Harrah’s and Bally’s Atlantic City ramp up preparations to premier their permanent Boardwalk sportsbooks
Caesars Entertainment Corp. is set to debut the first of two permanent sportsbooks on Atlantic City’s Boardwalk within weeks, The Press of Atlantic City reported citing information from company representatives in the city.
The Las Vegas gambling giant has poured more than $11 million into developing permanent betting facilities at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City and at Wild Wild West Casino at Bally’s Atlantic City. Harrah’s and Bally’s launched their temporary sportsbooks last summer, shortly after sports betting was legalized in New Jersey.
Caesars operates one more casino in Atlantic City – Caesars Atlantic City. That property does not feature a brick-and-mortar sports betting facility, but it is connected to Bally’s. In fact, Caesars is the only Boardwalk casino resort that does not operate a sportsbook.
The Book at Harrah’s is expected to open doors within the next two weeks. As for the Bally’s facility, Kevin Ortzman, Regional President for Caesars’ Atlantic City casino resorts, said that he is “cautiously optimistic” they will be able to cut its ribbon by early June.
Mr. Ortzman went on to say that they wanted to “create a category-killer in Atlantic City” and to be able to repsond to deliver that to customers after decades-long demand for legal sports betting.
Largest Sportsbook in South Jersey
As mentioned earlier, Caesars is targeting an early June debut of the permanent sportsbook at Bally’s. Mr. Ortzman teased that the facility will be the largest of its kind in South Jersey.
It will occupy a floor area of approximately 15,000 square feet. A huge LED video screen standing 18 feet high and 98 feet in length will be the centerpiece of the sportsbook. It will be visible from the Boardwalk from up to 100 yards away.
The sportsbook will also feature five fan caves that will provide bettors with personalized game-viewing experience, a self-serving beer wall with 16 taps, and 100 leather recliners, among other things.
The development of a new, permanent, betting facility will also enable Wild Wild West Casino to reclaim space and add new offerings. Mr. Ortzman said that then newly regained space will be occupied by “value games”, including beer pong, table games, shuffleboard, and video games.
Caesars has been working hard on strategies to capture the attention of millennials, who are expected to become the largest consumer group in the United States within the next few years.
Mr. Ortzman said he believes sports betting is part of the “casino of the future” that relies heavily on social interaction. And offerings that involve social interaction are typically more popular with millennials.
