New Jersey Once Again Talking With Nevada About Sharing Players
The number of online poker players in Nevada could increase if recent initiatives from New Jersey are successful.
At present, Nevada shares a player pool with Delaware. However, officials from New Jersey are also open to discussions about entering into a shared liquidity agreement.
New Jersey and Nevada discussing a compact again
Previously, New Jersey had little interest in forming a compact with Nevada as the majority of its clientele are online casino players. This contrasts with Nevada, where only online poker is available and not online casinos.
However, New Jersey is now shifting its stance. The month of June was historically terrible for online poker in the Garden State. Despite the steady growth and expansion of the online casino industry, poker is not only static but declining.
In a recent conversation with Global Gaming Business Magazine, Chairman David Rebuck of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement confessed that his stance on Nevada liquidity has shifted.
I have resumed discussions with AG Burnett, the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, to explore the possibility of an agreement to share liquidity for online poker. However, given that 90 percent of our revenue comes from online casino games excluding poker, it is not of significant importance unless Nevada permits all casino games online.
Rebuck is right in stating that the limited number of players in Nevada would not significantly uplift the entire industry. However, specifically for poker, it could potentially be a substantial benefit for Nevada.
WSOP.com is the only site that can be sustained in The Silver State, with only a few hundred active players at any given time. Many of the low stakes online cash games involve the same dozen or so players playing at multiple tables. The inclusion of New Jersey players could significantly change the landscape.
Server location the key to online poker liquidity
The recent agreement between Rebuck and New Jersey to share liquidity with British websites collapsed. The issue with the deal is that the existing gaming law in New Jersey requires all servers to be located in Atlantic City.
British sites had no intention of disrupting their operations and relocating servers across the Atlantic. However, if Nevada and Delaware desire an agreement with New Jersey, they would also need to move their servers.
The existence of WSOP.com in both New Jersey and Nevada might make the server issue easier to resolve than it is for British sites. However, any such adjustment would require the approval of the Nevada Gambling Control Board.
Lesniaks proposed bill offering new hope for liquidity
As individual states with online poker grapple with bill payments, it appears that liquidity could be their best chance for industry growth.
New Jersey State Senator Ray Lesniak has proposed a potential solution to the server problem. He informed the Associated Press that he plans to craft a bill that will amend the server directive, thus making New Jersey accessible to national and international liquidity partners.