Back in February, Delaware and Nevada formed a pact to share their online poker pools. This was a landmark deal because Delaware and Nevada became the first two states to agree on sharing player liquidity. But while this was definitely a joyous time in US online gaming history, one thing was noticeably missing from the agreement: New Jersey.
Up until now, the Garden State and their 8.7 million residents have been flying solo in the iGaming world. Some of the reasons why include that New Jersey sees little reason to link up with much-smaller states, they are looking for bigger partners, and they are focused on the international iGaming market.
But now, there’s word that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been in talks about sharing iPoker liquidity with another state. So let’s discuss this matter further along with other big happenings in the state, such as Christie’s efforts to save Atlantic City and legal sports betting.
Christie has been in talks with Nevada Governor Gov.
Christie recently told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he and Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval talked about “possibly combining Internet gaming structure through an interstate compact.” Unfortunately he didn’t offer any details on the matter, such as when exactly this could happen. Regardless, it’s encouraging that Christie is keeping an open mind about a shared online poker pool, something that didn’t seem to be the case in February.
Transforming Atlantic City
One reason why Gov. Christie is more open to shared player liquidity is because he’s looking for anything possible that will help Atlantic City. The East Coast casino destination has seen gaming revenue fall by 60% since 2007, and by September, four casinos will have closed in Atlantic City. However, Christie believes that the town can bounce back because they’re focused on developing non-gaming attractions. “The big growth has been on the non-gaming side,” he told the Review-Journal. “A lot of people out there are declaring the demise of the city. That is far from true.”
Monmouth Park to start taking Sports Bets
Perhaps the biggest news coming out of New Jersey right now is that Christie issued a directive that permits sports betting in his state. This move will likely be challenged by professional sports leagues and the NCAA since New Jersey is not one of the four US states that’s legally allowed to offer sports betting. Nevertheless, Monmouth Park, a racetrack in Oceanport, NJ, plans to begin taking sports bets soon. Monmouth Park already has a deal in place with Las Vegas-based William Hill US.