Stardust Casino Being Resurrected Online in Pennsylvania, New Jersey

Posted on: March 8, 2021, 11:26h. 

Last updated on: March 8, 2021, 12:43h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

The famed Stardust Casino is being revived online by Boyd Gaming and FanDuel in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Stardust Casino FanDuel Boyd Gaming
The Stardust Casino is seen in this 2006 Las Vegas photograph. FanDuel and Boyd Gaming are bringing back the vintage Strip casino brand online in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. (Image: Reuters)

In April, subject to final regulatory approval, the Stardust Casino will launch online gaming operations. FanDuel is rebranding its existing Betfair Casino in New Jersey to Boyd Gaming’s Stardust likeness.

The internet casino platform will initially feature interactive slots, roulette, and blackjack. The casino’s online website says it will allow players to “tap into the golden age of gaming.”

The new Stardust Casino will retain all of the great games that customers love on Betfair Casino, while incorporating a new stylish look that captures the glitz, glamour, and nostalgia of old Las Vegas,” said FanDuel Group President Amy Howe.

Players located inside New Jersey or Pennsylvania will have access to the Stardust Casino app on iOS and Android. 

FanDuel is licensed to operate online gaming in New Jersey through its land-based casino partner Golden Nugget. In Pennsylvania, FanDuel operates iGaming through its partnership with the Valley Forge Casino Resort, which Boyd owns.

Iconic Revival

The Stardust certainly represents a time long ago in Las Vegas. The former Strip property played a key role in the area becoming informally known as “Sin City.”

Conceived by Tony Cornero, an Italian-born businessman who was a bootlegger and gambling entrepreneur in the 1920s through the 1950s, construction on the Stardust began in 1954. The following year, Cornero unexpectedly died of a heart attack while playing craps in the Desert Inn Casino. It’s long been suspected that Cornero was poisoned. 

Just hours before his death, Cornero told investors he needed another $800,000 to complete the Stardust. The unfinished casino development changed ownership several times until Rella Factor, the wife of mobster John Factor, acquired the resort and finished its construction. The Stardust opened in 1958. 

Over its years of operation, the Stardust was accused numerous times by state gaming regulators of “skimming.” This is the process of underreporting revenue to reduce the casino’s tax liability. 

The Boyd family purchased the Strip property in 1985 and retained its ownership until its 2006 closing. After demolishing the aging casino, Boyd announced its plans to build a $4.8 billion resort development called Echelon Place in its place. However, the Great Recession halted those ambitions, and the former Stardust site remained a vacant lot until it was sold to the Genting Group in 2013. 

Genting is nearing completion of Resorts World Las Vegas. The $4.3 billion undertaking is targeting a summer 2021 opening.

Terms Not Disclosed

Boyd Gaming, which retains ownership of the Stardust name, did not reveal what sort of revenue it will receive for allowing FanDuel to use the casino’s brand. 

The Stardust Casino apps will be Boyd’s first foray into real-money iGaming.