4 roll out new sports betting products in New Jersey

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — On the day the National Football League season kicked off, four gambling companies either began offering sports betting in New Jersey or announced plans to do it soon.

On a busy day Thursday, the Tropicana casino said it has reached a deal with William Hill Race & Sports Book to offer sports betting in the near future. No timetable was given for the launch.

Hours later, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said Caesars casino began online and mobile sports betting, a surprising move for a casino that had not said anything about sports betting plans, and appeared content to rely on its next-door sister property Bally’s for in-person sports betting.

The FanDuel sports betting app also went live Thursday, and William Hill’s was set to do so on Friday. Both of those companies got approval last week to begin so-called “soft play” testing of their online systems, and have been found qualified for unrestricted operation.

William Hill already has affiliations with the Ocean Resort Casino and the Monmouth Park racetrack for in-person sports betting.

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FanDuel operates the in-person sports book at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, just outside New York City.

New Jersey gambling outlets took in $40.6 million in sports wagers in July, the first full month it was legal.

The moves leave the newly opened Hard Rock casino as the only one of Atlantic City’s nine casinos without an operational or announced sports betting program, although the casino is believed to be pursuing one as well.

New Jersey won a U.S. Supreme Court case in May clearing the way for all 50 states to offer sports betting should they so choose.

Companies were particularly anxious to get approved by state regulators and up and running by the start of the NFL season, which is expected to generate the lion’s share of legal sports wagers. The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles were to face off against the Atlanta Falcons Thursday night in the season kickoff; a full slate of games is set for Sunday, and two on Monday night.

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Follow Wayne Parry at http://twitter.com/WayneParryAC

Wayne Parry, The Associated Press