The Hard Rock Casino in New Jersey has debuted live slots in what’s not just a first in New Jersey but a worldwide first. This demonstrates how gambling is evolving and the eagerness of NJ to be at the forefront of gambling’s new era.
What’s particularly interesting is at the Hard Rock, patrons can see the 12 slot machines in a deluxe room but the door is locked. The only way to play is via the Hard Rock app. It’s the first time that physical casino machines have been merged with online app play.
Hard Rock boasts that this is a one-of-a-kind experience made possible through its partnership with Software Ltd.
Physical Control Made Possible Online
The senior vice president of online gaming and sports betting at Hard Rock International, Kresimir Spajic had this to say, “With live slots, you can control real, physical slot machines located at Hard Rock Atlantic City from anywhere in New Jersey using your PC, Mac, tablet, or mobile device. It is a first-of-its-kind experience unavailable anywhere else on the planet.”
Players who decide to take advantage of this gaming experience will be able to take advantage of several titles, including:
- Hotter than Blaze
- Leprecoins
- 3x4x4x Double Times Pay
Only a single player will play each mission at once, but there is a waiting list. Players who’re on the waiting list will get a notification when it’s their turn to play.
Slot play in this way goes further than TV gaming. On a gambling channel, the TV will come with a seven-second delay for players. The Hard Rock slots come with a one-second delay between players pressing a button and the reels spinning.
Where Could this Leave Hard Rock?
Hard Rock in Atlantic City is a casino that has only been in business for a few years. However, it’s quickly made a splash within the Garden State by utilizing its famous brand name. In 2019, Hard Rock reported $22.5 million in gaming revenue from its online platform.
Encouragingly, it earned $2.2 million during December, representing an increase of 67.7% compared to its 2018 December revenues.
Despite this, Golden Nugget remains the undisputed market leader in New Jersey, with $177 million in online gaming revenue in 2019.
Hard Rock is betting that this new technology will take hold, and it’ll be able to offer a unique proposition before its competitors can catch up. This is the same way that Golden Nugget launched its live dealer games in 2016 and experienced no competition within this sector for 18 months.
Spajic stated, “Our brand is much more well known. You could argue that we have the nicest property in the state. We are the only place in town with live slots. We think this is going to be a big difference.”
The New Brick and Click Focus
Hard Rock Casino’s live slots are following its ‘brick and click’ strategy. This is about bringing together the land-based casino experience with the online casino experience. It wants to capitalize on its land-based solid performance by unifying the two.
Joe Lupo, president of the Hard Rock Atlantic City, spoke about the evolution of online gaming in New Jersey, “Similarly, to live table games dealers, live slots enable our players to have one seamless experience to earn Wild Card Rewards, including hotel rooms, entertainment, and dining at Hard Rock Atlantic City.”
As the first casino in the world to offer live slots, Hard Rock has been provided with a unique opportunity to attract new players and act as an inspiration to casinos worldwide.
All that remains to be seen is whether players will take to the idea of live slots.