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The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, which next month will hold its first competition based on a physical skill rather than luck.

(Wayne Parry/The Associated Press)

ATLANTIC CITY -- One Atlantic City casino is betting that gamblers might want to take the chances of winning out of Lady Luck's hands - and directly into their own.

The Borgata is hosting a basketball free-throw tournament on March 21, and says it's the first time wagering will depend entirely on skill - and not luck.

Casino officials call it "groundbreaking" and "original," even "revolutionary."

"We appreciate the progressive thinking of the Division (of Gaming Enforcement) as well as their encouragement as we begin to introduce social and skill-based gaming options to a new generation of players," said Tom Ballance, the casino's president and chief operating officer.

The $10,000 tournament features a $20 buy-in, and consists of three rounds, of 90 seconds each. Gamers go head-to-head in bracket format, until finalists and winners are crowned, the casino announced.

"It's purely a physical dexterity contest," said Eric Weiss, director of the gambling enforcement division's technical services bureau.

Other Atlantic City casinos are also free to propose similar real-money games for approval, though each must be evaluated individually by the state.

The approval of the tournament by the Division of Gaming Enforcement is a part of the "New Jersey First" venture, which is designed to revitalize the tourism and gaming industries in Atlantic City.

Four casinos in Atlantic City shut down in 2014, but the eight that have survived have apparently seen increased revenue.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Seth Augenstein can be reached at saugenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SethAugenstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.