NEWS
Delaware okays e-gaming; Nevada gets closer to Poker
Small state is first to allow online casinos; Vegas operator licences are likely soon Bally and IGT will only be providing technology, not
The slow, but now seemingly certain, progression of the US casino sector toward legalised online gambling took two important steps forward last month. To start with, Bally Technologies and International
Game Technology (IGT) became the first companies licensed to supply interactive gaming technology and services to operators in Nevada, a signal that the state’s commitment to allowing online Poker is real. Then, more dramatically though likely with much less
long-term impact on the gaming industry, the small state of Delaware became the first to legalise all kinds of casino e-games, including Roulette, Blackjack and slots as well as Poker. Delaware is hoping to stem the loss of gaming-
related revenue to its neighbours Pennsylvania and Maryland – levies on gambling provide around seven per cent of its budget – and authorities forecast that the
Two dozen operators are seeking licences
state’s three racinos could be offering e-gaming on their Websites by January 2013, via tablets and smartphones as well as PCs. Lottery tickets will also be available online, as is
already the case in Illinois, and indeed it is Delaware’s Lottery Office that will oversee e-gaming operations. Geolocation software will pinpoint the devices from which bets are placed, to ensure that only individuals within the state’s borders can participate. The approval by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, meanwhile, puts Bally, IGT and their casino partners in a position where they should be able to move quickly to introduce e-gaming. The two firms, both headquartered in the state, already have experience in the field through deployments of their online gaming technology in Europe.
running gaming businesses, but the significance of their licensing is that it indicates that Nevada is serious about pushing ahead with e-gaming soon. Some two dozen operator companies have reportedly applied for licences in the state, including Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts, and it’s expected that the first pay-to-play sites could be up and running by the end of the year. For now, free-play is one way that casinos can help their US customers grow accustomed to the idea of online gaming. “We believe that online gaming is inevitable in the United States, and that our free-play site will enable the Golden Nugget to be well-positioned to compete when US laws allow for online gaming,” said Tilman J. Fertitta, Chairman of three-site operator Golden Nugget, which has formed a partnership with Bally to offer free-play Poker while it awaits the arrival of pay-to- play.
Bally’s technology in the Golden Nugget venture also
offers a foretaste of how the casino management system of the future is likely to look as more and more jurisdictions allow online gaming. It is designed to offer a single view of the player across online, mobile and land-based activities, and to support casino table games, video slots, Bingo, and sports betting as well as Poker.
“The integration with Bally’s CMP player-tracking system and Elite Bonusing Suite will enable casino operators to track and bonus players seamlessly through the traditional and virtual casino environments,” said John Connelly, Vice President of Business Development at Bally.“We are licensed as a gaming manufacturer in hundreds of jurisdictions around the world and will work with casinos to provide one view of their patrons across online, mobile, and traditional platforms.”
Could states work together to boost liquidity?
While Nevada and Delaware are the first states to take such concrete measures toward enabling e-gaming, others including New Jersey are expected to follow suit soon, after long-running and fruitless attempts to legalise online gambling through the federal government abruptly ceased to be a sticking point. That was thanks to a Department of Justice decision that federal law does not, as was previously believed, prohibit e- gaming – leaving the way open for individual states to make their own rules for online gambling within their borders. Cross-border gaming transactions would still, it seems, fall under Washington’s purview and as such are not yet
permitted. But the Delaware Representative who introduced the state’s e-gaming legislation – with the Governor’s encouragement – believes that co-operation among states to jointly offer online games to their collective populations could be the next step, with benefits including improved liquidity. “I think interstate compacts are the next progression,” John Viola was quoted as saying. “I don’t know of anybody seeking that at the moment, but I think that’s the next move. I think it’s coming and that we’re not too far away from it. The nitty-gritty is in the details — who gets what, when and how? Does each state get a percentage? Who knows? It’s all something that they will have to wheel and deal.”
4 JULY/AUGUST 2012
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