The Borgata Secures The First Online Gambling License in Atlantic City

The Borgata Hotel, Spa & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, has made history by becoming the first entity to hold a legally binding online gambling license in the state.

New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement have set Nov 26 as the date that online gambling will be launched, and Boyd Gaming now have a head start on their competitors. This means that in a matter of weeks, gamblers in New Jersey will be able to log on to their computers and play casino games, bingo and online poker; games that will provide much needed revenue within a struggling gambling environment.

That Nov 26 start date comes at the end of a five-day trial period that will start on Nov 21. It is not clear whether real money gambling will be allowed during the trial, and only players who are specially invited to participate will be allowed to play.

The move is unprecedented in the U.S. Although the state of Nevada does allow online poker within it’s borders – with operators Ultimate Poker and WSOP.com currently enjoying that monopoly – it does not allow any other forms of online gambling.

Bwin.Party are Borgata’s online partner, and a spokesperson for the site told the New Jersey Star, “We’re working very closely with our ‘blue chip’ partner to launch Borgata-branded poker and casino sites and our PartyPoker site, which will also offer casino games, on Day 1 of the opening of the New Jersey market.”

Bwin.Party own the World Poker Tour (WPT) brand and they recently announced two further Season XII WPT stops at the Borgata Hotel, Spa & Casino, with the Borgata Winter Poker Open coming to town, as well as the WPT Champions finale, for the time in its history.