'Big Surprise In Terms Of How Quick It Happened': Sports Betting In New Jersey Surpasses Vegas
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (CBS) – Sports betting in New Jersey is making history just one year after the Supreme Court approved it. Last month, the Garden State surpassed sports wagers in Nevada.
If you're looking for a way to take your sports viewing, and even wagering experience up a notch, Atlantic City has got some treats for you this summer.
Both Borgata and Bally's Wild Wild West Casino have invested more than $10 million a piece on new sportsbooks and lounges.
"The vision was to bring about an experience," Borgata president and chief operating officer Marcus Glover said.
The Moneyline Bar & Book opens this weekend at Borgata with a casual sports bar atmosphere, including shuffle board and VIP options, and The Book at Bally's is now running with an impressive 120-foot widescreen, plush lounge chairs and a self-serve beer wall.
"You can order food, any type of alcohol that you like, enjoy the game of your choice, it's truly a great experience," Caesars Entertainment Atlantic City regional president Kevin Ortzman said.
The new sportsbooks options arrive just as sports betting is about to turn 1-year-old in New Jersey.
By most accounts, the new gambling option has surpassed expectations and now the numbers show it passed the competition. Newly released gaming revenue data from Nevada shows New Jersey surpassing Vegas for sports betting last month.
"That was a big surprise in terms of how quick it happened," Glover said, "but I thought eventually it would happen."
"I think the impact has really created a new customer to come into Atlantic City," Ortzman said.
With close proximity to Philadelphia and New York, the ease of betting online and casinos investing in eye-popping lounges, sports betting is celebrating a first year of great success and enthusiasm in New Jersey.
"I think it's great, I really do," Anthony D'Ancona, of Blackwood, said.
"I think it's fantastic, it's very handy, very efficient," Jimmy Salvatore, of Williamstown, said. "They pay right away and it's just a pleasure."
Both new sportsbooks in Atlantic City will have special events this summer, including celebrity autographs at the Borgata on Saturday.
