Comp Dollars At Seminole Casino

by Steve Bourie

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has six casinos in the state: Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Tampa; Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino-Hollywood; Seminole Casino-Coconut Creek; SeminoleClassic Casino-Hollywood; Seminole Casino-Brighton; and Seminole Casino-Immokalee.

All of their casinos offer slot machines and five of them also offer blackjack, as well as other kinds of house-banked card games. According to the Miami Herald, it was estimated those casinosgenerated about $2.3 billion in profits in 2016 http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/article166085722.html. Since the average U.S. casino generates about 65% of its profits from its electronic gaming machines, it would be fair toestimate that the Tribe’s machines earn about $1.5 billion a year for them.

Earn $10 Comp Dollars while playing slots starting at 7 a.m. On promotion day to be eligible to receive a RTIC 30oz Tumbler. Once you qualify for your tumbler, pick up your gift at Player’s Club across from VIP Slots between 10 a.m. As part of its $1.5 billion expansion project, Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood is now home to a total of 1,271 luxury guestrooms and suites, including 638 rooms in The Guitar Hotel, 168 rooms in the seven-story Oasis Tower at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and 465 newly renovated guestrooms in the existing Hard Rock Tower. People with extra Comp Dollars will be able to use their remaining balance for the next 60 days. “The Seminole Tribe of Florida and Seminole Gaming are very grateful to all our loyal guests. Earning complimentary items and free services (comps) at the casino with your slot or table game play is a benefit offered by most casinos in the US. Not every casino offers comps. In fact, there aren't many foreign casinos that offer comps—but then again, in most foreign countries you don't have to tip the dealers. Comp Dollars are easy to earn and easy to use. You earn Comp Dollars by playing slots, tables and poker with your Seminole Wild Card. At all Seminole Casinos, you choose when, where and how to spend your Comp Dollars. You can spend Comp Dollars like regular dollars at our hotels, restaurants, bars, lounges and retail stores.

The only other competition for the Tribe’s casinos are the eight local pari-mutuels in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties which all offer slot machines, but are not allowed to offer live tablegames, such as blackjack. All of these pari-mutuel casinos, also known as racinos, are in competition with the Seminole’s three Broward county casinos, but the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel& Casino in Hollywood alone generates more profits than all eight of the racinos combined.

Florida gaming regulations require all of the pari-mutuel casinos to report how much their slot machines actually pay back to the public. This “Average Payout Percentage” information isavailable to the public and can be seen on the state’s website at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pmw in the “Slot Revenues” section. Additionally, each racino must post a sign in the casino showing the average monthly payback percentage forall of their gaming machines. Usually, the average for all of the casinos is around 92.5%

The Seminoles are not required to release information on the payout percentages for any of their casinos and they keep this information a closely guarded secret. They say that theirmachines pay out at a rate comparable to the pari-mutuels, but no one knows for sure, and the topic is sometimes a source of controversy.

If you read reviews of Seminole casinos on Yelp, Tripadvisor, or on our website at americancasinoguide.com you will see some reviewers say they believe the machines are set to around 60%, orlower. As someone who has written about casino gambling for more than 25 years, I know that isn’t true. The procedure for deciding what a slot machine is set to pay back to the public is rathersimple. When a casino orders a slot machine the manufacturer will offer them a choice of chips to put in the machine and that chip is what controls the long-term payback percentage in thatmachine. Generally, there are about six to eight different chips to choose from and the payback percentages can be as high as 98 percent to as low as 82 percent.

Casinos, almost universally, put the highest-paying chips in the highest denomination machines and the lowest-paying chips in the lowest denomination machines. This means that $25 slots willhave chips returning around 95-98 percent and the penny machines will have chips returning around 86-89 percent.

The lowest payback I ever heard of for a chip was about 80 percent, so I knew that the 60 percent number in the user reviews was not correct, but could there be some way to find out what themachines at the Seminole casinos really paid back to the public? After a lot of research, I believe that I have correctly calculated this information and what follows is my story of how I didit, plus a simple formula to show how anyone can do it. Additionally, we’ll take a look at the returns on some specific machines at some Seminole Casinos and see how they compare to the returnsat other casinos. Now, in order to start this discussion properly, you’ll first need some background information on how casinos work.

When discussing how casinos make money, it is important to know the term “theo,” which is short for theoretical. This is how a casino expects to make money on its games. It’s referred to as“theo” because it is a theoretical number that is not guaranteed. However, the casino knows that the longer you play, the more likely your loss will approach the theoretical win for thatparticular game.

As an example, if you play a slot machine that has a 10% theo, then the casino would expect to keep about 10% of all the money you play through that machine. So, if you played $1,000 throughthat slot machine, the casino would calculate its theoretical win as $100 because 10% of $1,000 is $100. Now, since this is gambling, anything can happen when you play that machine. You may win$600, or you may lose $400 and, actually, the casino itself doesn’t know what will happen. All they know is that as long as people continue to play that machine, the casino will end up keepingabout 10% of the money that goes through that machine because the machine has a “theo” of 10%.

In order for a casino to calculate your total theo for your visit, and what you are worth as a player to them, your play must be tracked and that is done by the player’s club at each casino.All casinos have a player’s club where visitors can join and have their play tracked on the machines in order to earn “comps” such as free food, free drinks, free shows, free gifts, invitationsto special events and more.

To track your play you are issued a card, similar to a magnetic-striped credit card, that is inserted into the machine and it will track your wins and losses, as well as the total amount of allyour bets. Naturally, the more you play on the machines, the more free stuff you will get from the casino. When deciding how much to give you back in benefits for your play, the casino mustfirst calculate your total theoretical loss to determine how much they have earned from you. Then, based on that total, they will rebate a certain percentage back to you in the form ofcomps and free play. The actual percentage rebated to the player is a trade secret for each casino but, again, it is always based on a player’s tracked theoretical loss.

I live only one mile from the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood and I joined their Seminole Wild Card player’s club shortly after the property opened in 2004. Although I did not playmuch in the ensuing years, in late 2013 I began to play rather heavily and it continued through early 2017. My game of choice was video poker rather than slot machines because there is a skillinvolved in video poker and I used software to learn how to play my hands properly. Eventually, I played at an expert level that allowed the casino to have only a slight mathematical edge overme.

Overall, my results were pretty good as I hit quite a few royal flushes in 2016 and that helped me to come out ahead for my three years of play. In early 2017 the casino made some changes totheir video poker games, which made them less desirable, and I stopped playing. During my period of play I used that opportunity to analyze the Seminole Wild Card Player’s club and, following,is what I discovered.

The set-up of the Seminole Wild Card Player’s club is somewhat unusual because at most casinos when you play a machine you will earn points based on the total amount of money you put through amachine. On some machines it may be that $5 earns one point, while on other machines it may be $10 or $25 earns one point.

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The Seminole Wild Card Player’s club is different because players don’t earn points on each machine, instead they earn comp dollars. As an example, for playing $10 through one machine you mightearn six cents, while on another machine you might only earn three cents. So, if you ended up playing $1,000 for the day on the same machine, your comps would total $6 on the first machine, or$3 on the second machine. As a player, you wouldn't really know why one machine gave more comps, but you could correctly theorize that the machines that had a higher rate meant that the casinowas making more of a theoretical win from you and that's why they could give you back more comps.

The comps you earned could then be spent like regular dollars at hotels, restaurants, bars, lounges and retail stores at any of the six Seminole Casinos. Besides earning comps, each day's playalso earned you status credits and those enabled you to reach a higher player's card level. Interestingly, there was no information on a formula for how the status credits were earned. As aplayer all you knew was that you could check your account each day to see how many status credits you earned for your previous day's play.

The player's club only has three tiers: Platinum, Elite and X Card. All players start at Platinum and to reach Elite you need to earn 3,750 status credits within a three-month period. X Card isreserved for the casino's biggest players, but there is no public information available on what is needed to attain that level.

I easily attained Elite level and after tracking the comps and status credits I earned each day, within a few months I began to realize that the status credits actually represented my totaltheoretical loss for each day. I was able to confirm this through test play on certain machines, as well as speaking with other knowledgeable players.

Once I knew that the earned status credits represented my total theoretical loss I was then able to compare that number to the total comps I earned on that same day and I realized that therewas a relationship between those two numbers. As an example, one day I earned $48.75 in comps and I was awarded 828 status credits. By multiplying $48.75 by a factor of 17 the result was828. Another day I earned $30.83 in comps and 524 status credits. Once again, by multiplying $30.83 by 17 the result was 524. That relationship was absolute and no matter what day I played, Ifound that I could always multiply the amount of my earned comps by 17 to determine my status credits (theoretical loss) for that day.

Since I now knew how to calculate my theoretical loss for the day, based on the comps I earned, I then realized that I would be able to calculate what the casino had set as its theoreticalpayback percentage for any electronic game on the floor.

How to Calculate the Theoretical Payback Percentage on a Slot Machine - I believe that anyone can calculate the theoretical payback percentage on any gaming machine in aSeminole Casino by using a formula that I created. The key to calculating a machine’s theoretical payback percentage is to track how many comp dollars you earn for putting exactly $100 in playthrough a machine. For example, if you bet $1 a spin, just track how many comp dollars you have earned after making 100 bets. Once you know that number, you can simply multiply it by 17 and youwill know the casino’s theoretical win rate for that machine. Deduct that number from 100, and you will then know the theoretical payback for that machine.

As an example, let’s say you put $100 through a penny slot machine and you earn 54 cents in comps. Just multiply .54 x 17 and you will get 9.18, which represents the casino’s theoretical winrate for that machine - 9.18%. Then, deduct 9.18 from 100 and you get 90.82 which would represent the casino’s theoretical payback percentage for that particular machine - 90.82%.

I found this method to be accurate and I tested it on dozens of machines at four different Seminole casinos. It should also work at the other two Seminole casinos since they all share the sameplayer’s club. One word of warning, however, is that I found the method to only be accurate for single-denomination machines. If you play a multi-denomination machine the method cannot berelied upon to give you an accurate payback percentage for all of the denominations.

How Do Slot Paybacks at the Hard Rock in Hollywood Compare to the Other Local Casinos? In trying to determine an average payback percentage for slot machines at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, Irealized that it would not be possible to get an actual accounting and I would just have to make an educated guess based on the results of playing some machines in different denominations.

Therefore, I randomly played 10 different machines throughout the casino in three different denominations: pennies, quarter and dollars. As mentioned previously, I had to play exactly $100through each machine and in some instances it wasn’t possible to play exactly $100, so I might have gone over by a few pennies.

In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random penny slots and the average theoretical return was 88.37%

In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random quarter slots and the average theoretical return was 90.89%

In the table below you can see the results for playing 10 random dollar slots and the average theoretical return was 91.40%

So, now that we have analyzed the theoretical payback percentages on these machines, how do they compare to the actual returns on slots at other South Florida casinos in those samedenominations?

Well, unfortunately, Florida’s Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which compiles the statistics on payback percentages for all racetrack casinos only releases information on the average payoutfor all machines within each casino and not for specific denominations. We did put in a public records request asking for a breakdown of those stats by denomination, but we received thefollowing reply: “The Division does not maintain information responsive to the following request: slot machine gaming revenue reports by denomination (one cent, nickel, quarter, dollar, etc.).”

Since we couldn’t get information on payback percentages by denomination, it was not possible to compare the Hard Rock’s machines with those at the pari-mutuels. However, it was possible tomake an educated guess about the overall returns on the Hard Rock’s machines. For the 12-month period from July 2016 through June 2017, the pari-mutuel casino with the highest average returnswas Magic City at 93.55% and the lowest returns could be found at the Isle in Pompano where they averaged 90.91%. Therefore, based on the numbers shown in the tables above, I would have toagree that the Hard Rock Hollywood’s slot paybacks are “comparable” to those at other local casinos and they are not set to pay back at the low rates that some people would suggest.

How Do Returns on Machines at The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Tampa Compare to Returns at Casinos in South Florida? On the American Casino Guide website visitors can leave a review forany U.S. casino and the Seminole Hard Rock in Tampa has gotten almost 200 reviews - https://www.americancasinoguide.com/florida/seminole-hard-rock-hotel-a-casino-tampa.html The vast majority of those reviews are complaints about how bad the paybacks are on the slotmachines. The thinking seems to be that, once again, the machines are set to pay back at a very low rate, especially since the Tampa casino has no competition because the nearest non-Seminolecasino is about 250 miles away. That sentiment seemed somewhat logical to me so I thought I would investigate further by making a trip to Tampa to visit the casino.

I arrived late in the day and I spent a few hours that evening, as well as a few more hours the next morning testing various machines using my formula. My thought was to find some of theexact same machines I played at the Hard Rock in Hollywood and to see if the theoretical payback percentages were lower. This turned out to be harder than I expected as I found it difficult tofind the same machines in the same denominations. One other thing I noticed was that there did not seem to be too many penny slots. Instead, the vast majority of the lower denomination gameswere two-cent slots. This was not the case at the Hard Rock casino in Hollywood, where penny machines were abundant.

Eventually, I did find a few machines, in three specific denominations, that were the exact same as the ones I played in Hollywood and the table below shows how the results compared.

For penny games there were three machines I tested and, interestingly, all three had the same theoretical payback percentage as at the Hollywood Hard Rock.

Finding quarter games proved to be a bit harder. I only found two machines that were identical to ones at the Hollywood casino and, once again, the theoretical payback percentages matched upfor both casinos.

At the dollar level I found four machines that matched up with their Hollywood casino counterparts. On the first one, Triple 777 Red Hot Three Reels, the comps earned were the same as at theHollywood casino. This was great because the comp rate on every machine was matching up perfectly, so far, but that soon stopped.

On the three-reel blazing 7’s machine the comp rate was 39 cents, which would correspond to a theoretical payback percentage of 93.37%, which was higher than the 91.50% figure for the samemachine in Hollywood. A similar thing happened with the next machine I tested: Quick Hit Platinum. The comp rate on this game was 41 cents which would equal a theoretical payback percentage of93.03% which, again, was higher than the 91.33% figure for the same machine in Hollywood.

Then, on the last dollar machine I played, Spin & Win Instant Spin, the results were slightly worse. That machine gave 56 cents in comps, which would correspond to a theoretical return of90.48%, versus the same machine in Hollywood which came in at 92.01%

So, interestingly, the theoretical payback percentages for the first eight slot machines in Tampa were either equal to, or better than, the same machines in Hollywood. This was very surprisingas I thought they would be lower at the Tampa casino because they had no direct competition.

But what about all those player reviews complaining that the slots in Tampa paid less than the slots in Hollywood? Well, my research showed that the machines were set to pay back at about thesame rate in both places. However, there didn’t seem to be quite as many penny machines in Tampa, most of them were 2-cents and higher, and this could offer an explanation.

Penny machines are the most common denomination found in U.S. casinos. For example, at the two Indian casinos in Connecticut, Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun, penny machines make up about 60% of allthe slots on the floor. While I didn’t take an inventory of all the machines in Tampa I was struck by the fact that penny machines were not in abundance. Since the Tampa casino has nocompetition, it could be that they were forcing players to make a higher average bet simply by having fewer penny machines available. If so, a higher average bet would result in players losingtheir money faster, thus explaining the sour sentiments of some players. Keep in mind that the Hollywood casino would not be able to easily do the same thing because of competition from othercasinos. If a player in Hollywood didn’t think there were enough penny games available they could just go to a different casino. A player in Tampa would not have that option.

Now, looking back, it is true that one slot machine in Tampa did come in with a lower theoretical rate, but that could have simply been a mistake. Keep in mind that the casino knows what thechip in each machine is set to pay back to the public on a long-term basis and, in turn, they will set the player’s club comp rate to approximate that number. Sometimes mistakes are made andthe rate could be set too high, or too low. That could be what happened here, or perhaps it was intentional and there was a specific reason for that particular setting.

In conclusion, I hope that everyone reading this report understands that it is not a complete analysis of all machines at either casino. To undertake such a project would have required a hugeamount of manpower, plus a rather large bankroll to withstand the gambling losses that would be expected.

I am just one person who set out to investigate this subject as it is my area of expertise. I have been writing about payback percentages at casinos for more than 25 years and I believe that mywork is accurate. Should anyone from Seminole casino operations want to present any further information on this subject I would welcome hearing from them. I would be also be glad to print anyrebuttal that they might want to send to me concerning this article.

Hard Rock Atlantic City opens; online casino follows

Comp Dollars At Seminole Casino No Deposit

Going live in January 2019, Hard Rock Online Casino is the virtual axis of the ever-popular Hard Rock brand. As well as a burgeoning selection of online casino games, this platform has a fully integrated sportsbook.

Put together with the help of Gaming Innovation Group (GiG), the desktop and mobile sites are an example of how accessible and efficient modern betting can be.

Of course, we can just serve up a wealth of compliments without providing something to back them up. To help you understand what this operator has to offer and why it’s gunning to become New Jersey’s leading gaming site, we’ve put together a complete Hard Rock Online Casino review.

In the following sections, you’ll learn about bonuses, games, deposit options and a lot more. Then, when you’re ready, we’ll show you how and where to create your first account with ease.

So, without further ado, here’s our complete guide to Hard Rock Online Casino.

Hard Rock online casino software

Hard Rock is going to want to offer an online casino and poker client that is easy to navigate, pleasing to the eye, and includes a number of value-added features for players. A no-download, browser-based interface should be available for all PC and Mac users, and it should be compatible with Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer browsers.

Of course, players will be expected to install a geolocation plug-in to make sure the site can tell they are inside New Jersey when they play.

The Golden Nugget online casino has taken over the lead in the battle to offer the New Jersey online casino industry’s largest selection of games and casino content. The Golden Nugget’s roadmap to success is clear: Bigger is better.

If Hard Rock wants to compete, it will need to offer one of the largest libraries of online casino games on the market from the beginning. Hard Rock can design games and software from the ground up. But it might find it faster and less expensive to consider aligning with online gaming software partners that have already established themselves in the market.

These include:

• NYX
• IGT
• NetEnt
• High 5 Games
• WMS
• Bally
• Aristocrat
• Spin
• Scientific Games Corporation
• GAN
• 888 Holdings
• Amaya
• GVC (bwin.party)
• Microgaming
• Ezugi

Hard Rock Casino Promo Code

Three bonuses for the price of one: Hard Rock Online Casino welcome bonus

There are three parts to the Hard Rock Online Casino welcome bonus. The first two will be familiar to those that have read some of our other NJ online casino reviews. However, the third part of the equation may come as a surprise to some of you. No promo code is needed to claim any of these bonuses – just sign up for an account via one of our links.

First off, let’s start with the basics. As a newbie, you can pick a no deposit bonus in the form of 50 free spins. By following our secure sign-up link, you’ll be able to register your first account and unlock 50 gratis turns.

What’s interesting about this promo is that each step of the sign-up process adds more spins to our balance.

In other words, if you don’t complete all parts of the registration form, you won’t get the maximum amount of spins. Once you’ve unlocked the first part of the Hard Rock Online Casino welcome bonus, the next stage in the process requires you to make a deposit.

When you do that, the promo team will double your opening payment (of at least $20) up to a maximum of $1,000. In other words, you receive a 100% match bonus up to $1,000 on the first deposit.

Therefore, if you deposit $100, you’ll receive an additional $100 in bonus cash. Add $500 to your account and you’ll have $1,000 to play with and so on. From a comparative perspective, $1,000 is an attractive amount of bonus cash.

That’s up there with BetMGM in terms of potential value and far exceeds the maximum payouts at Tropicana and Borgata Online Casino. So, in this respect, Hard Rock is one of the strongest operators within the Garden State.

If there’s one blemish on an otherwise impressive package, it’s the bonus conditions. At 20X the bonus plus deposit amount, Hard Rock Online Casino has an effective playthrough of 40X.

That may be on par with online casinos in Europe but it’s above the industry average in New Jersey.

Indeed, you only need to look at an operator such as Golden Nugget (10X bonus plus deposit) to see that. Of course, we’re here to point out the positives as well as the negatives and, in this instance, there are some positives.

We’ve already said that the amount of bonus cash on offer is impressive. In tandem with that, slots have a 100% weighting contribution, while all other games are set at 20%. The fact table games and video poker bets have a 20% really helps this offer. Other sites value bets on these games a lot less. Therefore, even though the playthrough is higher, the contribution weightings are such that you may not have to stake as much as you’d expect.

Finally, to complete the Hard Rock Online Casino bonus trident, you can also receive a $100 free sports bet.

Thanks to the site’s integrated sportsbook, you can make an opening bet of $100 without any risk. Basically, if you win, the profit and stake are yours to keep.

Comp Dollars At Seminole Casinos

If you lose, your stake is returned in the form of a free sports bet. This offer is valid on all markets except futures and outrights. If you take advantage of it, that means you can claim up to $1,100 in added value when you join Hard Rock Online Casino.

Hard Rock NJ 2020 Bonus Code & Details

• Hard Rock Online Bonus Code: None – Use Links
• No Deposit Bonus: 50 free spins
• First Deposit Bonus: 100% multiplier up to $1,000
• Best Games For Clearing Bonuses: Slots
• Bonus Available On Mobile? Yes
• Prepaid Card Deposit Option? No
• Land-Based Partner: Hard Rock Casino
• Integration With Land-Based VIP Program? Yes
• Last Verified: December 2020

Other ongoing Hard Rock Online Casino NJ promotions

Refer a friend

In addition to seasonal promotions, sports betting offers and slot tournaments, Hard Rock Online Casino gives you the chance to earn rewards when you friends sign up. Using the “refer a friend” scheme, you can receive $10 when they use your special code.

Put simply, when you tell your friend to follow our sign-up link, input your unique referral code and create an account, you’re one step closer to banking some cash. To complete the process, they’ll need to deposit $20 or more and wager through that amount once. When they’ve done that, the promo team will add $10 in bonus cash to your account. Simple!

VIP program

Hard Rock Online Casino is connected to the operator’s Wild Card program. This means you can make real money casino or sports bets live or online and earn loyalty points. These points can be converted into bonuses, exclusive gifts, and spins on the prize wheel known as the Wheel of Rock.

Casino games at Hard Rock casino online

Video poker

Hard Rock will need to offer a wide variety of video poker games. At the very least, basic video poker titles with favorable pay schedules will need to be there, including:

• Double Bonus Poker
• Double Double Bonus Poker
• Deuces Wild
• Jacks or Better
• Bonus Poker

Blackjack at Hard Rock NJ online casino

A Hard Rock NJ online casino will need to offer a wide variety of NJ online blackjack games, with basics including:

• Single Deck Blackjack
• Multihand Blackjack
• Atlantic City Blackjack

Online slots at Hard Rock

In order to compete in the already slot-saturated market in New Jersey, Hard Rock will have to offer hundreds of slot titles. Some of the most popular slots on the market include:

• NRVNA
• Jimi Hendrix
• Michael Jackson: King of Pop
• Bridesmaids
• Iron Man 2
• Deal or No Deal
• X-Men

Other games

If Hard Rock wants to offer a comprehensive casino and gaming experience online, it must offer a solid variety of casino games players expect to find.

Hard Rock may consider offering an online poker client or live dealer games as well. These popular casino games are a must:

• Pai Gow Poker
• Keno
• Bingo
• Poker
• Craps
• Let It Ride
• Three Card Poker

Hard Rock live dealer casino games

Hard Rock Online Casino has partnered with Evolution Gaming to provide a well-stocked, high-quality live gaming lobby.

Although there are a few kinks that need to be straightened out before we can call this the best live dealer casino in New Jersey, the initial product is certainly impressive.

Indeed, as a standard, you’ll find HD streams broadcasting the following games to your desktop and mobile:

• Live Ultimate Texas Hold’em – Play from as little as $0.50 and shoot for standard wins as well as bonus jackpots.
• Live Roulette – Hard Rock uses American Roulette wheels and bets start at $0.10 or $1 depending on the table you choose.
• Live Baccarat – Enjoy standard and bonus bets from $1.
• Live Blackjack – Slightly more expensive that some sites, live blackjack betting at Hard Rock Online Casino starts at $5.
• Live Three-Card Poker – Ante up from $0.50 per round at this exclusive Evolution Gaming table.

In our opinion, it would be good to see some of Evolution’s latest innovations, such as Dream Catcher, added to the mix.

Moreover, you’ll notice that games are only available from 11am until 3am. That’s still plenty of time to enjoy the action. However, many of New Jersey’s top online casinos now have live games streaming 24/7.

Aside from these relatively minor issues, the range of products available is impressive. What’s more, the stakes have been tailored to suit players of all persuasions.

Hard Rock casino app

Any Hard Rock NJ mobile gaming application will need to be as robust as the desktop version of the online casino. Player should be able to download it through the main casino site on smartphone or tablets. And it should also be available through the Android app store and iTunes for iOS users.

Casino app features

Mobile gaming provides a big opportunity for new entries into the NJ online casino market, as most have yet to tap its full potential. If Hard Rock can provide a mobile gaming experience close to what desktop users find, grabbing market share should be possible.

The layout must be easy to navigate. It must include substantial account management features. Plus, the number of games needs to be on par with what players find on their desktop.

Mobile casino games

If Hard Rock has a chance to separate itself from other competitors in the NJ online casino market, it is by offering a mobile version of the casino software that’s filled with 200 or more games. A number of different slots, blackjack, table games, and video poker variants need to be available on the mobile app.

A brief history of Trump Taj Mahal and Hard Rock

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is the new name for the former Trump Taj Mahal, which closed in October 2016. The new owners, Hard Rock International, spent $500 million on renovations to the property before opening June 28, 2018.

Built at a cost of more than $1 billion, Trump Taj Mahal first opened in 1990. It was the largest casino in the world at the time.

Financial issues plagued the property from the beginning. Despite being the top-grossing casino in Atlantic City prior to the opening of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in 2003, Trump Taj Mahal underwent numerous bankruptcy proceedings and ownership changes over its quarter-century of operation.

Trump Taj Mahal was among the first Atlantic City casinos to obtain an NJ online gambling operator’s license. Through a partnership with Ultimate Gaming, a subsidiary of Las Vegas’ Station Casinos, Trump Taj Mahal launched Ultimate Casino in November 2013. The online casino site offered a limited number of slots, video poker, online table games, and an online poker client.

While initially successful, Ultimate Casino quickly fell to the bottom of the list of New Jersey online casinos in terms of revenue. By September 2014, with Trump Taj Mahal filing for bankruptcy yet again, payment issues forced Ultimate Gaming to pull out and Ultimate Casino was shut down.

Trump Taj Mahal itself closed on Oct. 10, 2016, in the middle of a labor dispute.

What’s new at Hard Rock Atlantic City?

Hard Rock Atlantic City includes a casino with more than 2,000 slots and 120 table games. The interior is completely redesigned and features first-class food and beverage concepts. The Hard Rock Cafe Atlantic City moved into a new 400-seat venue in the center of the property.

The newly renovated property also includes Hard Rock International’s notable design and branding, featuring pieces from the world’s largest and most priceless music memorabilia collection.

Amenities also include two arenas with more than 7,000 seats total, a reimagined entrance and guest rooms, meeting and convention space, a full-service spa, a gas station, and a beach bar.

Hard Rock brass indicated early on an interest in contributing to the revitalization of Atlantic City.

Marketing, promotions, and rewards

Hard Rock International likely understands that competing in the growing Atlantic City online casino market will require offering one of the biggest and most comprehensive libraries of slots, video poker, and casino games available.

Plus, deposit bonuses need to be on par or in excess of those offered by established industry leaders.

The existing online casinos in New Jersey have had a few years’ head start. This means Hard Rock will have to offer a massive variety of casino games and competitive deposit bonuses to attract new players.

The Seminole wild card

Hard Rock International already runs a very popular and successful casino player loyalty program at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Florida, and four other smaller Native American casino locations throughout Florida.

The Seminole Wild Card program allows players to earn Comp Dollars at every Seminole Casino and Hard Rock property. Further perks include invitations to exclusive events, giveaways, and concert ticket offers. Players earn Comp Dollars playing live poker, casino games, and slots.

Players 21 years and older can sign up for free with a photo ID. The Wild Card can also be used for:

• Free play
• Hotel & spa discounts
• Priority restaurant reservations
• Show pre-sale access and seat upgrades
• Transportation
• VIP parking access

Assuming regulatory approval by the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is likely to allow players entry into the same Seminole Wild Card program offered at its Florida properties. At the very least, the new property will create a similar program exclusive to Atlantic City players.

Both the online entity and land-based property will look to take advantage of cross-promotional opportunities that draw patrons to all its offerings.

Banking options at Hard Rock online casino

Deposit options

A Hard Rock online casino needs to be set up to accept:

• Visa
• MasterCard
• Prepaid cards
• ECheck/ACH
• Check
• PayPal
• Cash at the TEN cage

Withdrawal options

Players should be able to receive winnings, in the same manner, they deposited money.

Customer service

Any Hard Rock online casino platform should be ready to offer around-the-clock support, including:

• Live chat
• Phone support
• Email support