Delaware North Debuts Ember Casino In New Jersey As Part Of National Rebrand

New Jersey runs the most crowded online casino market in the country, and that’s exactly where Delaware North decided to plant its new flag.

The global hospitality and entertainment company, known for everything from ballpark concessions to national park lodges, announced the launch of Ember Casino in New Jersey last week. According to the company's press release, it is the first phase of something bigger, namely rebranding Delaware North's entire digital gaming business, currently running under the Betly name, into a single brand called Ember. New Jersey is the launchpad with more markets to follow this year.

Which raises some obvious questions. Why New Jersey? Why the place where there is the most competition? How does a new brand expect to compete?

Lee Terfloth, Delaware North's chief interactive gaming officer, told Casino Reports the answer isn't to outspend everybody.

"Obviously there are two very entrenched companies doing a lot of revenue in New Jersey, FanDuel and DraftKings," Terfloth said. "But we're still seeing some market fracturing and smaller entities are doing decently well, so we believe there's still room to compete."

The plan, he said, is to lean on the part of the business that isn't a casino. Delaware North runs hotels, cruises, and sports and food-service hospitality at venues across the country, plus concessions at national parks. Terfloth wants Ember's loyalty program plugged into all of it.

“We’re able to offer experiences and rewards that few operators can replicate because of the broader Delaware North ecosystem,” he said.

Stuff, not spins

Translation: Instead of dumping a billion free spins on the market and praying, Ember wants to hand players stuff they can actually touch.

That thinking shows up in the launch promotion. Per the release, Ember is running a "Play to Earn" deal where players who sign up and play earn entries to win a car, a Toyota GR86, a Ford Mustang, or a Ford Bronco, with a string of vehicle giveaways planned during the opening stretch.

“Our philosophy has always been to connect online gaming with experiences that exist in the real world, rather than simply maximizing screen time,” Terfloth said.

The welcome offer, for now, is thin. A modest deposit match, a little free money, the usual 10x playthrough attached.

“We’ve intentionally taken a measured approach at launch and will continue expanding our promotional offerings over the coming weeks,” he said.

What has surprised Terfloth so far is that the soft launch hasn't been all that soft.

“We’ve been very encouraged by the early response,” he said. “With relatively limited marketing, we’ve seen strong initial engagement in a short period of time.”

He has watched other operators, European brands and startups, try to muscle into New Jersey over the years, and many of them have come and gone.

"This isn't one of those markets where you come in and you buy it," he said. "You have to be different. You have to be strategic."

The Ember rollout keeps going from here. The Betly-to-Ember switch hits West Virginia on July 1, and Pennsylvania is penciled in for late this year or early next.