- Even more intriguing than the suggestion that PokerStars would be back in NJ “in weeks, not months,“was the suggestion that soon we could see shared player pools—not just with other US states, but with other countries.
- A subsequent tweet suggested that PokerStars’ World Cup of Poker may be staged in Atlantic City.
State Senator Ray Lesniak took to Twitter yesterday to hint at the imminent return of PokerStars to the regulated US market, suggesting that the launch would be “bigger than anyone imagined.”
The New Jersey senator left little doubt that PokerStars was just weeks away from launching:
Responding to questions through Twitter, Lesniak stated that the launch would happen “in weeks, not months,” and that he wanted the online poker giant in the market for the “millions they will invest in AC and jobs they will create.”
Even more intriguing was the suggestion that soon we could see shared player pools—not just with other US states, but with other countries. He replied to speculation that other states could “opt-in” to New Jersey’s system with this tantalizing tidbit:
In an interview with PokerNews also published yesterday, he stated that international compacts were on the cards:
“The next step is to go international with Internet gaming,” Lesniak said. “That’s the third shoe that’s going to drop. This is a real game-changer for Atlantic City, both with sports betting and PokerStars, and boy this is needed.”
This and a subsequent tweet suggested that PokerStars’ World Cup of Poker may be staged in Atlantic City. Pokerfuse revealed earlier this week that PokerStars had registered various trademarks, including the World Cup of Poker, in the United States.
The World Cup of Poker was slated to crown the winning country in the Bahamas during the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, but the event was pulled from the schedule as organizers hinted at a new exciting location for the final table some time later in 2014.
PokerStars parent company Rational Group is probably in the best position in the world to take advantage of country-to-country compacts, as it holds online gaming licenses in a dozen jurisdictions around the world, including Spain, Italy and France, and is expected to hold a UK license from next month, required with the upcoming regulatory changes.
