Caesars Opens 16,000-Square-Foot Sportsbook at Monmouth Park
The space includes indoor and outdoor viewing spots with wall-to-wall video screens, over 25 self-service betting kiosks, a center bar, a VIP section, and a Shake Shack restaurant.
Caesars Entertainment launched a 16,000-square-foot trackside sportsbook at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey, on Nov. 20. The space includes indoor and outdoor viewing spots with wall-to-wall video screens, over 25 self-service betting kiosks, a center bar, a VIP section, and a Shake Shack restaurant.
The standalone building sits next to the racetrack's clubhouse. It gives views of the track where legal sports betting in New Jersey started in 2018.
"It's fitting to open this cutting-edge venue at Monmouth Park, where legal sports betting in New Jersey first launched, and add to its rich history," said Dan Shapiro, senior vice president and chief development officer at Caesars Digital. "With this investment, we are proud to continue to support horse racing in the Garden State."
Dennis Drazin runs the track. He serves as chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC. His company worked with Caesars on the project, which took nearly two years to build.
"This has been a long battle since 2013 and, finally, the Supreme Court gave us sports betting in 2018," said Drazin at the ribbon cutting. "But Caesars always had the vision of having this building that we're standing in now being the flagship for their sports betting models throughout the country."
Monmouth Park made history on June 14, 2018 when Gov. Phil Murphy placed the first legal sports bet in the state. He put down $20 on the New Jersey Devils winning the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup. William Hill ran things at first. Then Caesars bought those operations in 2022.
Drazin worked with Gov. Chris Christie's team to challenge federal restrictions on sports betting. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May 2018 that a federal law violated the Constitution.
The new spot aims to capture more of New Jersey's retail betting market. Through October, Garden State oddsmakers took $9.9 billion in bets. Online books made up $9.5 billion of that total.
Between January and October, the track's previous sportsbook reported revenue of just $1.6 million. The Meadowlands FanDuel location brought in more than $19.7 million in retail sports win during the same period.
Pari-mutuel race wagering remains available at the spot. Bettors 21 and older can also access the Caesars Sportsbook app on iOS and Android devices.
