Atlantic City's Golden Nugget is reopening its sportsbook in time for Super Bowl LIX.
When the upgraded facility opens on January 29, it will provide a range of additional betting options, including markets for UFC/MMA, college sports, and even the Summer and Winter Olympics.
According to a Golden Nugget announcement, the sportsbook will feature advanced betting tools and functionalities in addition to the new sports markets.
Bettors will have access to traditional and alternate spread teasers, a new player and team prop bet option, boosted odds, a personalized bet builder, same-game parlays, and the option for early cashouts.
The newly renovated sportsbook is located off the casino’s Main Atrium. Golden Nugget explained that the space is designed for an immersive viewing and betting experience and includes over 50 high-definition televisions, five large video walls, and self-service betting kiosks.
While the Golden Nugget sportsbook has been facing upgrades, Golden Nugget has missed out on sports betting revenues. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the state's gaming regulator, reported that the casino's sports betting revenue for 2024 was $294,360. In 2023, the total was $947,789, making 2024's figure a drop of -68.9%.
In comparison, Resorts recorded sports betting revenue of $297,793,009 last year. While that dropped from $314,533,977 in 2023, it's still far better than Golden Nugget's results.
Unlike other retail sportsbooks at Golden Nugget, which have been rebranded with DraftKings, the Golden Nugget Atlantic City sportsbook will simply be branded “The Sportsbook.”
Golden Nugget Parts Ways with DraftKings
The return of the sportsbook also features a dramatic changing of the guard in the gaming landscape at Golden Nugget Atlantic City. Specifically, DraftKings intends to close the live dealer studio at the casino. The Boston-based firm will officially shut the studio on January 31, thus ending its in-house live dealer operations at Golden Nugget.
DraftKings has operated the live dealer studio in Atlantic City since 2016, when it launched the first online live dealer operation in the U.S. In 2021, the studio expanded to provide an interactive gaming experience for online players nationwide.
However, after DraftKings acquired Golden Nugget Online Gaming, it shifted to a third-party studio model for live dealer services. This closes a significant chapter in Golden Nugget’s history as one of the pioneers in live dealer gaming. Meanwhile, it's a new beginning for the company with regard to improving the in-person betting experience for its customers.
It's probably no accident that the timing of the reopening was set just before one of the year's most prominent sports betting events – the Super Bowl – that will allow the casino to gain financially from the high volume of bettors.
