Before the launch of legal sports betting, Atlantic City was hardly an NFL town. There wasn’t a home team to root for and, frankly, for fans of nearby NFL franchises, there were better options for sweating games closer to home.
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That led FanDuel, the daily fantasy sports giant that has the state’s largest sportsbook at the Meadowlands Racetrack, to seize an opportunity to get in on the action. Rival DraftKings already has a sportsbook at Resorts, while European bookmaker William Hill opened for business at Ocean Casino and Tropicana as well as at Monmouth Park. DraftKings Sportsbook became the first legal online option in The Garden State when it launched in August 2018. It operates under the casino license of Resorts Atlantic City and has since opened a retail sportsbook at that location. DraftKings Set to Open ‘The DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts’ in Atlantic City, Just Days After Announcing the Launch of the Company’s First Retail Sportsbook in the U.S. — in Mississippi DraftKings did not immediately respond to an inquiry about the status of its previously opened sportsbook, pictured above. DraftKings was the first mobile Sportsbook to open in New Jersey and is now also live in West Virginia as well as Indiana, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.Also, it was the very first legal sportsbook outside of Nevada since regulatory changes came into effect.
Now in the second year of legal sports wagering across New Jersey, America’s Playground has become one of the best places to spend an NFL Sunday.
Local fans of the New York Jets, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles can certainly attest to that. They regularly fill the sportsbooks inside Atlantic City, enjoying the modern amenities these spots offer all while getting a little skin in the game.
With the NFL Playoffs coming up in just a couple of weeks, those that can’t make it to a live playoff game should consider a trip to Atlantic City, where the local sportsbooks have truly become some of the best NFL bars in the country.
We look at all eight Atlantic City sportsbooks proving that statement true with every beer ordered, chicken wing consumed and dollar wagered throughout the 2019 NFL season.
The Book at Bally’s
1900 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-340-2000
The Book at Bally’s calls itself the largest sportsbook in Atlantic City. At over 15,000 square feet, that’s certainly true.
It may also play host to the best NFL bars in the city. There are more than 130 seats around the sportsbook, including 28 at the bar with video poker and probably the best view of the giant 98-by-18-foot LED video wall in the room.
As a bar, The Book at Bally’s separates itself from the pack with its Beer Yourself wall. There are more than a dozen beers on tap on the serve-yourself wall helping turn NFL watching into a real experience here.
The Book at Harrah’s
777 Harrah’s Blvd, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-441-5000
At 3,800 square feet, The Book at Harrah’s isn’t even close to the size of sister sportsbook The Book at Bally’s.
But with a view of the high-quality resolution LED televisions from every plush seat and food service by AC Burger Co., it’s a perfect place to watch and bet on your favorite NFL team.
There are even two “Fan Cave” areas if you’re after a private sportsbook experience.
Borgata Race & Sports Book / Moneyline Bar & Book
1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-317-1000
Borgata Race & Sports Book features 100 seats with individual flat-screen monitors for NFL viewing. There’s also a massive video wall and the Boot & Whip in-venue bar completing the NFL bar experience.
However, it’s the Moneyline Bar & Book at Borgata that really cements the property’s reputation as a great NFL bar.
The 8,000-square-foot sports bar and sportsbook features a 40-foot-wide LED video wall and six betting windows.
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There are high-top tables with self-charging stations, U-shaped booths, and banquette seating in the VIP lounge, all with a great view of the game. But Moneyline is about more than watching and betting on the games. It’s an NFL bar with more than 20 craft beers and a menu filled with specialty bar bites.
DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts
1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-340-6300
DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts is hardly the largest sportsbook in Atlantic City at approximately 5,000 square feet.
That said, it’s a rather comfortable spot and a great place to watch NFL action.
Ultrahigh-definition LED video walls (including one 15-footer) ensure you’ll never miss a moment of the action. A total of 18 betting kiosks and five betting windows make it easy to bet on that action as well.
The happy hour from 2-7 p.m. Sunday to Thursday offers $4 draft beer and $6 well drinks, which helps take it to the level of best NFL bars, as well.
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Sportsbook
1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-449-1000
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Sportsbook is attached to a Sports Bar with over 40 TVs for game viewing.
Drink specials are on offer throughout the NFL season.
There’s also a brand new Sportsbook Video Poker Bar inside where patrons can play games like video poker single hand with double down, multi-hand poker, keno, video reels and roulette while they sweat the NFL action.
However, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City Sportsbook is considered small with around 50 seats.
The Sportsbook at Golden Nugget Atlantic City
600 Huron Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-441-2000
The Sportsbook at Golden Nugget Atlantic City is a great place to spend an all-consuming day of NFL action.
The Sportsbook features over 100 seats, more than 50 TVs, five video walls and enough self-service betting kiosks to make sure you can get in on the action.
There used to be a ban on NBA bets there, but that’s over now. Plus, it never really took away from the Sportsbook at Golden Nugget Atlantic City’s reputation as an excellent place for NFL betting action.
William Hill Sportsbook at Ocean Casino Resort
500 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-783-8000
William Hill Sportsbook at Ocean Casino Resort lays claim to the biggest game-viewing screens and best odds board in Atlantic City.
The 24-hour center bar inside the sportsbook, offering a great view of the state-of-the-art panoramic video wall and odds board, delivers on that promise.
The fact that William Hill Sportsbook at Ocean Casino is in the middle of the gaming floor also makes a great place for true gamblers to spend an NFL Sunday.
William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana
2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-340-4000
Featuring 180 seats, a 250-square-foot odds board and several massive panoramic LED screens for NFL game viewing, William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana is one of the largest sportsbooks in Atlantic City.
It’s also located on North Tower Casino Floor across from Chickie’s and Pete’s Crab House & Sports Bar and the 10 North Lounge, enhancing its reputation as a great NFL bar.
The 10 North Lounge even serves as the official sports bar for the sportsbook.
Your place or mine?
Remember, every single one of the sportsbooks listed above is also affiliated with an online and mobile sports betting operation available across the entire state. Any of these apps, a six-pack, and a White House sub can turn your living room into one of Atlantic City’s best NFL bars, too. That is if staying home to watch and bet on games is more your speed.
The venerable Resorts was the first seaside casino to open following the legalization of Atlantic City casino gambling.
When then-New Jersey Gov. Brendan Byrne cut the grand opening ribbon at Resorts in May 1978, so began a rollercoaster of casino/resort openings, closings, re-openings, refurbishments up and down the Boardwalk.
Forty-one years later, Resorts is still going strong in the heart of Atlantic City, and they welcomed their newest amenity, the DraftKings Sportsbook, last November 2018.
DraftKings initially was focused on daily fantasy sports. But along with its cohort and challenger, FanDuel, it’s a relative newcomer to the legal sports betting game. Despite its relative newness, DraftKings has more than held its own on the mobile front versus established names such as William Hill, Caesars, and MGM.
And they also make a strong showing on the retail front in concert with Resorts.
I’ve been reviewing every NJ retail sportsbook in advance of the NFL regular season, and today I am looking closely at DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts in Atlantic City.
Initial impressions of DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts
Address: 1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Resorts is in the heart of Atlantic City’s “Boardwalk Strip.”
The new DraftKings location is easy to find, just inside the boardwalk entrance. Resorts offers all the casino action as well as amenities including a spa, Margaritaville bar, and numerous dining and club options.
Like most Atlantic City casinos, if you are not a hotel guest or a loyalty cardholder, you’ll be hit with a $20 charge for basic self-parking. Not ideal, but it’s the cost of “doing business” in AC.
While the DraftKings space feels small, it’s 5,000 square feet and has a total capacity of almost 400. The interior décor and color scheme are adorned in “DK colors” of black and green. The branding is subtle but on point with neon “kings crowns” located throughout the space.
Other than the opulent décor, the most striking aspect of the DraftKings space are the copious amounts of self-serve kiosks located at the entrance and adjacent to the sports bar.
Draftkings Sportsbook And Casino
All told, there are 18 self-serve terminals in the space, rivaling only FanDuel at the Meadowlands (wait, are these daily-fantasy-turned-sportsbook operators onto something?) for the number of kiosks at NJ sportsbooks.
The self-serve kiosks offset the live teller space, which is tucked into a corner. It’s a smallish space with capacity for up to five tellers.
While the reported size (5,000 square feet) and capacity (396) is large, the book feels much smaller and cozier. With low ceilings and smaller format video screens, it does have a similar “Fan Cave” feel comparable to, say, the Golden Nugget book.
Again, not a bad thing, as DK has done an outstanding job outfitting the space that they must work with.
The Layout
The Resorts sportsbook has a rectangular shape in its main sportsbook viewing area with two offshoots: one leading to a bar and live teller area, the other in the back of the book that holds four VIP areas. The main viewing area features four main large screens that aren’t “giant” by any means but fit the space allotted.
Underneath the four large video displays are 10 smaller screens for game action. There is a large-format ceiling-hung ticker screen scrolling the latest scores and updates and an eye-catching digital odds and information wall located opposite the main bar.
DraftKings’ “fire marshal” capacity of 396 belies the fact that there is somewhat limited seating in the main sportsbook area. There are 40 theater seats anchoring the main viewing area with 15 more standard seats located behind on a tabletop rail. Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a design flaw in this main area as a support partition will obscure some of the screens for those that are sitting behind it.
Additionally, the bar area has about 15 more seats. That’s a total of 70 seats, not counting the space in the four VIP areas that can seat up to 48 more.
Amenities at DraftKings Sportsbook in Atlantic City
Tellers
There are five live betting windows adjacent to the main bar.
While my visit was not at a “peak” time, one could visualize some crowd issues at busier times, with people wedged into the corner of the space.
RATING: 3.5 stars
Self-Betting Kiosks
DraftKings knocks it out of the park with 18 kiosks throughout their space. What’s even better is that the self-serve machines are open and accessible 24 hours a day. Well done, DK.
RATING: 5 stars
Minimum Sportsbook Bet Amount
The live teller minimum is $5, consistent with other non-William Hill NJ retail sportsbook locations. This higher “live-teller” minimum is offset by the user-friendly kiosks, which have a low $1 minimum.
RATING: 4 stars
TV Screens
One is not overwhelmed with screens in the Resorts book. The TV screens are serviceable, with no “wow” impact.
There are four large screens in the main viewing area and four more in the VIP area. All the other screens in the main viewing area and adjacent to the bar are a smaller format.
Not the best situation for watching NFL Sunday in action.
RATING: 3 stars
Seating Availability
The “non-VIP” seating capacity is approximately 70. Yes, the 40 theatre-style seats in the main viewing area are outstanding; I just wish there were more.
The 15-seat back rail does come with power outlets (a nice touch). The VIP areas are listed to hold up to 12 people (12 would be the absolute max) and features plush leather sofas and low tables. It feels “VIP-ish,” as the four areas are consecutively adjoined (not private) with one large screen that can be set to whichever game you want to watch.
RATING: 3.5 stars
Reserved Seating
The day-to-day seating access is “first-come, first-serve,” with the VIP areas available to be booked in advance.
RATING: 4 stars
Food/Drink Availability
Like other AC sportsbook locations, the casino was built well before the opening of the retail sportsbook. While some other books have limited to no food options (i.e., leave the book to find the food court), DraftKings Sportsbook presents some solid options if you choose to never leave your seat or the sportsbook itself.
In addition to the large bar in the book, there are drinks available via table service and “Happy Hour” discounted drink pricing on Sunday-Thursday from 2-7 p.m.
The food menu is short, but solid featuring some traditional sports bar food including chicken wings, hot dogs and burgers but also some other unique offerings featuring chicken parm, quesadillas, and sushi rolls.
RATING: 4.5 stars
Staffing /Customer Service Support
On my off-peak visit, there were four DraftKings personnel on-site and all were customer focused to answer questions, explain bets, or instruct how to use the self-betting kiosks.
DK has also nailed the betting lines paper display. There is a large wall opposite the main bar that displays a myriad of lines and future screens. Beneath these screens is a seemingly endless row of paper sheets. Well done, DK!
RATING: 5 stars
Parking and Accessibility
Resorts Casino is in the heart of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. This prime location is reflected in the self-parking pricing of $20. Yecch!
RATING: 2 stars
Nearby Amenities
As highlighted earlier, Resorts has a multitude of options under its roof as well for whatever “non-sports betting” frame of mind that you may happen to be in, there is something for everyone.
As mentioned, the location in the heart of the Boardwalk also makes it easy for you to journey up or down the boardwalk to find more entertainment options.
RATING: 4.5 stars
My DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts football bet
As part of every sportsbook visit, I am placing a football-related wager for the upcoming 2019 season.
With its 18 kiosks adorned throughout the space, it was only fair that I made this bet at one of their terminals. In addition to the lower bet minimums of $1, the DraftKings kiosks are loaded with extra props and futures that you don’t see on display at the book.
After looking at some NFL potential bets around “NFL team to win the fewest games” and “NFL defensive rookie of the year,” I took a shot at “Last NFL team to be undefeated in the 2019-20 season.”
Good luck and go get ‘em, New Orleans Saints:
Overall Score: 3.9 stars
Draftkings Sportsbook Atlantic City Sportsbook
The Resorts sportsbook offers some amenities that aren’t currently available at most other Atlantic City sportsbooks. DraftKings scores solid marks in the areas of reserved seats, in-seat food-and-drink ordering, and an extraordinary number of available self-serve kiosks.
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The knocks on DraftKings at Resorts, however, stem from its allotted space within the Resorts space. The TV screens are on the smaller side in relation to other books and the seating capacity is on the low side.
If given a free rein to design a space from scratch, one assumes that DraftKings would do things differently, but they must do the best with the space available.
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So the positives do outweigh the negatives. Combined with a positive customer-service approach and commitment, it does put the DraftKings Sportsbook at Resorts on the “must-consider” list for a visit during the upcoming college and NFL seasons.