All Three Regulated iPoker States Agree Interstate Compact

Three US states launched their respective online poker industries in 2013, with Nevada and Delaware subsequently enacting an interstate compact in 2015 to give their markets a much-needed liquidity boost. A couple of years later, and New Jersey has decided to throw in its lot with the other two states in a move that could pave the way for the game’s future in the country.
While the smaller states of Nevada and Delaware offer just online poker, New Jersey’s has an all-round online gambling industry in which poker contributes less than 20% of overall gaming revenues. In September, the Garden State subsequently saw its online poker revenues drop 12.5% to just $1.9 million, representing the third time in 2017 iPoker revenues have come in below the $2 million mark.
By combining its player liquidity with those of the USA’s other regulated online poker markets, New Jersey has now taken a huge step towards attracting new players and boosting its annual growth rate, as well as creating a greater number of opportunities for both players and gaming operators, alike.
One of the operators set to benefit greatly from the development will be Caesars Interactive Entertainment, whose WSOP brand will now enjoy unfettered access to the country’s largest regulated online poker market. Commenting upon the exciting news, Caesars Interactive issued the following statement:
“We applaud the government leadership and the regulators in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware for reaching this meaningful agreement. We will immediately begin efforts to take our existing Delaware-Nevada compact and add New Jersey to the mix by following the requirements established by the regulators so WSOP.com can share liquidity with all three states.”
Likewise, New Jersey’s PartyPoker operation will also need to just apply for a Nevada license in order to gain access to the larger player pool. PokerStars, on the other hand, has been somewhat left out of the loop, as it is considered a “bad actor” by Nevada, and so is unlikely to be granted a license by the Silver State.
As to when the interstate compact is likely to take place, although no specific details have been revealed thus far, gaming experts are expecting its launch just a few short months from now.