New Jersey Internet Gambling Brief: Demystifying the Golden Nugget’s Success
According to revenue reports released last week by the Division of Gaming Enforcement, GoldenNuggetCasino.com grossed nearly $1.1 million during the month of September. This hails the first time the regulated online casino has cracked the seven figure benchmark since going live in mid-December 2013.
More importantly, September’s win secured the Nugget’s fourth place standing among NJ’s six operators – or five, now that Ultimate Gaming has dropped out of the equation.
So fourth place, what’s so impressive about that? On paper, not much. But when one considers the many obstacles the Golden Nugget has overcome in becoming an iGaming contender, the fact that its managed to sustain its operation, let alone thrive, speaks volumes.
This week, we take a look at these hurdles, and offer a few takeaways about what the online casino is doing to remain viable, concluding with a look at the upcoming week’s promotional creme de la creme.
Golden Nugget Casino: Working from a disadvantage
From the moment it launched, the Nugget’s online casino was fighting an uphill battle, for the following reasons:
- GoldenNuggetCasino.com launched three weeks after the bulk of NJ’s online casinos went live.
- The Nugget lacks the same brand recognition as the Borgata, Party Poker, Caesars and Virgin.
- New Jersey’s top three iGaming operators all host multiple casino sites.
- Both Party / Borgata and Caesars operate poker sites in New Jersey, and have integrated casino games into their poker clients.
- The Golden Nugget’s brick and mortar casino is one of the lower grossing casinos in Atlantic City, and is nearly completely overshadowed by the neighboring Borgata.
Uphill battle indeed.
Defying the odds
New Jersey’s other iGaming operators could learn a thing or two from the Golden Nugget, particularly those like Caesars who have struggled to maintain their profit margins, despite getting off to a hot start.
The Nugget has partnered with pioneering gaming developer Bally Technologies and the results show. From its smooth, intuitive interface, which in my estimation rivals the best New Jersey has to offer, Tropicana / Virgin withstanding, to its exemplary cashier, helpful game guides and serviceable mobile applications, GoldenNuggetCasino.com enables players to do what they came to do, and that’s gamble.
But it’s in the areas of game selection and welcome bonuses that the Nugget truly thrives.
At nearly 100 games and growing rapidly, GoldenNuggetCasino.com offers New Jersey gamblers a more diversified palette of gambling options than nearly any other regulated gambling site. In particular, it’s selection of exclusive slots and video poker is unparalleled in the industry.
Admittedly, its slot reels are occasionally prone to minor lag, but server hangups, disconnects and crashes are all but non-existent. Looks like the casino’s strategy decision to delay its launch by a few weeks has paid dividends as far as server stability is concerned.
The Golden Nugget’s welcome bonus is a 100% match up to $300 plus $10 in free play. That’s akin to what players would expect from an online poker site, not a virtual casino.
Other promos are less exciting, running the gamut from Game of the Week, which offers cashback deals on a chosen slot machine, to VIP Rewards – the online casino’s player loyalty program. In addition, by opting in to the Golden Nugget’s prepaid card option, gamblers will receive 1% cashback on all debit and credit card loads.
Last week, I ranked the Golden Nugget’s online casino fourth out of the state’s eight online casinos. After seeing how many games it adds on a weekly basis, I would strongly consider placing it either third or second, ahead of most of the state’s more mainstream offerings.
It still has a bit of work to do in the promotional department, but otherwise Golden Nugget is the nuts.
This week’s hot promos
To the surprise of no one, the partnership of TropicanaCasino.com and VirginCasino.com wins this week’s award for best new promotion, marking the umpteenth week this year that the creative marketing team has outdone its competitors.
Adhering to the credo, “if it ain’t broke, why fix it,” the Tropicana has rolled out another sports themed flash promotion entitled Fall Classic Bonus. Deposit $20 or more and wager at least $100 on any game for four consecutive days to earn $40 in Bonus Money. Pending you don’t run too badly, that equates to up to a 50% cashback deal.
For those with less confidence in their ability to win, Virgin Casino is offering a similarly themed deal (Grand Slam Playback), except instead of offering Bonus Money, cashback rewards are based on net losses.
Both promos run from today through October 23.
The only other promotion worth mentioning is CaesarsCasino.com’s It’s Rocktober Tuesdays. Unlike most promos, Rocktober isn’t inundated with fine print. Simply make a deposit of $50 or more either this Tuesday or next and receive a 5% bonus up to $25.
Alright, it’s not exactly the most lucrative deal in New Jersey, but free money is just that – free.