New Jersey Online Gambling Brief: Virgin / Tropicana on the Move Up
When online gambling first launched in New Jersey back last November, the common belief among analysts, including myself, was that Caesars and the Borgata were in the most favorable position to dominate the market.
And for a time they did.
But thanks to a timely partnership with UK-based gaming developer Gamesys (which recently acquired Virgin Games), as well as an increasingly robust promotional schedule and casino software product, Tropicana and its two online casinos that are making today’s top headlines.
TropicanaCasino.com and VirginCasino.com are currently on the verge of usurping perennial market share leader Party / Borgata – a feat few would have imagined possible after looking at last winter’s revenue tallies.
We take a more in-depth look at Trop’s online gaming efforts, discuss the status of Betfair’s NJ casino and look at a few new promos in this iteration of New Jersey Online Gambling Brief.
August Revenue Report Sees Tropicana / Virgin Closing In
According a recent report released by New Jersey’s regulatory committee, the DGE, Tropicana’s two online gaming entities pulled in $2,264,576 in gross revenue during the month of August. That marked a 15.3% increase over the month prior and a 40% hike in the past six months.
Trop’s tallies were good enough for second place among all NJ online casino operators, a position its now held for five consecutive months. August was also the first time Tropicana seriously threatened to surpass front runner Borgata and its online gaming partner PartyPoker, only falling 1.9% short of claiming top dog status in New Jersey.
In total, the state generated $8.295 mm from its online casinos in August, up $372 from July. It was the second consecutive month the industry boasted month-over-month gains and its highest total since April.
The state’s online poker industry also exhibited gains, up from $2.146 mm in July to $2.252 mm last month.
Chris Grove of Online Poker Report keeps a spreadsheet with historical data broken down by month and operator. Find it here.
The Tropicana / Virgin edge
Besides the obvious advantages afforded by its affiliation with the Virgin brand, Tropicana’s online casinos have excelled in several key areas, which taken together have contributed to its increased presence among New Jersey’s gaming giants.
They are, in no particular order:
- Promotional schedule: Trop / Virgin’s promotional palette is always in flux, with new flash promos popping up on a weekly basis. Many of the duo’s promos, including the current Mystery Power Hour, offer players returns on their net losses. These act as a sort of second chance, which keeps even the unluckiest junkets coming back for more.
- Game Selection: At 44 virtual slot terminals and 13 table games, Trop / Virgin boasts one of the state’s more comprehensive gaming menus.
- Community Jackpots: Anyone who plays on either site and opts in will receive a small portion of a larger jackpot, whenever said jackpot is hit. Even if they rarely pay out, community jackpots hold player interest by providing the allure of riches.
- Software: Responsive, aesthetically pleasing and versatile, Trop / Virgin’s gaming software is about the best there is.
Taken together, Trop / Virgin provides the best overall online gaming experience to be found in the Garden State. Whether or not this will be enough to propel it past the Borgata is yet to be seen. But based on the latter’s recent troubles in the poker arena, smart money is that it will.
Are Betfair’s Days In New Jersey Numbered?
On the other end of the iGaming spectrum is BetfairCasino.com, which after another mediocre showing in August, combined with the recent closure of online gaming partner Trump Plaza, is in a precarious state.
Of the four casino closures in New Jersey this year, Trump Plaza was the only one with tie-ins to an iGaming operator. Sister casino Trump Taj Mahal, slated for closure in November, is affiliated with last place operator Ultimate Gaming.
What we know right now is that the DGE is permitting Betfair to continue operating in the Garden State until Trump Plaza surrenders is gaming license. Beyond that is anyone’s guess.
On its own the fate of Betfair will likely have little impact on the state’s gaming industry, but from a lawmaking standpoint the DGE ‘s ultimate decision on whether the company can continue functioning in NJ sans a b&m gaming partner will set the precedent.
The state, and conceivably the nation, handles rogue online casino operators.
Given the lack of new promos on Betfair’s New Jersey page, my inkling is that it’s preparing for a swift exit from the US regulated market.
New Promos Few And Far Between
After launching a slew of football and fall themed promos earlier in the month, New Jersey’s iGaming sites have scaled back on the number of lucrative new offers available to their patrons.
Two notables:
- 888 Casino’s End of Summer Party: Celebrate the advent of fall with six different free play offers. Depending on the amount of a player’s next deposit, he or she will receive an added bonus. Amounts range from $5 for smaller deposits up to $20 for transactions of $100 of more. Expires on September 28th.
- Harrah’s Casino’s Treasure Hunt: A cross-promotional promo that awards players who complete three weekly challenges with a two night stay at Harrah’s Atlantic City property and the chance to win a share of $25,000 in cash prizes. Weekly challenges essentially consist of depositing money onto the site and placing real-money wagers – hardly rocket science. Challenges run from September 10 – 30th, with the live event occurring on Saturday, October 18th.
Cross-promotional forays have worked wonders for WSOP’s online poker turnouts in Nevada, and to a lesser degree for Party / Borgata’s online poker sites. But Harrah’s promo, which is clearly designed to bolster attendance at its struggling brick and mortar casino, is one of the first cross-promotional efforts that emphasizes casino play.
It should be interesting to see if shelling out a total of $40,000 in prizes will be worth the returns.
