PokerStars Expected to Enter New Jersey Market by October

New Jersey state Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) is optimistic that the world’s largest real money online poker room, PokerStars, will likely enter the Garden State’s legalized Web poker market in the coming weeks.

“It's going to be soon and it's going to be huge,” Lesniak said in a phone interview with PokerNews. "PokerStars is going to make a huge investment in Atlantic City, not just in Internet gaming but in their brand and in bringing attractions to Atlantic City.”

To some, Atlantic City appears to be on life support, having lost four of its casinos within the past 12 months (3 since the end of summer alone). 

PokerStars had attempted to enter the New Jersey regulated online poker market earlier in the year through an attempted purchase of the now shuttered Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel.  That deal ultimately fell through while the state turned its back on Stars.

That was then, this is now.

Publicly traded Canadian gaming company Amaya has since purchased PokerStars and, as such, Stars is no longer being looked at as the red-headed step child.

A good chunk of the regulated i-Gaming industry has worked hard to keep PokerStars out, citing its active targeting of US poker players post 2006 prohibition.  The acceptance of US customers during this time helped make Stars the biggest online poker room in the world.

Lesniak also told PokerNews.com that he expected the announcement from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) clearing PokerStars to come in weeks, not months.

Atlantic City can certainly use some fresh blood and PokerStars has already demonstrated it can drive business through such events as the European Poker Tour.

- Nagesh Rath, Gambling911.com