Casino operator Hard Rock International (HRI) has partnered with Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) on a New Jersey online casino.
On Monday, the Florida-based HRI announced that its iGaming division had entered into a strategic partnership with the Malta-based GiG to build and launch a new online casino for New Jersey’s regulated online gambling market sometime this year.
HRI is currently prepping this summer’s launch of Hard Rock Atlantic City, following the company’s acquisition of the bankrupt Trump Taj Mahal last spring. The property is currently undergoing a $500m facelift to ditch the Taj’s tacky minarets and purple color scheme for a more palatable music-themed vibe.
Last month, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) confirmed that HRI had applied for an online gambling license, but the company’s technology partner remained a mystery until Monday.
GiG is primarily focused on the UK and Nordic markets, and the New Jersey launch will be the company’s first toehold in the US market. GiG is currently awaiting the DGE’s approval on the company’s application for a Casino Service Industry Enterprise License.
Kresimir Spajic, HRI’s SPV of online gaming, said the company has “an ambitious plan to become a global leader in the international online gaming space” and that GiG would enable HRI to “disrupt the market through product innovation and unique user experience.”
GiG CEO Robin Reed called HRI’s goal of taking its online gambling brand international “inspiring and innovative” and said the New Jersey site would encompass the “sizzle of the Hard Rock music, entertainment and lifestyle brand.”
HRI isn’t the only new AC casino owner looking to enter the intrastate online market. AC Ocean Walk, which acquired the shuttered Revel casino in January, has also applied to take its action online. The casino announced last month that it would partner with tech provider GAN to power its New Jersey online casino operations, which it hopes to launch in H1 2018.
