some cases 20-cent money lines for baseball. On the DK sportsbook, they range between 15 and 30 cents.

Online Competition Coming

 

None of MGM, Caesars or William Hill is yet live with their mobile/web offerings in New Jersey. Expect those soon, as well as from the other NJ sportsbooks launching in retail soon, which is a priority for most.

How did DraftKings get to market first? They’ve been gunning for this opportunity for a while, and they also didn’t have to worry about the task of setting up retail operations. In NJ that task falls to Resorts Casino, whose license DraftKings is operating under.

On the technology and risk-management front, DraftKings has the Malta-headquarted Kambi Group providing risk-management and technology services behind the scenes.

Which brings to the target demographic: DraftKings is catering to the recreational bettor, probably many of whom haven’t used a sportsbook before and have only bet against a friend. People ticked off about inferior lines? They can play at the same places you have been. DraftKings offers certain conveniences such as simple debit card deposits and, depending where you’ve played, better consumer protections. 

When the local competition arrives for DraftKings, we could see their lines tighten. One of the interesting things we’ll have to watch going forward is how lines differ among the same operators in different jurisdictions. For example, what will Caesars be hanging in Las Vegas (6.75 percent tax rate) versus New Jersey (13 percent) versus a state that establishes, for example, a 10 percent rate? And then compare that with offshore.

Good luck outrunning higher juice, but this is the beauty of having choices.

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