Golden Nugget online casino isn’t the type to sit back and wait to see what the competition is doing.
It comes with the territory of being the NJ online casino market leader. So when the operator celebrated its seventh anniversary in November (along with the entire NJ internet gaming industry), Golden Nugget just happened to roll out its 777th slots title.
The Golden Nugget Stepper is the name. Sure, it’s perfect timing and great for marketing, but the release is just the latest example of how Golden Nugget stays ahead of the competition.
Warren Steven, vice president of product and ops at Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG), explained to Play NJ how the Golden Nugget Stepper release all worked out.
“We would like to say it was planned all along, but this one was honestly a culmination of good timing on the product and marketing side and then quickly working to align all the deliverables that allowed this to become reality,” said Steven.
More on the Golden Nugget Stepper
When players search through the Golden Nugget library of games, the Golden Stepper likely isn’t going to generate a “WOW!” type of response.
Steven said steppers are “quite simple by design and not particularly innovative or unique by today’s standards.”
So why add it?
Steven said the stepper provides a symbiotic fit with the Golden Nugget brand.
“The familiar Bars and 7s symbols hearken back to the early days of Las Vegas, where the original Golden Nugget opened in 1946. We see the simple look and feel of a three-reel mechanical slot and its modest game play mechanics as a welcome departure for many slot players from the more complicated slots games, which has seen a resurging popularity of the steppers slot in the online casino space.”
The title falls under the low-medium volatility category. Bets range from $0.25 to $125. The max payout is $503,975.
Sticking to its NJ online casino plan
Golden Nugget continues to be the Garden State’s market leader when it comes to NJ online casino revenue.
The latest numbers from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), which were released Monday, show that Golden Nugget remains the leader. The license holder reported $26 million in revenue, which was tops among the seven license holders. At the same time, it wasn’t an all-time high.
The total is a combination of four different brands:
- Golden Nugget online casino
- SugarHouse online casino
- Betfair NJ online casino
- BetAmerica Casino
In terms of year-to-date, Golden Nugget, as a license holder, has earned $289.4 million in online casino revenue, and it’s over $100 million more than the earned by Resorts Digital, DraftKings Casino, PokerStars, Mohegan Sun and Resorts are the four brands that fall under the license.
GNOG also has a strong track record as a market leader and industry trendsetter.
Remember, it was the first online casino operator in the United States to launch live dealer and operate 24/7.
That was in 2016. Fast-forward to 2020, and GNOG is consistently reporting strong numbers. The operator reported gross gaming revenue of $28.9 million for the third quarter, up 93% from 2019.
And remember, Golden Nugget online casino is only live in New Jersey. Additional states, however, are on the horizon.
There is no secret formula to its success. Steven said, “We use the same product fundamentals today that we started with and have adapted to use subtle variations as the market has evolved.
“We have been strategic in the way we insert innovations to boost marketing exposure, which in turn pushes revenues forward. Our base product fundamentals are strong foundations to build on and have been remarkably strong in pushing loyalty and player value.”
Golden Nugget looking beyond NJ
New Jersey is setting the stage for what’s still to come. Golden Nugget Online Gaming took a big step toward those future plans last month when the company received approval from NJ regulators for a license.
The online casino had been operating under the Atlantic City land-based license. Since GNOG is in the process of becoming a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq, this was a necessary step.
Plus, the online casino brand will be expanding into new markets, with Pennsylvania and Michigan topping the list. Exact dates are still to be determined, but 2021 is a realistic possibility.
No matter how many new states GNOG enters, there are no plans of slowing down. So don’t expect the 777th slot title to be its last.
“We’re excited about building on top of what we have already established in NJ. There is more we can do to achieve greater performance across all facets of the business, which makes us eager to break this ground,” said Steven. “Our preference is to continue to look at what hasn’t been done as our guide rather than following the market.”
