SugarHouse Philadelphia Launches an Online Casino in the New Jersey Gaming Market
SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia launched a website in September which operates in the New Jersey licensed online gambling industry. The site partners with Golden Nugget Atlantic City and is named PlaySugarHouse.com.
In its first full month of business in October 2016, SugarHouse Online helped Golden Nugget stake a 25% share of the online poker revenue for New Jersey. That was a significant gain, because PokerStars/Resorts and Party/Borgata saw major slippage in September and October.
The November figures were even better. The entire online poker industry of New Jersey posted over $16 million in revenues, which represented the 3rd-best month in the industry’s history. Golden Nugget, bolstered by SugarHouse, posted the first month a competitor ever topped $4 million itself.
How Golden Nugget Added SugarHouse Online
Players might be wondering how it is legal for SugarHouse Casino to have a presence in the online gaming niche for New Jersey, since the SugerHouse casino’s land operation is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Many people are not aware of the flexibility of New Jersey gaming laws. Out-of-state operators are allowed to partner with New Jersey brick-and-mortar gaming sites which hold a license for online gambling. That aspect of the law allows international online gaming companies like PokerStars, 888 Holdings, and Bwin.Party to partner with Atlantic City casinos.
Since players are more likely to know about the longstanding services from Golden Nugget Online, the focus today on this rising brand is the SugarHouse website.
About NYX Gaming
The game selection for SugarHouse Online is provided by NYX Gaming, an online casino software developer based in New York City. NYX formed when the Matt Davey’s Australia-based Next Gen Gaming teamed with Sweden-based NYX Interactive in 2005.
Players might not recognize NYX Gaming as quickly as Microgaming, Playtech, or RTG, but the company is present in hundreds of online casinos. For years, NYX was a business-to-business (B2B) provider of games, meaning they would supply gaming content to more famous gaming developers, who would use them to supplement their own inventory of games. Over the years, NYX Gaming has grown into a major competitor with a global reach, though Next Gen had 5 employees at the time of the merger.
Cryptologic Video Slots
In May 2016, NYX bought the Cryptologic catalogue of games from Amaya Gaming. Players who enjoy Cryptologic slots in the days before the UIGEA can enjoy those games again at the SugarHouse online casino.
That includes a variety of DC Comics and Marvel Comics slot machines which were popular in their day. NYX uses Next Gen’s design workshop to develop games, and Next Gen’s developers use the HTML5 code in their design work. Many Cryptologic slots with popular themes might receive an update on the design side.
SugarHouse Social Media and Mobile App
NYX has signed a social media and real-money gaming contract with Rush Street Gaming, which handles the management for SugarHouse Casino. The two companies decided to present an online product askance from the standard glitzy, gaudy look that many traditional casinos present.
That attitude is starkest with the site’s mobile content. The SugarHouse Online Casino gaming app is designed with millennial gamblers in mind. The mobile gaming interface uses block menu and sensible icons. It also has evenly-distributed texting, which makes gaming on a smartphone must easier and more intuitive.
SugarHouse Casino’s Gaming Content
SugarHouse Online Casino contains 240 total games, including video slots, video poker, and table games. Though NYX is best known for its slot machine, the site has the full range of table games, including blackjack, baccarat, craps, and roulette.
The online site contains free daily bingo games and a Wheel of Fortune-style bonus spin game with a guaranteed win for one lucky player. On an ongoing basis, SugarHouse is going to feature a referral program with a max $500 rewards. It’s also going to have a VIP Mystery Calendar for players on the leaderboard.
Online Gambling Ban in the US Congress
Proponents of online gambling in the United States must be prepared to lobby their congressional lawmakers. US Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania has introduced a new version of Restore America’s Wire Act to the US House of Representatives. The bill could be passed in a lame duck session of Congress or, more likely, during the first hundred days of the Trump Administration.
RAWA is an unpopular measure, but it could be attached to a more popular bill that lawmakers would find hard to vote against. President-Elect Trump is a former casino owner, but he also appears to be friendly with Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul who backs Restore America’s Wire Act.
After Sen. Ted Cruz gave his convention speech against Donald Trump, Adelson snubbed the Texas senator. Donald Trump made a personal visit to Adelson’s skybox at the convention, and the two took a photo together to show their solidarity. One should not assume Trump would veto such a bill.
