The Stars Group will make its first foray into US legal sports betting in New Jersey.
Resorts Atlantic City and Stars announced Thursday they will team to offer mobile and online sports betting under the BetStars brand. The partnership is an extension of an existing deal for New Jersey online casino and poker as PokerStarsNJ between the companies.
The announcement continues a busy week for Resorts. The casino became the first in New Jersey sports betting to offer online and mobile sports wagering through its arrangement with DraftKings Sportsbook.
What they’re saying about the deal
Stars enters the New Jersey sports betting market with significant global experience in the space. The company joins a growing list of European operators including Paddy Power Betfair and GVC jumping into the nascent US legal sports betting market.
“We believe The Stars Group is uniquely qualified with the experience and insight needed to make sports betting a success in New Jersey,” said Matt Primeaux, SVP Strategy and Operations, USA at The Stars Group. “We have successfully launched the BetStars brand in many European regulated markets and we have invested heavily to create a premier global offering.”
Resorts is one of a handful of New Jersey casinos to launch sports betting operations in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court‘s repeal of PASPA.
“We’re excited to double down on our already successful partnership with The Stars Group, which owns leading sportsbooks globally and has always been known and respected for their advanced technology, superior customer experience and cutting-edge security safeguards,” said Mark Giannantonio, President and CEO of Resorts.
Integration a key part of the arrangement
Stars plans to allow customers to use a single shared wallet across PokerStars and BetStars in New Jersey. That should make it easier for Stars to migrate some of its existing casino customers to the sports betting offering.
Stars also hints at some intriguing offerings down the line:
The company anticipates providing over time, subject to required regulatory approvals, a wide range of betting products including in-play wagering, bespoke accumulators, and live streaming, as well as an ecosystem of free-to-play products and promotions and sports content, for dozens of sports, including professional and NCAA football, basketball, and baseball as well as horse racing, hockey, soccer, tennis and other sporting markets.
Live streaming and sports content within sports betting technology remains an unexplored frontier in the US. MGM Resorts could become a pioneer in the area thanks to its new deal with the NBA.
In addition to the DraftKings Sportsbook setup, Resorts also recently announced a partnership with SBTech to power its land-based sportsbook. New Jersey gaming law allows a casino to work with multiple partners under its license, allowing both DraftKings and Stars to link up with Resorts.
