Boyd, Fertitta and Golden Nugget gain Nevada licences
Trio receive operator licences, with Boyd and Fertitta also awarded manufacturer licences.
Boyd Interactive Gaming, Fertitta Interactive and Golden Nugget have been approved for operator licences to offer online poker in Nevada following a Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) hearing.
In addition, Boyd and Fertitta were licensed as manufacturers, although the former will wait until London-listed operator bwin.party – which agreed a 15-year agreement with Boyd last year to use its technology platform in the US – is licensed by the NGC before launching its online offering.
In contrast, Fertitta is using its own technology, thanks to last year’s acquisition of CyberArts, and will aim to offer online poker under the Ultimate Gaming brand as soon as its systems are approved by one of Nevada’s independent testing labs. A freeplay poker game, Ultimate Poker, was launched on Facebook in July.
Golden Nugget did not apply for a manufacturer licence because it will use a platform run by Bally Technologies, which was one of the first companies licensed for online poker in Nevada. A freeplay site went live in June, using Winamax software, as a result of Golden Nugget’s deal with the platform’s previous owner Chiligaming, before Bally acquired the platform in February.
Boyd, Fertitta and Golden Nugget had all received recommendations from the state’s Gaming Control Board earlier this month.