Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino has announced a deal with the Amaya Gaming-owned Ongame Network to provide a play-money poker site, with an eye toward real-money poker in the future if legislation allows.
The new “Mohegan Sun Poker” play-money site, to debut in early 2013, will be available at www.MoheganSunPoker.com and will run on PCs, Macs, smart phones and tablets.
The deal follows last month’s signing of a pact between Mohegan Sun and Bally Technologies to provide core platform services to the new site. The Ongame poker software is expected to be integrated into Bally’s new iGaming interactive platform.
Mohegan Sun officials had searched for six months for an online-poker software partner before settling on Ongame, a tested veteran of the Internet poker industry. The venerable Ongame, one of of online poker’s first networks, found a home with Amaya earlier this year after a previous sale from earlier owner bwin.party fell through.
Mohegan Sun officials proudly noted that the signing makes it the first East Coast casino entity to formally announce a play-money online poker site, though competitors in New Jersey and Delaware are also rumored to be exploring similar market options.
According to Peter Bertillson, Ongame’s Managing Director, 
signing a large US casino to a play-money site deal is an important first step.
“It is exciting to be part of the move online for one of the most dynamic and expansive casino operators in the United States,” said Bertilsson. “Mohegan Sun is the second largest casino site in the United States and it will be very exciting to be a partner in their online gaming operations as this becomes an important part of their future business strategy.”
