Home / Poker News November 2013 / Nevada, Delaware Already Contemplating Idea of Compact
Nevada, Delaware Already Contemplating Idea of Compact
Posted by: Randy Williams - Thu, 2013-11-14 14:26
That didn’t take long…analysts have long said that state-by-state legalization of online gambling and poker would inevitably be followed with the setting up of multi-state compacts in order to expand the players-base, and today it did indeed come to light that the governors of Nevada and Delaware, the only two states where online poker is legal, Brian Sandoval and Jack Markell respectively, have already begun discussing a compact.
According to Sandoval, the reason why he only began discussions with Delaware was a simple one: it is the only state where
online poker (as well as legal online gambling) has actually been launched. New Jersey, probably the next state to join the ranks of jurisdictions where playing poker online is legal, is yet to officially launch its online gaming.
The talks were about Nevada expending its WSOP.com and Ultimate Poker into Delaware, but no actual agreements have been reached. Delaware officials had apparently insisted that they needed time to see how the newly legalized games would unfold in their state.
Given the size of the jurisdiction, it would definitely make quite a bit of sense for the state to eventually join a compact, of which New Jersey may eventually also be a part.
Unlike Nevada, Delaware has moved forward on legalizing online gambling (blackjack, slots, roulette etc) as well besides online poker. Currently, there are 3 Delaware land-based operators offering online games, only to residents of the state.
Following the talks, specialists have agreed that a compact wasn’t to be expected any time soon, despite the fact that the talks were described as “positive”. Despite that though, the exploration of the idea may in fact turn out to be a step in the right direction, for future compacts.
The bottom line is that regardless of how well things go for the individual states, it’s only a matter of time till they will begin exploring ways to continue growth.
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