The Delaware and Nevada shared player pool project is set to receive a significant boost on May 1 when the populous state of New Jersey joins, bringing to fruition a Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement signed last fall.
Delaware Lottery Director Vernon Kirk told local media outlets Tuesday that bringing New Jersey on board will contribute more players, creating bigger jackpots and a better time zone match.
“Delaware has about a million population, Nevada has about 3 million population, and New Jersey has about 9 million. So they become the big kid on the block,” he said.
Kirk notes online gamblers in Delaware will have to create a new account next week, as the state’s casinos switch over to New Jersey’s online gaming platform. Because of this, he does not expect a big jump in revenue immediately, but sees the change as an investment in the future.
“What we’re doing is laying the foundation for the future of internet gaming. We anticipate Pennsylvania will be joining the ranks pretty soon,” he said. “There’s a lot of other states that are kind of on the brink.”
In related news, a press release from Caesars announced that the new edition of WSOP.com with its upgraded software will be part of the May 1 link-up of players in Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey,
The release advises players that from April 24 they can pre-register for their new account so they are set to participate as soon as the new WSOP.com goes live May 1. At that time, former accounts will no longer be active, though they will remain accessible for withdrawal of funds until July 31.
WSOP.com will be upping the ante and offering a total of $15 million in guarantees between May and September, with big boosts for the weekly and monthly tournament offerings.