Two casinos open in Atlantic City, but only one offers sports betting

Two casinos were started in Atlantic City on last Thursday: Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City. Among them, only the latter is offering the newly legitimised sports betting. Hard Rock is not offering sports betting at the time being: “We’re not opening with sports betting,” Hard Rock Property President Matt Harkness told The Press of Atlantic City Monday, “but it’s something we’re taking a very hard look at for the future.”

Two hours after Hard Rock’s opening riff, Ocean Resort Casino will cut its own ribbon about a half-mile down the AC Boardwalk, at the site of the former Revel Casino Hotel. And Ocean will welcome the rising tide of eager sports bettors.

Boardwalk betting beginnings

That means Ocean will plant its flag as the first Boardwalk casino to feature sports betting, a historic claim that could have belonged to Hard Rock. Borgata Casino was the first AC property to take sports wagers, opening its sports book on June 14, but it is located in the Marina District.

Ocean was destined to play a little catch-up, not just because it’s opening two hours later than Hard Rock, but also because of its location at the far end of the Boardwalk, a significant distance from the heaviest foot traffic on a summer day at the shore. Among numerous other factors, that location is presumed to have played a role in the $2.4 billion Revel’s shockingly quick demise in 2014, just 29 months after opening for business.

At least Ocean owner Bruce Deifik will right some of Revel’s more dubious business decisions, which included a full smoking ban, and lack of a buffet, but there’s little that can be done about its undesirable location.

Hard Rock had the inside track to win Thursday’s festivities, but with one overly conservative calculation, the music-themed property is allowing Ocean to steal the spotlight. Granted, sports betting is not the number-one game in town, by any means. It is not as if Hard Rock is opening without functioning slot machines.

Still, customers who are descending upon “America’s Playground” with an itch they’ve been waiting to scratch since the Supreme Court reversed PASPA on May 14 are going to take their business a few blocks to the east. Having now ribbon-cutting regular Gov. Phil Murphy on scene to make the first wager, may see Ocean steal some of the media attention as well.

Ocean’s planned 7500-square-foot sportsbook will not be ready by Thursday, but the property is smartly set up a temporary book in the meantime.

Source: njonlinegambling.com