New Jersey Online Gambling Brief January 16, 2014
Myself and my fellow followers of the US iGaming industry were kept quite busy this week as the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement dropped the first ever report on online gambling revenue in our laps, giving us plenty of numbers to crunch, data to extrapolate, and conclusions to be drawn. Fortunately for you, I’ll skip the boring stuff for you and just bring you the highlights in this column.
But breaking-down data wasn’t the only thing keeping me busy. Considering, two of New Jersey’s online poker providers, US.888Poker.com and NJ.PartyPoker.com, decided to take their marketing campaigns to a whole new level with some very intriguing promotions.
In this week’s New Jersey Online Gambling Brief we’ll discuss these stories and a whole lot more.
New Jersey releases first online gaming revenue data
The big news this week (so far anyway) was the historic first release of online gaming revenue numbers by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement—which is the first release anywhere in the US as Nevada has yet to make any of their data public.
The DGE released their monthly data report for December 2013 at 2 PM on Tuesday and within minutes Twitter was flooded with all kinds of tidbits and particulars gleaned from the report.
The numbers were in the general ballpark of what was expected, with December online gaming revenue totaling $7,388,672, and since November 21st (the soft launch of online gambling in New Jersey) total revenue has been $8,368,837.
Now a few days on the numbers have been pored over and dissected and while they aren’t earth-shattering, the numbers have online poker advocates feeling very optimistic. Here are few columns you might find helpful and/or interesting:
One Casino Controls Almost Half of All New Jersey Online Gambling Revenue
AC Casino Revenue Below $3B; 1st Time in 22 Years
AGA Commends New Jersey’s Effective Regulation of Online Gaming
With the AGA now seemingly fully onboard with online gambling (a sea change that occurred when Geoff Freeman took over as the CEO of the AGA after longtime CEO Frank Fahrenkopf stepped down) its full speed ahead for online gambling advocates, and the AGA was one of the first groups to release a statement concerning the online gambling revenue numbers released on Tuesday by the NJ DGE.
Here is a look at the press release from AGA President and CEO Geoff Freeman:
“New Jersey has responded to consumer demand for gaming entertainment in an innovative fashion—creating a safe and secure online environment with strict regulatory controls and consumer protections. More than 150,000 accounts have been created, and undergone rigorous review and approval with respect to the safety and integrity of this online marketplace since it opened in late November 2013.
“New Jersey’s online gaming structure will likely strengthen the economic contributions brick-and-mortar casinos already deliver through job creation and increased tax revenues. The New Jersey experience is a testament to the power of effective regulation and I am optimistic the bold move into online gaming will later be viewed as a positive and pivotal time for the gaming industry, our employees and the communities we support.”
888 offering 80% rakeback through May
It would appear that 888 is primed and ready to start their New Jersey marketing blitz. It started on Tuesday with the site’s announcement that they made an unconventional offer to New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks, propositioning him with $88,800 if he would only change his name to 888.com!
Wednesday’s announcement was more conventional, but will likely be far better received, as 888 made a huge announcement that will greatly benefit their players; players who can now receive 80% rakeback deal for the next three months.
The 80% rakeback offer from US.888Poker.com is by far the best in New Jersey, and while I haven’t done any digging (you never know what some of these nearly unobtainable VIP tiers can offer) I’m pretty confident it’s also the best in the entire online poker industry—I mean, you can’t go to much higher than 80% right?
The promotion will award 80% rakeback at all cash game tables until May if you can meet the following requirements:
- Starting January 15th players who wager $500 over the course of one day will receive 80% of their rake returned for every cash game they play until May 1, 2014. That’s over 3 months of 80% rakeback.
- You must register for this promotion prior to January 31st.
We thought you should know…
After holding a regular spot in this column over the past several weeks, the Atlantic Club Casino is now officially closed. The casinos 30+ years run in Atlantic City came to an end on Monday, and Caesars and the Tropicana have already begun picking the property clean.
PartyPoker’s Dream Seats promo is the first big announcement to come out of the deal between partypoker and the New Jersey Devils/Philadelphia 76ers. Players winning Dream Seats tournaments will be win VIP and courtside tickets for Devils or 76ers games, or for the hottest concerts. Find out what the Dream Seat promotion is all about HERE.
