One aspect of the sports-betting future arrived via The Book at Bally’s, which had its official coronation on the first Sunday of the NFL season.
It was a dream come true for fans who wanted a Vegas-style sportsbook in Atlantic City. The large-scale Book unleashes betting enthusiasm, with every NFL game being played at the same time. The large screens provide visual euphoria. The sportsbook, by far Atlantic City’s largest, has all the elements that inspire wagering largesse. Similar in size to the sportsbook at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, it carries a similar sense of indulgence. It also features the largest single viewing screen on the East Coast, a 98-by-18-foot high-resolution LED TV.
The Book offers an immersive, socially driven experience for sports fans with more than 15,200 square feet of sports betting space. The venue includes five private Fan Caves, available for private reservations with capacity for up to 24 people. The private rooms include high-resolution televisions that can be split into three different screens. Caves also include game consoles including an Xbox, as well as table service and food provided by Guy Fieri’s Guy’s Bar-B-Que Joint, as well as AC Snack Shack.
The primary viewing area features 102 seats, 30 VIP seats, and seating for 28 at the bar rail, which will offer the latest video poker slots. The Caves increase the capacity to 280.
In the main viewing area, this facility has modernized the sports betting room concept. Leather chairs are comfortable and recline. Drinks can be placed on the arm rest. Significantly, there is generous leg room between the rows. The Book caters both to hardcore fans and casual observers, inviting an experience lasting several hours. Food and drinks can be purchased.
Giant screens enable games to be viewed either from the back of the book or simply walking in the area. The ability to attract viewers to the sportsbook area via the large screens is one of the most subliminal—and under-publicized—aspects of an exciting establishment.
There’s even a self-service beer wall.
This room is the brick-and-mortar be-all-to-end-all for Atlantic City sports wagering. If it ever adds a mobile-gaming component, it may corner the entire sportsbook market in Atlantic City.
What: The Book at Bally’s
Grand Opening: September 8, 2019
Size: 15,228 square feet
Architectural Team: R2 Architects
Construction: Weatherby Construction
Seating Capacity: 280
Cost: $7.5 million
