Gaming | New Jersey betting rises, but gains go to two new casinos

The Hard Rock and the Ocean Resort, two new casinos in Atlantic City, New Jersey, boosted betting in the Garden State last month, though revenue for their rivals fell.

The Hard Rock, run by Florida’s Seminole tribe, and the Ocean Resort, owned by Denver developer Bruce Deifik, generated USD32.4 million and $15.8 million in July casino revenue, their first full month of operation, according to data released Tuesday by New Jersey. Revenue fell for the state’s other seven casinos, including properties owned by Caesars Entertainment Corp. and MGM Resorts International.

The results show the initial impact of the new resorts on the city, an East Coast gambling hub. Total betting revenue for the casinos rose 13 percent to $302.1 million.

The results include sports betting, first introduced in June at casinos and racetracks. Sports wagering totaled $3.83 million in July, compared with $3.46 million for the two weeks in June that it was available. Online wagering grew 26 percent to $26 million.

Among the locations with sports wagering, the Meadowlands led with $1.36 million in revenue. On July 14, PaddyPower Betfair Plc opened a FanDuel-branded sports book at the track in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ocean Resort, which has reached a deal with London-based William Hill Plc, took in $1.04 million, while Monmouth Park, also William Hill’s site, took in $856,280. MGM’s Borgata took in $562,830, while Bally’s did $17,788.

The results allowed the Hard Rock, a remodeling of President Donald Trump’s Taj Mahal casino, to claim the No. 3 spot among the city’s nine casinos. That property, and the Ocean Resort, formerly known as the Revel, both opened in June. Bloomberg