Evolution Announces $75m Live Dealer Studio Campus Plans in Atlantic City

Evolution is an online gambling software company known for its contribution to the live dealer sector. Based in Sweden, Evolution has offered services in the US for quite some time, with a heavy presence within New Jersey online casinos. The online gaming developer recently announced a plan to bring a campus to Atlantic City to house its live dealer operations. The plan must be approved to move forward, with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority in charge of the decision.

Evolution plans to spend $75 million on a campus in Atlantic City, located on Fairmount Avenue. The new facility will be home to the developer's live dealer studios, which provide services for several casinos in New Jersey. 

Right now, Evolution offers live dealer games like blackjack and roulette at the Hard Rock Atlantic City, Tropicana Atlantic City, and the Ocean Casino Resort. Each venue houses the games, but with a full-on studio, Evolution would have a home base for its operations. 

The company submitted a land-use petition to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, which must be approved before the project can continue. The land in question is currently a parking lot owned by the Development Authority. 

Evolution would like to purchase the land and transform it into a live dealer studio. The company could also acquire the land if the Authority decides to donate it. Evolution already has 850 employees in Atlantic City, but with a new studio, that number could increase to 2,000 or more within a four—to five-year period. 

New Jersey's online gaming laws state that live dealer services can only be hosted in Atlantic City. The goal was to limit the impact on the area's land-based casinos from the launch of such online casino games.

Over the years, New Jersey online casino sites have seen major growth and development. A major shift was seen after the COVID-19 pandemic began. Land-based casinos in Atlantic City shut down, and players only had access to iGaming sites. 

Live dealer games began to grow in popularity as players could enjoy a realistic experience via table games from the comfort of home. Back in 2019, right before the pandemic began, the online casino industry in NJ was bringing in just under $500 million in revenues. In just one year, that amount increased to over $900 million due to the uptick in activity. 

Today, the gaming revenues reach over $1 billion annually. In 2023, over $1.9 billion in earnings were recorded. Already this year, the state has seen an increase in year-over-year monthly totals. We expect the Garden State will see a significant increase in revenues for 2024, and the trend could continue. 

With a new studio, Evolution will be able to offer even more live dealer options and capitalize on the popularity of iGaming in the state. From blackjack to roulette, baccarat, and poker variations, Evolution takes great care in the game types it provides, plus the level of dealer training and knowledge. 

Evolution is on another level when it comes to US-based live dealer games, and the potential campus in Atlantic City will be the start of a major progression for iGaming and the brand. It will be interesting to see if the land-use petition is granted and just how quickly Evolution will start prepping a space to expand its live dealer services in New Jersey. 

The state has always been a major player in the iGaming industry and a go-to resource for other states getting started in the industry. This is yet another reason why New Jersey is a driving force behind online gambling legislation and operations in the United States.