PokerStars Announces March 21st Return to Regulated New Jersey Market
Today, Canada’s Amaya Gaming announced the long-awaited return of the world’s largest online-poker brand, PokerStars, to New Jersey. In a press release distributed within the past hour, PokerStars has announced that a new PokerStars-branded site will debut on March 21, 2016 in partnership with Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino Hotel.
The announcement heralds a landmark moment for the fan-favorite site, which will make its return to the US market — if only, for now, in a single US state — just a few weeks shy of five years from the site’s initial “Black Friday”-induced exodus from US lands. Since then, PokerStars has changed owners, ridding the company of former executives whose ongoing presence repeatedly forced New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to delay the long-running application and approval process.
PokerStars and parent company Amaya had previously announced announced their expectation that Stars would go live in New Jersey in the spring, which coincides nicely with the March 21 live date. The initial deal PokerStars deal with Morris Gaming Group and Resorts Casino AC (which is no longer a part of the Resorts Casino Atlantic family) actually dates from the pre-Amaya Stars ownership. However, the prospect of being able to return the Stars brand to a regulated New Jersey market has kept both Amaya and MGG interested in continuing the deal.
For the near future, the New Jersey launch will be for intrastate online poker only, meaning only residents of and visitors to New Jersey will be able to play on the site. Stars customers in other countries will not be able to play on the New Jersey site, nor will would-be players in other US states, though New Jersey officials have conducted preliminary player-pooling talks with other US-legal states such as Nevada and Delaware.
It’ll be interesting to watch the expected positive impact that the reintroduction of the PokerStars brand has upon the overall New Jersey online-poker market. Online poker has lagged far behind other forms of online casino gaming in the state’s casino market, though Stars’ return may well invigorate that market segment.
Here’s today’s important presser:
AMAYA TO LAUNCH POKERSTARS IN NEW JERSEY IN MARCH
Launch marks the global gaming leader’s entry into U.S. regulated online gaming market
Amaya Inc. today announced that it expects to initially launch its PokerStars brand in New Jersey on Monday, March 21, 2016. The launch quickly follows the September 2015 authorization by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (the “DGE”) to operate the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands in the State. Amaya currently expects to conduct an interim testing period with the DGE and a beta period for a limited player base beginning in mid-March.
“PokerStars is the global leader in online poker and trusted by its customers for its robust and innovative technology, world-class security and game-integrity. We are honored and excited to now bring these experiences to New Jersey,” said David Baazov, Chairman and CEO of Amaya. “We’re also thankful to Morris Bailey and the fine team at Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City and look forward to a successful collaboration.”
“Resorts Casino Hotel continues to be the preferred Atlantic City partner and home for outstanding global brands,” said Morris Bailey, owner of Resorts. “First with Mohegan Sun and Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville and now, with PokerStars joining that portfolio, Resorts is poised to offer players the best online and bricks & mortar casino experiences anywhere. We expect that the launch of PokerStars will further spur the positive momentum we have already made in the New Jersey online gaming market.”
As one of the world’s most regulated online gaming companies with licenses in more than a dozen jurisdictions and more than 100 million cumulative registered customers around the world, Amaya is committed to implementing the highest standards of regulation, safety and security for customers. The PokerStars offering in New Jersey will be at www.pokerstarsnj.com and will utilize the same stringent verification, technology, account segregation and responsible gaming practices to regulate player activity that the brand has pioneered elsewhere globally.
Focused on providing the most authentic, competitive and convenient online poker experience, the PokerStars offering in New Jersey will be available across desktop, tablet and mobile platforms, and will provide customers with some of the world’s most popular online poker games and titles, including the Sunday Special tournament and recently introduced Spin & Go tournaments. PokerStars will also offer customers an array of online casino games, including a wide selection of different Blackjack variants, as well as Roulette, Baccarat, Video Poker and Slots. Many games will also be available with multi-player tables.
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