Poker Stars to enter New Jersey market with officials’ approval

Last week, Lesniak tweeted a cryptic announcement: “Poker Stars launch will spark an AC revival,” he told his followers. “Stay tuned for a major announcement.” Several hours later, he wrote, “With Poker Stars in NJ, we’re on our way to being the Silicon Valley of internet gaming.”

Lesniak has also been quoted as saying that an announcement about Poker Stars could occur “in weeks, not months”.

In a recent interview, the Senator pinned major hopes on Poker Stars’ entry into the market, saying that its impact would be felt beyond the world of online poker. “PokerStars is going to make a huge investment in Atlantic City, not just in Internet gaming but in their brand and in bringing attractions to Atlantic City,” he said.

Poker Stars, which was recently acquired by Amaya as part of a greater deal signed between the later and its parent company, Rational Group for a record breaking multi- billion dollar amount, has already made efforts to obtain New Jersey approval, without success. Earlier this year, Poker Stars was told that its license application has been suspended because of charges still pending against its founder Isai Scheinberg in federal law channels.

After the acquisition by the Canadian Amaya it was speculated that Poker Stars’ entry into the US would be a much smoother one. In the meantime Poker Stars has been registering trademarks for some of its phrases and logos in the US, including the World Cup of Poker and the Caribbean Adventure.