N.J. Online Gambling: PokerStars And Full Tilt Approved In Garden State

Former online poker players who threw down their chips with industry-leading sites PokerStars and Full Tilt may soon be able to dust off their old profiles and get back in the game in New Jersey.

On Sept. 30, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) authorized Canada-based Amaya Inc. – the owner of gambling brands including PokerStars, Full Tilt, StarsDraft – to operate the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands in the Garden State.

Amaya is currently in an agreement with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City to provide online poker and casino offerings in New Jersey through the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands, according to a release.

According to industry ranking website PokerScout.com, PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world.

Amaya has previously received approvals from the DGE to “provide B2B online and land-based gaming solutions in New Jersey,” according to the company.

“The DGE’s review of PokerStars was extremely thorough and exhaustive, including a detailed review of Amaya’s operations and technology, sworn interviews with more than 70 individuals and visits to approximately a half dozen international jurisdictions,” company officials stated.

PokerStars’ journey to enter the New Jersey market has been difficult, according to OnlinePokerReport.com.

“While the law allowing online gambling and poker within New Jersey’s borders was passed in 2013 and the first iGaming sites when live that fall, PokerStars’ efforts actually began in the fall of 2012. The online poker giant hoped to set the stage for a New Jersey launch by purchasing Atlantic City casino The Atlantic Club, a deal that later fell through. Its current effort to join the market started in July of 2013, when PokerStars announced a partnership with Resorts.”

Photo: PokerStars screenshot via Wikimedia