esentatives from the state government of New Jersey have announced that it has entered into a shared liquidity arrangement for online poker with fellow US states Nevada and Delaware.
Under the unlawful internet gambling enforcement act of 2006, the decision on whether to legalise online gaming services was left to individual states, however only the aforementioned states have adopted the legal frameworks required to institute these services.
Nevada and Delaware entered into a shared liquidity agreement in 2014 designed to enlarge their online poker markets by increasing the size of their player pools and offering bigger prizes to players across both states.
A key part of this process is an online gaming platform that has been vetted and approved by each jurisdiction. Revenues are accrued and taxed based on the jurisdiction where the player resides, with gaming regulators from all states included in the agreement able to access and regulate the mutually-used servers housing the platforms.
At the time of the signing, terminology was included allowing other states to join the agreement subject to approval by the governor of the respective state.
In a statement announcing New Jersey’s sign up to the compact, Nevada state governor Brian Sandoval said: “I would like to thank Governor Christie for joining in partnership with Nevada and Delaware.
“New innovations and technological advancements are connecting more people and increasing the capabilities of Nevada’s gaming industry. Gaming is one of our oldest industries and it’s imperative that we continue to look for new opportunities to explore its full potential in a changing frontier.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said: “Pooling players with Nevada and Delaware will enhance annual revenue growth, attract new consumers, and create opportunities for players and Internet gaming operators.
“This agreement marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for online gaming, and we look forward to working with our partners in Nevada and Delaware in this endeavour.”
With the signing of this agreement players from New Jersey will soon be able to access this larger online poker pool. Under the new agreement, a player could register in the other states and play from within their borders.
In an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal , Nevada Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett said: “Our technology team started to work with their colleagues in New Jersey and Delaware yesterday.
“It’s been a really great, collegial working environment with them.”
The chief commercial beneficiary of this agreement will in all likelihood be Caesars Interactive Entertainment’s (CIE) WSOP online poker brand, which currently services players in all three states.