888 Holdings PLC became the first company to officially attain their online gaming license in the state of Nevada after their application was initially processed several months before by the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company is one of the most recognized brands in the world today and is one of the most valuable publicly-traded companies in Europe.
888 and Caesars Interactive will now go forward with the ammunition to make online poker a reality within the state. With the World Series of Poker set to start within the next 2 months, a branded deal could get 888 even more exposure just in time for the biggest poker tournament of the year.
Brian Mattingley, CEO of 888, called the decision “historic” and hailed the NGC for their swift vote of confidence in their future strategies in the USA, going on to comment with the following statement:
“Seen in the industry as the gold standard of global gaming regulation, we are delighted to have been awarded our licence to operate in the State of Nevada, a decision that vindicates our US strategy. We look forward to working with all our strategic partners and to re-launching the 888 brand in the US…”
This is a truly monumental moment for online gaming in the United States, especially since the passing of UIGEA in 2006, which effectively put a hatchet in the back of online gambling. It also showed the resilience of those online gaming operators who felt this day was on the horizon, despite 2011’s “Black Friday” indictments that put sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt under a lot of public scrutiny.
With 888 officially getting their license to operate within Nevada, it would seem that more and more companies should see final approvals on their license applications in the near future. This could very well open the flood gates for online poker later in 2013, possibly welcoming in a 2nd [mini] “poker boom” in the Silver State.
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