Amaya expects Nevada launch in Q3
Canadian company's Ongame software needs to pass technical requirements
Amaya Gaming expects its Nevada real-money poker launch to be “a Q3 event”, chief executive David Baazov said in an analyst call yesterday.
The software provider already has an agreement in place with Nevada licensee American Casino Entertainment Properties (ACEP) for the launch of real-money poker.
Amaya was selected by Bally Interactive as the preferred poker partner for its igaming platform, having acquired the Ongame poker network from bwin.party to establish itself in the vertical.
“We anticipate starting real-money play once we meet the technical requirements with Nevada’s regulations,” Baazov said, adding that the Canadian-listed business expects Nevada to ultimately regulate casino gaming as well as poker.
“We believe Nevada will eventually move to casino as well as poker, similar to Italy,” he said.
Baazov was speaking after Amaya’s first-quarter financial results, where the firm posted a 496% increase in revenues but saw its net loss widen to CA$7.4m.
The CEO also described New Jersey as a “very attractive” market for Amaya, and suggested the jurisdiction could open for real-money play “either in very late Q4, or in Q1 2014 (which may be more realistic)”.
“We will be well positioned for this market as we already have made some investments to be compliant with technical requirements and be a first mover,” he added.