Shuffle Master receives Nevada online poker licence
Paddy Power also granted preliminary finding of suitability, NetEffect handed IT service provider licence.
Shuffle Master has become the third company to receive an online poker licence in Nevada after receiving final approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission.
The company will act as an interactive gaming system manufacturer and service provider, offering land-based casinos a B2B online poker solution.
The gaming manufacturer joins Bally Technologies and IGT as successful licence applicants. Shuffle Master will now submit its technology and systems to either BMM or GLI, two licensed independent testing laboratories (ITLs) appointed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (GCB), for thorough checks before going live later this year.
Shuffle Master’s decision to pull out of a deal to acquire bwin.party-owned poker network Ongame has not affected its hearing, but the company has confirmed it is still considering B2B poker opportunities.
The approval follows a unanimous recommendation by the GCB in a meeting earlier this month.
Las Vegas-based NetEffect was also granted the state’s first gaming licence specifically designed for IT service providers and can now offer its cloud computing solution to operators.
The licence allows NetEffect to provide management, support, security and disaster recovery services for systems and hardware approved by the ITLs. The IT service provider is able to monitor applications and reboot them if they stop or fail for any reason.
NetEffect, which applied for its licence in February, already has a partnership in place with Las Vegas casino Treasure Island to support its non-gaming systems.
Its president and CEO Jeff Grace said of the licence award: “With our gaming licence we now have the ability to do much more. Outsourcing IT services to NetEffect benefits the gaming operator because we can provide them with more sophisticated monitoring tools and better reporting capabilities.”
Paddy Power was also granted a preliminary finding of suitability at yesterday’s hearing. The Irish online bookmaker now has up to two years to explore gaming opportunities in Nevada.
The operator had previously explored the possibility of obtaining manufacturer and mobile licences, although it is unclear whether this is still its intention.