PENN Entertainment introduced Multiplayer Blackjack on its Hollywood Casino platform in New Jersey last week, which is going to enhance the interaction between players.
The new game on Hollywood Casino NJ includes features that provides “heightened interaction” with other online casino players, according to a press release.
PENN Entertainment is also expected to launch a standalone Hollywood in New Jersey in “early 2025,” the company said during the latest earnings call. Multiplayer Blackjack is anticipated to be available on the new platform, too.
What Multiplayer Blackjack offers NJ players
PENN Entertainment went live with a new game that no other NJ online casino offers. The new title contains elements of a live dealer game and allows players to create a customized private table with friends. Players can also select other public tables, too.
There are multiple features that Multiplayer Blackjack supplies to customers. Some of those are:
- Side bets
- Bespoke emote cards to react to action throughout play
- Bet behind
Customers are able to watch up to 999 players using the bet behind feature through a special viewer mode. The game also includes Lightning tables and Early Lock-In bets so players can move at their own pace.
Jason Birney, PENN Interactive VP of Operations, said in a statement:
“By nature, blackjack is a communal game and this new multiplayer option was built to replicate the feeling of sitting at a live casino table. Multiplayer Blackjack is another fun and engaging iCasino game developed by our incredibly accomplished PENN Game Studios team.
“Having an in-house team is an important asset as we work to introduce compelling new games and differentiate our online casino product.”
It appears as if in-app streaming is missing within the app. However, an ambassador can stream from another platform to allow the bet behind feature for players.
Standalone Hollywood app coming to NJ in 2025
Hollywood Casino can only be accessed through the ESPN BET sportsbook app in New Jersey. That is coming to change when the calendar turns to 2025.
Earlier this month, PENN Entertainment CEO, Jay Snowden, announced the launch of standalone Hollywood coming to the Garden State. It’ll first launch in Pennsylvania, according to the Q3 2024 earnings call:
“We should be able to follow pretty quickly in states like Michigan, [and] again, pending regulatory approval, in New Jersey, West Virginia and in Ontario. We think Hollywood Casino will perform very well.”
The current Hollywood Casino, through ESPN BET, has nearly 600 slots, table games and live dealer games. Launching an entirely new platform would likely lead to an even larger library, which would contain Multiplayer Blackjack.
