It’s a moment many American poker devotees have been waiting for: The return of online poker.
Las Vegas-based Ultimate Poker opened its (virtual) doors today at 9 a.m. PST to deal thefirst hand of legal, real money online poker. The site, owned by Ultimate Gaming, will only accept wagers from players who are 21 and over, and physically located in Nevada. Though you need not be a resident of the state, you have to be inside its borders to play. According to the Associated Press, players must provide a Social Security number and a Nevada address.
Online poker came to an abrupt halt in April 15, 2011—a day known in the industry as Black Friday—when the Department of Justice cracked down on the three biggest sites, shutting them down and freezing player accounts. Since then, some players have continued to play illegally, but with the risk that their money may be seized at any moment.
This won’t be an issue in Nevada any more. “Players won’t have to worry if their money is safe,” Ultimate Gaming CEO Tobin Prior told the AP. “They are going to be able to play with people they can trust and know the highest regulatory standards have been applied.”
Internet gaming has in fact been legal in Nevada, as well as Delaware and New Jersey, for some months, but it has taken a while for states and companies to get their ducks in a row and actually make legal sites available to players. Online poker may be available in Delaware and New Jersey before the end of the year, according to Jennifer Webb, an analyst for Gambling Compliance.
Ultimate Poker will make history by offering the first hand of legal online poker in the country. The Las Vegas site is owned by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, brothers who inherited their father’s Station Casinos company and also own shares in Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Other casinos are fine-tuning their own internet poker offerings and racing to get in on the game. According to Bloomberg News, the online gambling industry, already a multi-billion dollar business overseas, is forecast to reach $7.4 billion in the U.S. by 2017.
