When New Jersey first legalized Sports Gambling back in 2018, one of the first casinos in Atlantic City to open a full-service sportsbook was Ocean Resort Casino. Now one of the youngest casino properties on the island will be upgrading their services for their customers and Sports Bettors alike when Ocean Casino Resort begins construction of a new venue that will be in partnership with USBookmaking, a subsidiary of Elys Game Technology, Corp, pending regulatory approval from New Jersey’s gaming regulators.
Starting in March, construction will begin on the four million dollar project is scheduled to make its debut this summer which is being described as a blend of "entertaining bar, lounge, and gaming experience with sports wagering." This sports entertainment project is a follow-up to last year’s 15 million dollar casino floor redesign as Ocean Resort Casino upgrades their property to position itself as the premier gaming destination in Atlantic City.
Bill Callahan, the Interim Chief Executive Officer for Ocean Casino Resort, made the following statement about the news of their latest project:
The new partnership with USBookmaking is another example of Atlantic City Casino properties competing to offer the best sports gaming experience for all customers. When Ocean Resort first opened their first sportsbook, it was in partnership with William Hill but now Caesars is the proprietary owner of William Hill sportsbooks and so that left Ocean looking for a new partnership.
Every casino in Atlantic City has an affiliation with one of the big-name online sportsbook operations (like Fan Duel Sportsbook at Bally's and Draft Kings Sports Book at Resorts) or their parent company is their sportsbook operator (like Borgota with BetMGM). But what makes Ocean Resorts' new partnership different is USBookmaking is a subsidiary of Elys Game Technology which offers more than just the typical sports gaming options that other sportsbooks have. Elys Game Technology is a company whose headquarters are in Toronto, Canada but they have operations around the world and their expertise is not just in Sports Gaming but also Virtual Gaming. This is what makes this partnership different for Ocean Resorts Casino compared to the other properties in Atlantic City, having a sports gaming partner whose expertise is more than just the traditional sportsbook operations.
Also, for Ocean Resort Casino to have a sports gaming partner who has expertise in online operations will be a major upgrade for their digital presence. The online sportsbook that Ocean Resort launched in partnership with William Hill three-plus years ago was a subpar product for a variety of reasons. Now, Ocean Resort will not just be able to offer an innovative sports gaming experience at their property, but they can have an online sports gaming partnership that will be next level.
Sports Gambling is a major business in New Jersey and Ocean Resort is smart to look to upgrade their properties along with services for customers. According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, NJ sports bettors had a $10.93 billion annual handle for the 2021 year, this number eclipsed the $6 billion bet last year, which was also a record for any state. During the NFL regular season from September through December, an average of One Billion dollars in sports bets were made per month in New Jersey.
Should be a busy and exciting 2022 year for Ocean Resort Casino with their new sports gaming venue projected to open this summer and the anticipated return of the Professional Fighters League for their 2022 Regular Season. PFL MMA, which is the number two Mixed Martial Arts organization in the world (UFC is number one), hosted their 2021 Regular Season at Ocean Resort in a bubble environment and 973 ESPN was invited to be one of the select people allowed inside to cover the fights. When PFL CEO Peter Murray spoke to 973 ESPN last year, he was emphatic that PFL MMA was committed to Atlantic City moving forward:
"We are committed (to Atlantic City) for the 2021 Regular Season….But we will be (coming back) to Atlantic City certainly next year and more events to come."
