Three state poker liquidity pool to go live on May 1

A three-state poker liquidity compact is set to go live on May 1 in New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada, the All-American Poker Network (AAPN) announced today.

The AAPN, joint run by Caesars and 888, said it had submitted its software for testing in all three jurisdictions and anticipated final regulatory approval in the coming weeks.

The joint pool will initially only be available through WSOP.com and 888Poker.com, with no other poker operators currently licensed in all three states.

“This has been a huge collaborative effort from all involved and it is important to thank the elected leadership and regulatory authorities in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey for their dedication and diligence to help move online poker forward,” said Bill Rini, WSOP.com’s head of online poker.

“Everyone has had the end user in mind throughout this process, and as a result, we believe the United States, for the first time in a regulated environment, will have a large-scale multi-state offering that will propel the industry forward as soon as next month.”

888 senior vice president Yaniv Sherman added: “Pooling poker players from three states will be a significant regulatory step in the U.S., and is very exciting for our players and partners,”

“If approved, we anticipate that this will open up further opportunities in other states.”

Pennsylvania has been mooted as the next state to join a liquidity compact, although regulators have made no official announcements as of yet.

Poker revenues have been slumping in New Jersey despite the continued growth of online casino, with added liquidity expected to help boost tournament revenues in particular.

Nevada Gaming Control Board chairwoman Becky Harris said the board was pleased to be part of a collaborative effort to “achieve the common goal of providing a sound gaming experience for patrons across multiple jurisdictions while still meeting our individual jurisdictional requirements.”