WMS and Stratosphere receive Nevada GCB recommendation
Gaming Commission expected to award final approval for online poker licence at meeting on 20 September.
WMS Gaming and the owner of Las Vegas’ Stratosphere Casino are to become the latest companies to receive online poker licences in Nevada this month after both received recommendations by the Gaming Control Board (GCB) yesterday.
The Nevada Gaming Commission will now decide whether to award the licences at its next meeting on 20 September.
American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP), the holding company for Stratosphere, applied for operator and service provider licences in February but has since requested to withdraw its service provider application.
If successful, ACEP will become the third operator in the Silver State allowed to offer online poker, following the licences awarded to South Point Poker and Monarch in July.
According to the Las Vegas-Review Journal, ACEP plans to launch a freeplay poker site by the end of the year, with a company spokesperson saying it was currently negotiating with an online provider.
Meanwhile, Illinois-based WMS has applied for manufacturer and service provider licences.
This year WMS announced a strategic alliance with Dragonfish, the B2B arm of 888 Holdings, and acquired online gaming content developer Jadestone Group as well as social and mobile game developer Phantom EFX.
More than 30 companies have applied for Nevada licences, including twelve operators, with Golden Gaming becoming the latest to submit an application in August.