Home / Poker News December 2011 / Online Poker Regulation Approved in Nevada
Online Poker Regulation Approved in Nevada
Posted by: James Carter. - Fri, 2011-12-23 14:00
A major breakthrough has been achieved the other day concerning the legal status of
online poker in the State of Nevada: the Nevada Gambling Commission has approved intrastate online poker regulations, making it legal for people to play online poker in the state. Those in Nevada will still not be allowed to play online poker with people from outside the state.
The move marks a first: even though other states had considered legalizing intrastate online poker before, no other such regulation has thus far materialized.
The move has effectively created a favorable climate for companies that wish to offer online poker in Nevada: they can now legally do so, provided they manage to obtain a license.
No fewer than 6 companies have already applied for a license: South Point, Caesars Entertainment, Shuffle Master, Cantor Gaming and Bally’s Technology are supposedly among the applicants.
According to the new regulations, companies which wish to acquire a Nevada license have to prove that they’re able to effectively control player registration and that they’re capable of preventing underage persons from playing at their online poker tables. Future online poker sites will also be required to prove their ability to track their players’ location.
Online poker companies licensed in Nevada will also be required to post certain information on their sites: they’ll have to address problem gambling, dispute resolution, taxation and record keeping.
Companies which are not current possessors of a Nevada license will be investigated in order to establish whether they fulfill the requirements.
According to the chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Mark Lipparrelli, the regulations set the bar high for any other such future initiative. While the rules are meant to be flexible, they will by no means be lax: they will in fact set a new standard for accountability and licensing in the online poker and online gambling industry.
