Finally, DraftKings Sportsbook has some competition in the NJ sports betting industry.
The playMGM NJ Sports betting app went live on Wednesday afternoon. MGM Resorts International owns the Borgata in Atlantic City. DraftKings had the only mobile entry in the state until now, a period of three weeks where NJ bettors had no other option for legal online wagering.
Initially, the app was only available for Android devices; iPhone and iPad users could access the app a few days later. It also appears there is no browser-based betting portal at launch. At first glance, it seems the app functions separately from MGM’s NJ online casino.
The mobile app for NJ is different than the one you would find in Nevada, where MGM already operated mobile wagering. Sources also tell Legal Sports Report that odds will be set differently across MGM’s NJ and Nevada online mobile apps.
Expanding the Borgata offerings
Borgata opened its temporary land-based sportsbook in the racebook in June. In fact, Borgata was one of two sportsbooks to take wagers on the first day of New Jersey sports betting.
Julius Erving — Dr. J. — placed the first bet at the Borgata temporary facility. Naturally, the Philadelphia sports legend placed a futures bet on the Philadelphia Eagles to win the Super Bowl.
Adding the playMGM app under Borgata’s license allows the company to compete in the only online sports betting space outside Nevada. The app will function with a single wallet allowing players to shift money between games, according to the company:
“The playMGM NJ Sports app features a full range of U.S. and selected international sports with customers able to sign-up, deposit and withdraw cash directly from their mobile devices from any location in New Jersey. The sports-betting app features a single wallet that enables existing and new customers to view their total account balance and easily apply available funds to their choice of sports-betting, casino or poker products.”
New Jersey sports betting market growing rapidly
Here’s the updated list of who is offering sports betting in New Jersey:
- Borgata
- Bally’s Wild West Casino sportsbook
- Ocean Resort Casino sportsbook
- FanDuel Sportsbook at the Meadowlands Racetrack
- Monmouth Park
- Harrah’s
- Resorts
Resorts (via DraftKings) and Borgata (via playMGM) are the only two online offerings at the moment. Rumors persist among industry sources that more mobile sports betting apps could become live in New Jersey within days.
Online sports betting became legal in July, 30 days after the start of physical sportsbook operations in the Garden State.
MGM going national with sports betting
MGM Resorts Chairman Jim Murren made no secret this year of his company’s plans to move quickly into sports betting nationwide. The gaming giant made a major move in agreeing to a $200 million partnership with British operator GVC to power its sportsbooks beyond Nevada.
“We are delighted to launch our new playMGM sports-betting app in New Jersey, and believe that the joint venture’s rapid entry into this market puts it in a very good position to take market share. While time to market is clearly important, we are also focused on our proprietary product development roadmap which will see new features introduced quickly, and without 3rd party technology dependencies,” said Adam Greenblatt, GVC director of corporate development and strategy in a statement.
Combined with its decision to link up with Boyd Gaming to share licenses in states where the other doesn’t have a presence, MGM swiftly grew both its market access and ability to serve those markets.