Resorts Casino to launch PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker brands

Last week’s announcement that Resorts had agreed to a partnership with SNG Interactive, the joint venture established by Sportech and NYX in December last year, had raised doubts as to whether the agreement between Resorts and Rational Group would continue.

Rational Group told Gaming Intelligence last week however that the partnership would continue as planned, while Sportech chief executive Ian Penrose stressed that the SNG Interactive deal only covered the launch of an online casino offering.

In a statement Friday, Resorts confirmed that its deal with Rational will see it launch the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands in New Jersey.

The casino’s owner Morris Bailey said that he welcomed Amaya Gaming Group’s 4.9 billion dollar acquisition of Rational Group, which he expected to move the regulatory approval process forward. The operator’s original application was suspended for two years in December, with New Jersey regulator, the Division of Gaming Enforcement, saying that the process would be reopened if Rational could demonstrate “significantly changed” circumstances.

“PokerStars is the leading world-wide brand in online gaming and we are looking forward to our future with them in New Jersey,” Bailey added.
The partnership with Sportech and NYX will see the casino launch ResortsCasino.com, featuring a variety of slot games as well as table games such as roulette and blackjack. It has begun planning for the launch of its own-branded offering with the guidance of Mohegan Gaming Advisors (MGA), a subsidiary of Mohegan Sun, a Connecticut-based operator that holds a stake in DGMB Casinos, Resorts’ parent company.

“SNG’s extensive knowledge of the online gaming industry combined with Resorts’ long-standing history of first-class land-based gaming will allow us to bring New Jersey online gamers a fresh, unique and user-friendly experience,” said Resorts president and CEO Mark Giannantonio.

“This is an exciting era of gaming in New Jersey and we are confident it will be another positive stepping stone in Resorts storied history,” Bailey concluded.