Hey Garden State Stoolies, the wait is finally over as New Jersey bettors can now download the Barstool Sportsbook & Casino app.
When did this happen, you ask?
The soft launch or testing phase began on Thursday afternoon and is expected to run through Monday. Call it an all-systems check required by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement.
Of course, it didn’t take long for Dave Portnoy, aka “El Presidente,” to Tweet out the big news, a “little early”:
However, this clever marketing push may resonate better with the NJ sports betting crowd, and more specifically, Sopranos fans. Who can forget the hit HBO drama based in New Jersey?
Barstool Casino is connected with an Atlantic City casino
Now in order to offer NJ online casino gambling, Barstool needed to find an Atlantic City land-based partner. Even though Penn National owns a portion of Barstool and Freehold Raceway, New Jersey racetracks are only permitted to have NJ online sportsbook partnerships. So that was the easy part.
The slots and table games half of the app fall under the Resorts Digital license, which is affiliated with Resorts Atlantic City.
It just so happens there was one slot still remaining as there is a max of five NJ online casino apps or skins per license holder. The others are:
- DraftKings Casino
- PokerStars
- Mohegan Sun
- Resorts
Make it 20 NJ sports betting apps, for now
Following several months of rumored NJ sportsbook launches, but no action, the Garden State market is enjoying a late summer or pre-NFL betting season surge.
Earlier this week, Monday to be exact, Betway NJ was cleared to begin its soft launch period, which is scheduled to end today.
This means both Barstool and Betway will officially be live next week, pending any technical or regulatory issues.
As a whole, August has been a busy and exciting month for the NJ market. Two weeks ago, the William Hill mobile app reappeared as the rebranded Caesars Sportsbook & Casino.
From a Barstool/Penn National perspective, finally being part of the nation’s most successful online gambling jurisdictions is a big deal. Here is what Penn National told PlayNJ.com regarding the New Jersey launch:
“NJ is the largest online sports betting and iCasino state in the country. All the major players operate in the market, Barstool is strong in NJ, and the state is pretty much right in Barstool’s backyard.”
What’s the deal with this Barstool soft launch?
So the Barstool Sportsbook & Casino iOS and Android apps are available for download. Plus users can access the product via a web browser. Gaining immediate access, however, is not guaranteed.
Upon opening the app, users will find a soft launch message that appears in the top left corner of the lobby.
It begins with:
We’re excited to bring Barstool Sportsbook and Casino to New Jersey. During our initial launch, we will be operating under special conditions to abide by state regulations. These conditions will only impact players while they are located within New Jersey.
Here are some of the other restrictions:
- A limited number of players will be permitted to log in to the platform each day.
- A player may register for a new account, but will only be logged in if there is open capacity.
- Permission to log in is issued on a first come, first serve basis at the start of each day’s playing hours.
- Once you have login permission, you will retain access for the remainder of that day’s playing hours.
For Aug. 20, the playing hours are scheduled to cut off at 10 p.m. The Saturday (Aug. 21) schedule is also is limited from 2 p.m.-10 p.m. The final two days of the testing period are 24/7.
Barstool Casino launches with table games, live dealer, and slots
NJ online casino players will find the Barstool Casino NJ has a wide menu of options right out of the gate. The slots menu is broken down by popular titles, top trending as well as an alphabetical listing. Here are some gamblers may be familiar with:
- Divine Fortune
- Cleopatra Gold
- Hell’s Kitchen
- Street Fighter
- Football Champions Cup
The table games lobby is broken down by specific games, such as blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and poker.
For those who prefer live dealer games, there are several options:
- Blackjack
- Dream Catcher Live
- Three card poker
- Texas Hold’em
- Slingshot roulette
