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Atlantic City Casino Launches 'Live' Online Poker

Golden Nugget NJ Debuts New Game, Said To Be First In U.S.

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Credit: Golden Nugget ACOne of Atlantic City’s five real-money online casino operators is giving Texas hold’em over the internet a new look.

The Golden Nugget Atlantic City late last month debuted “Live Casino Hold’em,” a form of poker played over the internet with a real-life dealer stationed in a studio in Atlantic City. The games are currently only available to those physically within the Garden State’s borders. Live dealer online table games are nothing new, but having such a format for Texas hold’em is said to be a first in the United States, which currently has regulated online casino-style betting in just three states.

“Being the first to offer a Live Dealer version of the world’s most popular poker game in America, Casino Hold’em, shows our commitment to delivering on an innovative and world-class product to our patrons,” Thomas Winter, Golden Nugget’s senior vice president and general manager of online gaming, told Press of Atlantic City.

This version of online poker is house-banked, unlike a traditional online poker table where players compete against each other with the house taking a rake. The Golden Nugget, New Jersey’s top online gambling operator in terms of revenue, doesn’t offer the classic version of web poker.

According to the Golden Nugget’s website, the game is available in real time from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., seven days a week. That’s the block of time when a human dealer will be pitching the virtual cards. The games can be played via a computer or smartphone.

The technology behind the product doesn’t belong to the Golden Nugget. The software comes from a firm called Ezugi NJ, which first saw its tech used for live dealer games in the U.S. in 2016. “America is in love with poker, and by using the Live Dealer platform, the game retains its strong connection between the player and the dealer in a live environment,” said Ezugi CEO Kfir Kugler.

Though it’s new to the U.S., the online poker variation has been around for several years in Europe. A group called Evolution Gaming has its own version, as seen in a demo below. Other companies with their own versions include Playtech and Microgaming.

Below is a look at Ezugi’s other live dealer online table game offerings.