Pokerstars’ land casino partner in New Jersey, Resorts Casino Hotel, issued a statement Thursday on the internet poker giant’s long-awaited success in obtaining an online gambling transactional waiver from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, saying that its subsidiary Resorts Digital looked forward to jointly developing a stronger online presence in the Garden State.
Resorts already operate two online casino sites in the state – ResortsCasino.com and MoheganSunCasino.com.
“We are proud to join forces with PokerStars as they make their entry into the United States online gaming market, and look forward to officially launching after completion of the regulatory test period,” Resorts owner Morris Bailey said in the statement.
“While an official launch date has not yet been revealed, the announcement that the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has issued PokerStars a transactional waiver to conduct online gaming in New Jersey is welcome news.”
The statement goes on to confirm that PokerStars will become the casino’s exclusive online poker website, and predicts that the partnership between Resorts and PokerStars will “bolster the online gaming market in New Jersey and catapult the Resorts brand to the forefront of online gaming,” diversifying the Resorts online offering.
New Jersey’s preeminent online gambling supporter, Senator Ray Lesniak also commented on the transactional waiver award to Pokerstars, saying that it could be key to improving the struggling Atlantic City’s fortunes.
“It’s huge for Atlantic City because PokerStars’ plans are to promote Atlantic City along with its iGaming platform,” Lesniak said. “The other operators are just promoting iGaming. PokerStars will bring attractions to Atlantic City, concerts to promote their brand, and maybe even live poker tournaments after an Internet elimination round. The potential is unlimited because they have the gravitas to have a substantial impact.”