Las Vegas Operators Extend Poker Deadline

MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming, and Golden Nugget have filed for extensions to their Nevada poker licenses, after their online poker sites in the US state were beset by delays.

With Nevada licensing laws stating that operators need to move their business plans forward within six months of applying for licenses, these operators are finding that time is just running out on them, as they attempt to tap into what should be an incredibly lucrative American poker room business.

MGM and Boyd both turned to online gambling giant bwin to help with their first offerings, while Golden Nugget have paired with Bally Technologies as they aim to compete against the two existing poker rooms in the state, offered by WSOP and Ultimate Poker. As of yet, poker is the only online gambling activity licensed by the state, after delays in their legislation.

Under American gambling laws, each state must license online gambling websites individually, so any Nevada facing website would be limited to serving gamblers within the state. However, should relevant legislation be passed in neighboring states, then the local governments could team up to offer cross border services.

It’s this idea that Nevada seems likely to follow, as they try to catch up with the other two states to legalize online gambling so far: New Jersey and Delaware. Plans have been put forward to pair up with Texas to offer poker across state lines, as soon as Texan gambling license laws are approved.

Meanwhile, WSOP – the poker arm of Caesars Entertainment Group – and Ultimate Poker continue to gain a foothold in Nevada. With online casinos yet to come to the home of Las Vegas, poker is the only online or mobile gambling allowed. This will surely change in the future, but as for now, operators continue to squabble over the licenses.