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WSOP.com and the other online poker sites in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware powered by 888 Poker software announced this week they will launch interstate play beginning May 1.

New Jersey announced it had entered into an interstate compact with Nevada and Delaware this past October. Nevada and Delaware sites have shared player pools under the agreement since 2015. State regulators invited interested sites to apply to share player pools immediately after New Jersey signed on.

Now, players logging on to WSOP.com in Nevada, WSOP.com or 888 Poker in New Jersey, or the 888 Network’s Delaware Park, Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway sites in Delaware will begin competing against each other starting next month.

More players, bigger prize pools, larger guarantees

According to WSOP.com, allowing players in these regulated markets to compete against each other will attract even more players. In turn, that will mean bigger prize pools and larger tournament guarantees.

It also means players located in New Jersey and Delaware will be able to play in online bracelet events. Four online WSOP bracelet events are scheduled to take place during the upcoming 2018 World Series of Poker.

The four online bracelet events include:

• $365 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em June 3
• $565 WSOP.com ONLINE Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed June 22
• $1,000 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em Championship June 29
• $3,200 WSOP.com ONLINE No-Limit Hold’em High Roller June 30

Updated software and new client required

WSOP.com players in Nevada and Delaware players will be required to download a new client with updated software.

Additionally, those players must create a new WSOP.com account in order to continue to play on the site. Players will still be able to log in to the cashier and withdraw any remaining funds from their old WSOP.com account until July 31. New Jersey players with an active account will be able to immediately start playing come May 1.

After interstate play launches, WSOP.com is also promising:

• $100,000 Sunday Tournaments
• BLAST Poker allowing players to compete for up to 10,000-times the buy-in
• A new and improved player loyalty program
• Bigger guarantees than ever before

Online poker growth

WSOP.com’s head of online poker Bill Rini praised the efforts of state regulators in helping grow online poker across the US:

“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. 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.”

Pennsylvania lawmakers voted in favor of a comprehensive gambling expansion package this past October. It included the authorization of online poker operations. The first sites are expected to get up and running in PA by the end of the year. That market will be the next target for the further expansion of interstate play.

888 senior vice president Yaniv Sherman is looking forward to this and other opportunities for online poker across the US:

“Pooling poker players from three states will be a significant regulatory step in the U.S., and is very exciting for our players and partners. If approved, we anticipate that this will open up further opportunities in other states.”

The post Pool Party: WSOP.com To Combine NJ And NV On May 1 appeared first on Play USA.

The mini-casino situation in Pennsylvania just got a lot murkier. After one successful round of subsequent auctioning, the second auction came and went without a bidder.

Is it time to open up the satellite process?

Now the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) will need to evaluate how to proceed. Technically, the next step is a third and final round of bidding. This round would open up the process to groups outside of existing casino license holders. If that process happens, the PGCB would predetermine eligibility requirements. Any outside applicants would need to be vetted by PGCB before they would be approved to submit a bid.

Of course, PGCB could also decide to call it a day when it comes to satellite casinos. There are currently five of the 10 licenses still available. However, thanks to some very large bids early on, the proceeds from the five auctions already generated well over the minimum expected.

Had all 10 licenses sold for the base cost of $7.5 million, it would’ve generated $75 million in revenue. Thanks to opening bids of $50 million and $40 million dollars, the five licenses generated over $120 million.

Or is it time for PA to shut down the auctions?

Early revenue numbers had industry insiders very enthusiastic about how much these satellite casinos could raise for the state. However, once the choice locations were gone, so was the interest.

The most recent auction awarded a second satellite casino license to Penn National for just $3 above the minimum bid. That location was arguably more a defensive move to protect the centrally located Hollywood Casino than the company eagerly thinking it could develop a profitable new property in central PA.

The Morning Call spoke with Joseph Weinert, executive vice president of the consulting firm Spectrum Gaming Group regarding possible sites. He said College Station is a real possibility. However, besides that, the choice locations are really gone.

Keep in mind that over 1,000 municipalities in the state opted out of hosting a mini-casino. Between the opt-outs and the buffer zones around existing Pennsylvania casinos and satellite locations, there truly are a finite number of options.

If PGCB decides to establish criteria for those outside of the Keystone State, it is unclear if anyone would bother with the vetting process.

Why outside entities might not want a Category 4 casino

Outside entities are plunking down big bucks to buy out existing Pennsylvania casinos. The opportunity to get in the market before all of the new gambling expansion elements launch is too lucrative to miss out.

However, buying a Category 4 license won’t afford them the same kind of opportunity. While the presumption is existing casinos with higher-category licenses can offer things like sports betting at mini-casinos, a mini-casino flying solo would not be able to do the same thing.

Moreover, a Category 4 casino would not have access to any of the available interactive gaming licenses.

To sum things up, if an outside group decided to invest in a satellite casino property, that is all they would really be investing in. The opportunities new groups like Churchill Downs and Wind River can take advantage of are not on the table.

Photo by omeus / Shutterstock

The post Looks Like The Satellite Casino Fad Has Run Its Course appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

The grand opening date of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City was announced during a highly publicized three-city, simultaneous press conference on Wednesday morning.

The post Pack Your Bags For Hard Rock Atlantic City: Resort Will Open On June 28 appeared first on Play NJ.

Regulated online poker in America will get a serious shot in the arm starting next month, as New Jersey will finally link up with Nevada and Delaware for online poker. …

New Jersey online poker cash games posted a decline for the third week in a row, but tournament traffic made some significant gains.

The post NJ Online Gaming Scoop: Cash Game and Tournament Traffic for April 16 appeared first on Play NJ.

In another hopeful step toward ending the state takeover of Atlantic City, Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to remove the state designee and transfer power back to the Department of Community Affairs.

The post Atlantic City’s Future Is Bright As Gov. Murphy Moves To End State Designee appeared first on Play NJ.