PokerStars Will Not Be Part of New Jersey Online Gambling Launch

Leading online poker room PokerStars will not be a part of the initial launch of online gambling in New Jersey.

Rumors of PokerStars’ inability to obtain approval from the NJ Division of Gaming Enforcement in time for the launch, scheduled for November 26th, have been swirling for the last few weeks.

PokerStars Head of Corporate Communications Eric Hollreiser confirmed those rumors in a brief statement issued via Twitter this evening:

Our conversations with NJ DGE are continuing, however it is now apparent that we will not have approval in place to launch on Nov. 26 (1/2)

— Eric Hollreiser (@erichollreiser) November 20, 2013

We remain committed to working with the Division to complete the review process (2/2)

— Eric Hollreiser (@erichollreiser) November 20, 2013

The news comes on the same day that New Jersey officials released some minor updates to their list of iGaming approvals and Caesars secured their NJ Internet Gaming Permit.

PokerStars’ lack of participation in the launch of New Jersey’s regulated online gambling market is far from tantamount to permanent exclusion.

The November launch represents only the first phase for regulated online gambling in New Jersey, with subsequent waves of operators and related companies sure to follow in the months and years ahead.

As for the nature of the discussions between PokerStars and the DGE, only the parties directly involved can say for certain – and neither are speaking to the issue directly with any level of detail.

But DGE head David Rebuck did offer some interesting – and possibly germane – insights into the licensing process in a recent interview with OPR.