Caesars Interactive Entertainment received tentative approval for an online poker license in Nevada on Wednesday, planning to launch a real money World Series of Poker site.
Already, 12 companies have been approved for online poker operator licenses in Nevada, while 5 other companies have received licenses related to online poker. But it’s still unclear when real money games will be launched online in the Silver State.
Industry leaders are now pointing to next spring, after hiccups in testing and ongoing negotiations with state officials delayed the launch of South Point’s online site, which was once expected to be the first.
Caesars executives expect their site could launch early next year as long as 888 is licensed as an interactive gaming provider, according to the Las Vegas Review Journal.
The preliminary approval for Caesars came about two weeks after Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and Treasure Island submitted applications to join the ever-growing intrastate poker industry.
A lawyer for Caesars told the gaming board that the site would be branded under the moniker of the World Series of Poker.
Caesars Interactive Entertainment has a partnership with European operator 888 Holdings already approved in Nevada. The two companies run real money World Series of Poker sites in Europe.
