Atlantic City’s Evolution Tech Hub to Open 60,000-Square-Foot Tech Center

Evolution will launch a 60,000-square-foot tech center and live dealer studio on the second floor of the Showboat Resort Atlantic City. Online gambling revenue keeps beating in-person casino earnings in New Jersey. The Malta-based company anticipates bringing on around 1,200 workers once operations begin.

The studio will house broadcasting equipment and technical operations to satisfy mushrooming demand for live dealer games. Evolution runs studios at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Tropicana Atlantic City, and Ocean Casino Resort. Those sites remain operational.

"We build broadcasting studios around the world essentially to serve a video stream where players can be on their device, on their phone, wherever they want to," said Jacob Claesson, CEO North America for Evolution, according to YogoNet.com. "In New Jersey, roughly 20% of online gaming is live dealer today, and it's growing."

Online gambling revenue has surpassed revenue from customers at Atlantic City's nine casinos for three straight months. January included. This swing has prompted the company to widen its studio presence across the city.

"Given the challenge of how much we are growing, it's hard to find a place where we can hold all of these tables in one place," Claesson. "That's why we've been kind of forced to be opening up several studios within the city, but it's all to keep up with that growth."

The company has poured tens of millions into Atlantic City. It employs about 1,000 people there now. Jobs available include dealers, technicians, camera operators, lighting and audio technicians, carpenters, and human resources staff.

Showboat owner Bart Blatstein labeled the agreement a major commercial milestone. "The largest office use in Atlantic City in many decades," he said of the lease.

Neither Claesson nor Blatstein revealed the project's cost or the lease duration. Claesson said he aims to secure approval from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and have the facility running in the second or third quarter of this year.

The buildout allows hundreds or thousands of players to join the same game at the same time through video streams. "Live dealer has become a must these days, and we're kind of fortunate for the position we're in that we work with all the licensed operators in New Jersey," Claesson said.