Tropicana in New Jersey: The Dark Horse
The largest of Atlantic City’s original resorts, the Tropicana is not the most glamorous New Jersey casino, nor is it the most profitable. But what it lacks in glitz it makes up for in long-term stability.
If the Tropicana carries its penchant for constancy over into the soon to be flourishing Internet gaming market, it could very well play the role of dark horse, forcing the Goliaths of the iGaming arena to at least take notice.
Tropicana’s approach to online gambling
The Trop took a relatively ambitious approach to the iGaming market, indicative of its alignment with a blossoming online gaming provider and proven force in the Internet gaming industry.
It revealed its intention to move forward with Gamesys Limited in August 2013, although the actual deal was inked between the two before the June 30, 2013 deadline set by NJ regulators.
A UK-based software company and the developer of Europe’s leading online real-money slots, bingo and casino games, Gamesys is most widely known for operating the highly profitable Jackpotjoy.com gaming site. In 2012, Gamesys was the first company to launch a real-money bingo and slots Facebook application, currently available on the company’s UK App Centre.
Tropicana’s alignment with Gamesys resulted in the former being awarded New Jersey’s fifth Internet gaming permit. Given Gamesys Limited’s clean reputation and outstanding track record for delivering quality products, the Tropicana’s online poker room and casino is poised to be among the first to accept real-money bets from inhabitants of the Garden State.
Trop’s live poker room
Decidedly absent of grandiose claims, the website for the Tropicana live poker room merely points out that its poker room is “a full-service facility featuring 27 tables.”
Despite paling in size compared to the Borgata’s majestic and dominant poker room, the Tropicana boasts one of the larger poker venues in Atlantic City. Cash games tend to be on the low-limit side, with bigger games like $5-$10 NLHE spread occasionally on weekends.
Games that have fallen out of mainstream favor such as 7-Stud are still quite popular among the Tropicana’s locals and retirees, who prefer the casino’s relaxed environment to the raucous Borgata. Otherwise, the most common poker offerings spread at the Trop are of the LHE variety, proving its commitment to casual and beginning players.
Tournament offerings include:
- Two daily tournaments (11:15 AM and 7:15 PM – $50 buy-in)
The Tropicana’s live poker room offers a wider variety of incentives and promotions than most. In addition to a recently implemented Bad Beat Jackpot, the Trop awards its faithful patrons with entry into Freeroll Tournaments, comps and special rates on hotel rooms. Other promotions include High Hand of the Hour, Aces Cracked and Royal Flush Winners.
As part of its iGaming marketing campaign, the Tropicana’s online poker room would do well to incorporate elements of its live poker promotional structure into its virtual offerings.
Trop’s role in the Atlantic City market
With Gamesys by its side, the Tropicana’s online casino will likely carve out a sizable niche among casual slots aficionados. But the viability of its virtual poker room in the crowded NJ market remains a pronounced question mark, in large part due to Gamesys Limited’s relative inexperience in the industry.
Earlier this year, Gamesys acquired Virgin Gaming to facilitate the process of developing an in-house online poker product. While that provides some reassurance, Tropicana’s online poker site will be competing against the likes of Borgata and possibly Resorts – brick and mortar casinos that will synergize well with their online counterparts.
Although the Tropicana’s revenues have dropped off of late, it has not experienced the same downward spiral as some of its closest neighbors. This bodes well for Atlantic City’s version of “Old Reliable,” especially if its faithful embrace the new era of regulated online gambling.
How well the Tropicana online poker room and casino will ultimately fare against its more notable competitors is still up in the air. But if Gamesys does what it does best the Tropicana stands a fair chance of securing third or fourth place in Atlantic City’s market.
