New Jersey Online Poker Network Under New Ownership New Jersey Online Poker Network Under New Ownership
Nicolas Raymond, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License

With the completion of the acquisition of global online gaming company bwin.party by its former competitor GVC, New Jersey’s largest online poker network has a new owner.

Both Borgata Poker and partypoker NJ utilize the partypoker software and share cash game tables and tournaments to form the highest revenue generating online poker network in the US.

Will GVC Need Its Own New Jersey License to Offer Online Poker?

Yes, even though corporate structures can be designed for GVC to act as just a holding company, GVC will need to be licensed in New Jersey in order for its subsidiaries, which operate the US version of the partypoker network, to continue offering online poker.

Permission to operate online gaming in New Jersey does not come easy. It has been well over a year since Amaya applied to bring PokerStars and Full Tilt back into the US, and they have still not yet dealt their first hand of regulated online poker in America.

Can Borgata Poker and partypoker Continue to Offer Online Gaming in New Jersey?

The short answer is yes. The license application process for GVC is underway. On January 28, GVC petitioned the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to allow the partypoker network to continue to operate under its current license while its own license application is considered.

On February 1, David Rebuck, Director of the DGE issued an order granting the request subject to the condition that the New Jersey subsidiaries operate independently and with no influence or guidance from parent company GVC while its application is being considered.

In fact, GVC and its US divisions that run partypoker are under a strict communication ban that restricts any employee in the US from being in contact with GVC or anyone representing the company.

A copy of the order can be found here.

Will the Online Poker Market in New Jersey Change?

Currently, everything will remain the same. Players will see no change in the service provided by Borgata Poker or partypoker while GVC attempts to get a license.

However, a report that Borgata is exploring an alternative online gaming provider did surface last week in eGaming Review. Attributed to an unnamed source, the report suggests that Borgata was carrying out due diligence in the event that GVC was denied a license by the New Jersey regulator.

The next big change to the New Jersey online poker scene will happen when PokerStars and Full Tilt get approved to soft launch. An announcement on the time frame for that to happen is anticipated soon.