Formerly known as the Trump Taj Mahal casino, the property has now rebranded itself as Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. The operator didn’t mince words and definitely twiddled no fingers when it decided to move onto the online segment, in a bid to enter the highly-competitive casino market for New Jersey.
The legalization of New Jersey’s gambling industry, the endorsement of poker in all its forms, and the general lax approach towards games of skill and chance have been instrumental in creating a vibrant climate for all casino buffs and poker aficionados.
Hard Rock Moves at a Good Pace
Hard Rock didn’t immediately go after the online segment. It gave itself a month before plunging right into the thick of it. The New Jersey gambling industry has generated some enviable revenue, including $116,856,057 all the way through May. This constitutes a 15.5{c118e36310c7bc75bef8f724f80ee0a52cfaf44be22f7e80906142f4c81518da} increase in the revenue for the same period 2017.
With things consolidating so quickly, Hard Rock is definitely well set to make a difference. But the investment the casino has made is hardly pertinent to the online segment alone. Around $50 million has been allocated to buy new slot machines, 2,000 in total, and 120 table games.
We have just reported that Hard Rock is facing opposition from another operator, the recently-reopened Ocean Resort Casino who are also participating in both the online and offline segment. Meanwhile, Caesars seems to be firmly lodged at the helm of the race.
Full Speed Ahead for NJ Poker Industry
Amid the bustling online casinos and landbased properties, poker has been shaping up rather nicely, and that’s just brilliant as it is. Multistate online poker is finally upon us, and New Jersey has a big role to play in it. WSOP.com has been instrumental in spearheading the overall change in the segment.
A handful of states are now all hooked, including Nevada, and Delaware. The 888 Network has been another ecosystem that has found it apt to support the efforts for a more consolidated market, which will have players pool their money and efforts and end up competing for more substantial sums.
Brush 888 and WSOP aside, and we are left with PokerStars. PokerStars have been another positive factor in the overall spreading of the good word about poker. PokerStars has thrown the eponymous Festival at resorts all across Atlantic City, making players more aware of the upbeat side of the game.
Meanwhile, online tournaments have been taking hold all throughout New Jersey bringing in fresh blood and revenue for everyone involved. In a nutshell, the NJ poker industry is alive and kicking, with PokerStars stealing the spotlight and multistate plays becoming the norm for the entire industry.
Slots & Cards
Slots or cards, the effects are very much the same. New Jersey is leading the push for a gambling industry that is beginning to shun the offshore operators who often assume little responsibility when things go awry. With the casino and poker landscape shaping so nicely, hopes are high for the future of poker and the iGaming business elsewhere in the United States.
