Sportech to launch US online casino next month

Sportech is on track to soft-launch its online casino platform in New Jersey with land-based partner Resorts Casino next month, eGaming Review can exclusively reveal.

The London-headquartered horserace wagering and pools operator, which has a base in Connecticut, first announced plans to enter the real-money US egaming market in June 2014 through its SNG Interactive joint-venture with NYX Gaming.

The JV platform will offer a full suite of online casino games under the Resorts Casino brand, however the land-based operator has inked a deal with the as-yet-unlicensed PokerStars and Full Tilt for its poker platform.

Sportech CEO Ian Penrose told eGR that things were going “really well” and that SNG Interactive and Resorts were “gearing up for, and looking forward to” launching as soon as the state’s regulator gives the green light.

“We partnered with Resorts because it is the oldest and most established land-based gaming brand in Atlantic City. That gives us great potential,” he said.

“In the early days of any new marketplace brands have an advantage. It has everything to do with trust, and players wanting to wager with the brands they know and are familiar with.”

Penrose said SNG Interactive and Resorts were “very ambitious” about the online space, and were looking to achieving a “strong position” in the New Jersey market.

“The state has a large population, and online gaming has only just got started and is still in its very early days,” Penrose told eGR.

“So there is definitely room for more brands. Brands are the calling card here, and Resorts is one of the biggest and most powerful out there,” he added.

Resorts will become the first new brand to launch in the Garden State since Pala Interactive partnered with the Borgata casino in November.

Read the full interview with Sportech CEO Ian Penrose in the January issue of eGR sister publication eGR North America.