Several online poker websites that are licensed in the state of New Jersey had reached a tentative agreement with the UK and could soon be sharing liquidity with their counterparts that are licensed in the UK, according to an online report published by Global Gaming Business.
The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) of New Jersey reached an agreement regarding an overseas jurisdictional collaboration with the UK Gambling Commission. The Director of DGE David Rebuck revealed there were still some regulatory issues, including matters related to tax rates, as well as player ID and geolocation.
Mr. Rebuck said that the negotiations could be a long and complicated process, but the provisional agreement between the two parties is the first step in it. Some letters have been sent by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement whose gaming operations are run in both jurisdictions in order to check how such a liquidity program would work. A deadline until August 1st has been set for the operators to share their opinions on the matter.
A representative of the Division of Gaming Enforcement said in an interview for GGB that the overseas sharing program would be focused on poker at first, but it was possible for the Internet casino options to be granted with the same access at a later stage.
Up to date, more than 90% of the regulated online gambling market in the US are being held by the state of New Jersey. On the other hand, the UK is one of the oldest regulated online casino markets worldwide. Currently, there are several web-based poker platforms that already have their business represented in both jurisdictions, including PokerStars, Betfair, 888 Holdings, Gamesys and PartyPoker.
Online gambling was legalized in New Jersey in 2013. Under the current acting legislation in the state, access to state-approved Internet gaming websites is granted to venues that are physically located on the territory of the state.
However, the law does not allow the state to enter into liquidity sharing agreements with another jurisdiction. This is exactly the reason why it is not yet clear if the residents of the state of New Jersey would get a permission to access UK-licensed casino and gaming websites which are not based in the state. In addition, sports betting is allowed in the UK, but it is not in New Jersey.
Probably the most important aspect of the ongoing negotiations between the two parties regards the peer-to-peer interaction between poker players based in the UK and in the state of New Jersey.
- Author
Daniel Williams
