PokerStars launches in New Jersey
Worldâs largest poker operator now live in the Garden State after a short testing periodÂ
PokerStars has officially returned to the US market in New Jersey today following the completion of a brief soft-launch period, parent company Amaya has confirmed. [private]
Stars has entered the market with both poker and casino, and offers many of the same products and features as its dot.com site, including its hugely popular Spin & Go variant.
Amaya CEO David Baazov said he could not be âmore proudâ of PokerStarsâ return to the US as a licensed and regulated operator, and that he looked forward to working with land-based partner Resorts Casino to provide the most âinnovative and excitingâ online offering in the state.
PokerStars was awarded a license by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement back in October, and began testing its sites to a small number of players last week.
Earlier this month, Amaya revealed it spent $8.5m on lobbying in the US last year, up from $3.1m in 2014, as it closed in on its New Jersey license.
PokerStars is expected to nearly double the size of the poker market in the Garden State, which in February generated gross gaming revenues of just $1.9m.
But despite striking an agreement with supplier NetEnt to launch its casino games, the operatorâs success in the vertical is a little less certain with land-based operators Borgata, Tropicana and Golden Nugget currently leading the charge.