Bally’s New Jersey Online Casino Overview
Bally’s, like three of the other twelve land-based Atlantic City (AC) casinos, is operated by gaming and resort company Caesars Entertainment. The rundown hotel and casino is in the midst of sweeping changes that in 2012 saw its Wild West Casino undergo extensive renovations, quickly followed by a $5.6 million makeover of the Park Place casino floor. Good news, considering that Bally’s revenue margins are falling off faster than most of AC’s boardwalk-based casinos.
By re-imagining itself as a modern, luxury casino and resort, Bally’s hopes to simultaneously shed its long-standing image as Atlantic City’s most depressing casino and draw players to its online poker site and casino.
Bally’s approach to online gambling
Whereas Caesars Entertainment’s schema for Harrah’s is beginning to take form, its plans for the other Atlantic City properties it controls: Caesars, Showboat and Bally’s, are veiled in uncertainty.
If one had to speculate, Caesars AC will likely be given its fair share of the iGaming spotlight, whereas its least profitable casino, Showboat will receive the least, if any at all. That leaves Bally’s in an awkward, middling position.
What does Caesars’ partnership mean for Bally’s?
Caesars Entertainment announced its partnership with 888 Holdings in August. As part of their agreement, 888 will offer its own-branded poker and casino sites.
The Gibraltar-based gaming company will also be charged with providing the poker platform for WSOP.com. Given its popularity and affiliation with the WSOP Circuit, Harrah’s will likely use WSOP.com as its poker brand, leaving NJ residents to wonder where Bally’s online poker room fits into the equation.
Further complicating matters, Wynn Interactive has entered into an agreement with Caesars Entertainment to house its computer hardware at one of Caesars existing NJ properties. Which casino has yet to be determined. Wynn is also working with 888 Holdings.
Will Bally’s roll out its own casino brand? Will its online casino brandish the CaesarsCasino.com monkier, or the name of another platform provided by Amaya Gaming (a secondary gaming company that Caesars Entertainment has aligned with)? The answers to these questions should become clearer as NJ draws closer to the November 26 go-live date.
Bally’s has yet to be approved for a gaming permit by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Bally’s live poker room
Billy’s Poker Parlor is located on Bally’s sixth floor, away from the main casino floor. As such, the 20-table poker room doesn’t attract the attention that other Caesars Entertainment casinos enjoy. Low-limit LHE and NLHE cash games are spread on a semi-regular basis, yet games like O8 and 7-Stud rarely get off.
Highlights include:
- Two daily tournaments ($44 + $11 buy-in)
- 10,000 Bonus Reward Credit payout on any Royal Flush (must use both hole cards)
- $100 Cracked Aces promotion (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
- Multi-casino progressive bad beat
Outside of its spacious layout, little about Bally’s poker room sets it apart from Caesars AC’s other poker venues. Regardless, it manages to attract a fair amount of locals and casual players.
Bally’s role in the online gambling market
Bally’s is in a transitory period. Although it is one of Atlantic City’s largest casinos, its profit margins pale in comparison to those of the marina-based Borgata and Bally’s sister casino Harrah’s.
By adding non-gaming amenities to the recently sold Claridge Tower, in addition to the series of casino floor renovations that are already underway, Bally’s is adhering to the age-old business adage that in order to make money, you must first spend money.
The fate of Bally’s online poker room and casino will be partially left to the discretion of its parent company. Should Bally’s be involved with CaesarsCasino.com or 888 Holdings own-branded poker site, its future holds promise. But the more likely scenario is that Caesars Entertainment will devote the bulk of its focus to Harrah’s and its second most profitable entity, Caesars AC, leaving Bally’s in a unenviable spot.
Bally’s online poker site may fare slightly better, as thanks to its live poker venue the casino will be capable of running cross promotions between its brick and mortar venue and iGaming room.
