BetMGM Hints At Nevada Online Poker Launch Within YearLicense Renewed By State Gaming Commission |
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Since the state of Nevada legalized online poker in 2013, there have been only two options. The first of those, Ultimate Poker, flamed out after just over a year. WSOP.com now remains the only operator in the state, sharing liquidity with players in New Jersey.
However, two license holders remain for online poker in the state and those recently saw renewals despite some misgivings from members of the Nevada Gaming Commission. BetMGM Poker NV and a company called Z4Poker were recently renewed for the 14th time, despite never launching in the state.
“At some point it’s a public policy question of whether or not Nevada and gaming needs to move forward,” Control Board Chairman Kirk Hendrick. He added that the commission “wants to have licenses and business in place and tax revenue and jobs and everything that goes along with an approval and an activation – as opposed to an approval and just waiting.”
Close To Launching?
Z4Poker representatives said they were close to launching an online gaming poker model. They noted that the company was making “substantial progress” toward making the transition from solely a social gaming option to real-money online poker in Nevada.
The company is family-owned and apparently has experienced some engineering setbacks and software issues that have delayed those efforts.
MGM representatives said the company was conducting field trials related to sports betting at the moment with a focus on potential shared liquidity for online poker following that. That includes online poker in Nevada with a rough timeline of a launch within a year, according to representatives at the meeting.
Adding Nevada would give BetMGM operations in four states, including New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The country’s Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) currently includes New Jersey, Nevada, Michigan, Delaware, and West Virginia. Pennsylvania legislators are currently considering joining as well.
Currently there are only two multi-state operators with WSOP.com in New Jersey and Nevada, and PokerStars in Michigan and New Jersey. Legislators in New York are also currently considering legalizing online poker.
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