Tropicana Casino Teams Up with Jackpotjoy.com Creator for Online Gambling in NJ
ATLANTIC CITY — The Tropicana is the latest Atlantic City casino to line up an online partner to help it offer Internet gambling later this year.
The Trop has joined with Gamesys Limited, which runs the jackpotjoy.com website.
“Gamesys has a proven track record in the UK of providing excellent products and customer service and we look forward to launching Tropicana’s Internet gaming business with them,” said Tony Rodio, the Tropicana’s president.
Noel Hayden, founder & CEO of Gamesys Limited, said the British company is eager to start operations in New Jersey.
“We have always sought ambitious partners and Tropicana Atlantic City is a great partner,” he said.
In 2012, Gamesys became the first company to offer real-money gambling through Facebook in the UK.
Atlantic City casinos are scrambling to forge alliances before Internet gambling becomes legal in New Jersey. It is due to start Nov. 26, although the date could be pushed back if regulators determine the state is not ready for it.
Lisa Spengler, a spokeswoman for the state Division of Gaming Enforcement, said all 12 casinos “have identified an Internet gaming partner and either have entered into a contractual agreement with the partner or remain in negotiations.”
So far, nine of the 12 casinos have announced their Internet plans. The four casinos owned by Caesars Entertainment — Caesars Atlantic City, Bally’s Atlantic City, Harrah’s Resorts Atlantic City and the Showboat — are partnering with 888 Holdings. The Borgata has selected Bwin.party.
Resorts has joined with PokerStars, the world’s largest poker website that had tried to buy the Atlantic Club earlier this year before the deal fell apart.
The Taj Mahal Casino Resort chose Ultimate Gaming, which began offering Internet gambling in Nevada earlier this year. Trump Plaza is widely reported to have chosen Betfair, the British online gambling firm, although neither the casino nor the company immediately responded to messages seeking comment.
The Golden Nugget Atlantic City is offering its own brand of Internet gambling using Bally Technologies.
Michael Frawley, chief operating officer of The Atlantic Club, said “we are aggressively working with several companies on proposals and hope to make the final decision within the next two to three weeks.”
Revel has not announced its online gambling plans.
New Jersey is looking to Internet gambling to help revive the casinos, which have suffered a seven-year plunge in revenue and jobs brought on by the expansion of casinos into neighboring states.
