PokerStars owner granted New Jersey approval

ator PokerStars has taken another step towards moving back into the US market, after being granted approval by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to operate in the state.

Provider Amaya Gaming, which owns Stars, announced that both its Stars and Full Tilt brands have been given authorisation by the DGE.

Approval has been granted following a review of Amaya’s acquisition of Stars and Full Tilt in 2014.

Amaya CEO David Baazov said: “We are very pleased to add New Jersey to the long list of regulated markets that have found PokerStars and Full Tilt suitable to offer real-money online gaming.”

Stars has not operated in the US since 2011 when it was shut down by the US government and Stars founder Isai Scheinberg subsequently faced a federal indictment for allegedly violating the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and the Illegal Gambling Business Act.

PokerStars agreed in 2012 to pay $731m to settle the government’s civil charges that the company used fraudulent methods to process payments and evade US restrictions on internet gambling.

The process for Stars to enter the New Jersey online market began in 2013 when Rational Group, the previous owner of PokerStars, entered into a partnership with land-based casino Resorts Casino Hotel.

Amaya then acquired Oldford Group, the parent company of Rational Group, for $4.9bn in August 2014, and formally field for a transactional waiver to the DGE in October of the same year for permission to conduct business transaction.

Baazov announced at a conference call in March that Amaya expected to launch in New Jersey in the third quarter of this year, but only approval was achieved in that time.