Resorts Plans to Bring Both PokerStars and Full Tilt Brands to New Jersey Market Resorts Plans to Bring Both PokerStars and Full Tilt Brands to New Jersey Market
Key Takeaways
  • Resorts recently partnered with Sportech and NYX Gaming to provide online casino games.
  • However, its partnership with Rational Group remains in place, and the group still plans to offer both casino games and online poker using both PokerStars and Full Tilt brands once the appropriate licenses are in place.
  • David Rebuck, Director of the DGE, is quoted in the Press of Atlantic City as saying he is “optimistic Amaya could get approval for PokerStars by the fall.”

Atlantic City casino Resorts has welcomed the recent news of Amaya’s acquisition of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, and plans to used both brands in the online gaming market pending regulatory approval.

The group is aiming to launch an online gaming site on ResortsCasino.com early next year. It recently partnered with Sportech and NYX Gaming to provide online casino games.

However, its partnership with Rational Group remains in place, and the group still plans to offer both casino games and online poker using both PokerStars and Full Tilt brands once the appropriate licenses are in place.

“We welcomed the recent announcement by Amaya Gaming Group, Inc of its plans to acquire Rational which we expect will move the regulatory approval process forward,” Morris Bailey, owner of Resorts Casino Hotel, is quoted in a press release issued late last week.

“PokerStars is the leading world-wide brand in online gaming and we are looking forward to our future with them in New Jersey.”

Old Partnerships

Parent Rational Group signed a deal with Resorts in 2013 in a bid to bring the sites to the New Jersey online gaming market. Rational applied for a license from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) but the application was suspended due to the unresolved federal indictment against PokerStars’ founder Isai Scheinberg.

Under the acquisition terms with Amaya, Isai Scheinberg and son Mark will fully divest their interests in the company.

Licensing talks with the DGE resumed last week.

David Rebuck, Director of the DGE, previously issued a statement to pokerfuse indicating the Division is “encouraged by [the] development” of the Amaya acquisition, and is quoted in the Press of Atlantic City as saying he is “optimistic Amaya could get approval for PokerStars by the fall.”