Lipparelli: Online poker in Nevada still months from reality

Online poker players in Nevada will have to wait another “six to eight months” before sites will be up and running in the state, according to Gaming Control Board Chairman Mark Lipparelli.

Speaking at the Gaming Policy Committee meeting in Las Vegas yesterday, Lipparelli said the first licenses should be obtained in 30-60 days, yet stringent checks and approvals of website technology will prolong the process until at least autumn.

The committee met to discuss how the state could use technology to avoid fraud by verifying the age, identity and location of an online player. Under proposed legislation, only players located within Nevada’s state borders would legally be allowed to play poker online.

According to news site Vegas Inc, the 11-member panel, headed by Governor Brian Sandoval, also heard an in-depth presentation from bwin.party co-CEO Jim Ryan, who explained how his company has successfully prevented fraud, player collusion and underage gambling in Europe. He stated that out of one million unique users per month, there are just 10 cases of underage players making it through bwin.party’s security. bwin.party has entered into strategic agreements with both MGM Resorts and Boyd casinos in Nevada to provide online poker technology.

Ryan claimed that geo-location software could allay fears of bets coming from outside of the Silver State, stating that the current technology available is “99.8% accurate”.

The Gaming Policy Committee meeting was the second of four scheduled this year, after it held its first for more than 30 years in March. The committee was revived in order to recommend public policy positions and suggest legislation in advance of online gaming approval.

In his closing remarks, Lipparelli confirmed his desire for federal egaming regulation. He warned of a multi-state “race to the bottom,” whereby others states hurriedly try to catch up with Nevada without investing time and resources in anti-fraud technologies.