Renowned live casino solution developer, Evolution Gaming are expanding their reach within the United States through a new partnership deal with DraftKings, one of the leading daily fantasy sports providers in the country. As per the terms of the partnership deal, live casino services will be provided to DraftKings’ live studio in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The daily fantasy sports provider which was founded in 2012 already boasts of a strong presence in several other countries including the United Kingdom, Australia as well as Canada, and it was also one of the very first companies to venture into New Jersey newly regulated sports betting market last year.
DraftKings Casino games offer all the fun of the casino floor in the palm of your hand. Play a full roster of top online casino games from your Android or iOS Device anywhere casino is allowed. Our Live Dealer games allow you to play the same live table games online that would be offered in a traditional casino. We are licensed and regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement as an Internet gaming operator in accordance with the Casino Control Act N.J.S.A. 5:12-1 and its implementing regulations.
Prior to venturing into other areas of the gambling sector, DraftKings was a pure daily fantasy sports provider – however, the company has grown to be one of the top sports betting operators in a decent number of states including in New Jersey where it was the first company to offer online betting. The launch of its online casino offering by its New Jersey site also happens to be the very first time that the company was offering any casino products anywhere.
The daily fantasy sports provider’s decision to enter the online casino market was quite strategic, to say the least, and comes as no surprise. This is because, despite the fact that the sports betting and daily fantasy sports are products with large cost bases, the DraftKings Sportsbooks has already built a substantial customer database in New Jersey. It is therefore only logical that the next step would be to offer the consumers higher-margin online casino games.
No Specific Timelines
Unfortunately, when the announcement of the partnership between the two companies was made, no hints were given on when the live casino offering might go live. Still, James Stern, the chief business officer of Evolution Gaming pointed out that they looked forward to working with DraftKings, a company that in their opinion, is young, dynamic and is a trailblazer in the gaming industry thanks to its “best-in-class technology and extensive knowledge of sports.”
“We very much look forward to working with DraftKings on this project,” he said.
Evolution’s Plans
Given the immense popularity of its live casino offerings, Evolution is certainly not a newcomer into the gaming market. Its New Jersey studio went live in August 2018 and the general direction that the company was gearing towards was serving multiple intrastate gambling markets in the United States which include Pennsylvania that is almost launching its online gaming products. However, this future is now quite uncertain particularly because of the new US Department of Justice opinion on the 1961 Wire Act. It is quite early to tell how exactly this will play out in the end but, hopefully, Evolution will find a workaround that works for both the company and the states it plans to venture into.
Live dealer has finally arrived in Pennsylvania.
Evolution Gaming is holding a two-day soft launch for online live dealer games. Two iGaming operators will be the first to have live dealer. To start, the offerings will include blackjack and roulette at the following Pennsylvania online casinos:
- BetRivers (on both BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse)
- DraftKings Casino (through its partnership with Hollywood Casino)
A rep from Hollywood Casino said it also planned to soft launch live dealer on Thursday, Oct. 22.
Live dealer arrives in PA
Soft launch dates and times for live dealer for BetRivers and DraftKings are:
- Oct 21: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Oct. 22: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
All online casino games in Pennsylvania are regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). Games must also adhere to approved rules, side wagers and payout tables. The arrival of live dealer is similar from technical standpoint, but of course, with real-life dealers involved, it requires additional work to reach approval.
PGCB Director of Communications Doug Harbach commented:
“Testing and regulating live dealer studio games is similar [to] other online casino games from a technology standpoint and is actually similar in many aspects to table games in land-based casinos except there is no cash or gaming chips and, of course, players are not physically present.
“Since there is a human element in this online gaming, the PGCB must license studio staff who operate the games as we would dealers in a land-based casino. Also, similar to table games setups at land-based casinos, we have to ensure adequate security and surveillance in the studio that allows us to monitor the live dealer and help us ensure the operator conducts table game operations in accordance with PGCB regulations.”
BetRivers live dealer
Live dealer games at BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse are available on mobile, tablet or desktop. The library features low- and high-stakes blackjack games (with side bets such as 21 +3 and Bet Behind).
- Blackjack
- Roulette
- Infinite Blackjack
- First-Person Roulette
- First-Person Lightning Roulette
- First-Person Blackjack
BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse continues to lead in the new world of iGaming in Pennsylvania. It was the first to launch an online casino in the state in May 2019.
Draftkings Pa Live Dealer
Richard Schwartz, president of Rush Street Interactive, commented on live dealer’s popularity:
“Many online players prefer live dealer options because they watch the action as it happens … A live dealer game is the closest you can get online to playing in a land-based casino, and we’re thrilled to be the first to offer players in Pennsylvania the opportunity to virtually sit and play on Evolution’s world-renowned live tables. The Evolution-hosted Live Dealer Casino has proven very popular with players at PlaySugarHouse.com in New Jersey. We are confident players in Pennsylvania will love these live action table games too. Extending our partnership with Evolution into PA supports our mission to continually offer our loyal online players the best mix of innovative and entertaining games available.”
Evolution excited about PA
Evolution Gaming received its conditional license from the PGCB as an interactive gaming manufacturer in January 2020. It currently operates live dealer games in New Jersey.
Evolution Gaming planted its flag first in New Jersey when it started offering games in the US.
Johan Nordstrom, chief executive officer, Malta, and chief commercial officer at Evolution, commented:
“RSI is well established as the number one online gaming operator in Pennsylvania, and we are thrilled to partner with the acclaimed online gaming leader and are confident that the Evolution-hosted live dealer casino will be a big hit in this market. On top of an exceptional range of world-class live game-show-style games, classic casino games and exclusive content, we have extensive experience with multiple state-of-the-art live casino studios worldwide. At the player interface level, our blackjack is the fastest, slickest online live blackjack available anywhere, so players get more game rounds and exciting play in every gaming session.”
DraftKings live dealer
Players in PA can access DraftKings casino through the standalone casino app, the DraftKings sportsbook app or via desktop.
DraftKings live dealer selections in PA so far are:
- Blackjack 1: Min bet $25/Max bet $5,000
- Blackjack 2: Min bet $50/Max bet $5,000
- Infinite Blackjack: Min bet $1/Max bet $5,000
- Roulette: Min bet $1/Max bet $2,000
Draftkings Live Dealer Las Vegas
Draftkings Live On Desktop
What to expect for live dealer games at PA online casinos
Draftkings Live Dealer Pennsylvania
The popularity of such games is hardly surprising, as they take the comfort and convenience of playing from home and combine it with socially interactive elements. Live dealers will be dealing real cards inside an approved studio while you make decisions on your hand from home.
Draftkings App Download For Laptop
The Evolution studio is located in Philadelphia and will eventually serve a number of PA’s online casinos.
Draftkings Live Dealer
Here’s a look at what is currently on offer for live dealer games at NJ online casinos, hinting at what’s ahead for PA iGaming players. In addition to blackjack and roulette, NJ also has Slingshot Roulette, baccarat, three-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em poker.