When Will PokerStars return to the US Market?

After their license was granted by New Jersey gaming authorities, the only question is when will PokerStars return to the US?

New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE), land-based and online gaming regulator in New Jersey finally decided that Amaya can keep its online gambling licenses for PokerStars and Full Tilt. It seems that we are just weeks, maybe months from the time when PokerStars returns to the US. First in New Jersey of course, the rest is only a speculation for now.

However, the fact that PokerStars and Full Tilt will return to New Jersey might boost the discussions for regulated online gambling markets in big states like California, New York and Pennsylvania. The fact that Amaya has the license for good and is able to run legal online poker sites in the US is more important for them than the access to the tiny online gambling market of New Jersey.

How did the PokerStars return to the US happen?

Still, it will be important for the company to launch its online poker room in New Jersey as soon as possible. Two years after the Black Friday in 2011, when the US servers of PokerStars and Full Tilt were shut down, the operators tried to get back to the New Jersey online gambling market.

However, the question about when will PokerStars return to the US was left unanswered for long. The owners maintained their view about always complying with US gambling laws, though the gambling authorities suspended the process of reintroducing them to the NJ online gambling market.

Owner Isai Scheinberg, who was charged with running illegal online gambling business in the US, had to sell the company to Amaya in 2014. Amaya also had to go through a long process to get their US licenses for PokerStars and Full Tilt upheld by US gambling authorities.

It was always expected that Amaya will get the green light eventually to enter the New Jersey online poker market. After this finally happened in the fall of 2015, for the joy of the US online gambling community, the only question is when will PokerStars return to the US. And all this also means that this PokerStars won’t be exactly the same that was expelled from the US in 2011.

Exactly when will PokerStars return to the US?

NJDGE basically approved it

With the nod from the NJDGE, the ball is now in Amaya’s court. It’s all up to the Canada-based gaming operator how rapidly they can launch the PokerStars US site. Though it is hard to say when will PokerStars return to the US, Amaya is already partnered with Resorts AC. This means that New Jersey gambling regulations that limit online gambling to operators having a land-based casino partner in Atlantic City won’t restrict them.

A couple of months could be required for arranging everything before the new, US legal online PokerStars site would be launched. Therefore experts of online gambling in the US expect Amaya to start PokerStars USA in 2016. The early months of 2016 seem to be a good estimation, but according to the best-case scenario, local residents could have PokerStars back in New Jersey right before 2015 Christmas.

Only New Jersey residents can play PokerStars in the US?

You don’t have to be a New Jersey resident to play legal online poker sites in New Jersey, but you have to be within state borders. Gambling laws in New Jersey are tricky. Land-based legal casino gambling is only available in Atlantic City. However users above 21 can play poker online legally in New Jersey as long as they are within state borders. Internet gaming sites in New Jersey use geolocation technologies, so by crossing the state borders of New Jersey, you lose connection and won’t be able to continue playing.

This is big for Amaya, and it could be big for the state of New Jersey and for online poker in the US as well. New Jersey lawmakers expect that the move will boost tourism in the state and in the struggling Atlantic City in particular. They also expect a raise in online gambling revenues. The business as a whole is growing in the state, however, online poker revenues fell by almost USD 5 million in August 2015 comparing to the same month in 2014.

Until you know exactly when will PokerStars return to the US, feel free to visit our PokerStars review in GamingZion’s online poker guide to find out more on the winner poker operator that will return to the NJ online poker market soon!