Caesars Interactive Entertainment (CIE) has claimed a first in shared liquidity and is hopeful that WSOP.com and 888Poker.com will be authorised to link customers in New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware from May 1, 2018.
Described as “a major step for gaming operators in the U.S.” CIE anticipates final regulatory approval from Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, and has submitted its software for testing in all three jurisdictions.
Multi-State liquidity will go a long way towards larger prize pools, an expanded game selection, wider time zone coverage and expanded tournament offerings while also proving timeous for the 49th annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, scheduled to begin May 29.
“This has been a huge collaborative effort from all involved and it is important to thank the elected leadership and regulatory authorities in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey for their dedication and diligence to help move online poker forward,” Bill Rini, WSOP.com’s head of online poker, said.
“Everyone has had the end user in mind throughout this process, and as a result, we believe the United States, for the first time in a regulated environment, will have a large-scale multi-state offering that will propel the industry forward as soon as next month.”
“We are pleased to see this long-sought multi-state poker agreement come to fruition,” Robert Moncrief Jr., Deputy Chief of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcements Technical Services Bureau, commented. “This will raise jackpots and provide even greater opportunities for play. It also paves the way for additional states to join and grow the regulated, legal online poker market.”
“The Delaware Lottery is very pleased to be able to offer Delaware’s online poker players this exciting opportunity to enhance their gaming experience,” Vernon Kirk, director of the Delaware Lottery, said.
“The NGCB is pleased to be part of this collaborative effort between regulators, operators, and the platform manufacturer to achieve the common goal of providing a sound gaming experience for patrons across multiple jurisdictions while still meeting our individual jurisdictional requirements,” concluded Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman, Becky Harris.
Following implementation, Nevada and Delaware online poker players will be required to download a new poker client and create a new account. Once implemented the existing poker client will be discontinued. The software upgrades will enhance the user experience and keep players engaged, CIE said.
“Pooling poker players from three states will be a significant regulatory step in the US and is very exciting for our players and partners,” said Yaniv Sherman, 888 Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Development.
“The guidance and coordination provided by the regulators in the three states has been instrumental to the potential success of shared liquidity. If approved, we anticipate that this will open up further opportunities in other states.”