Caesars and Dragonfish receive Nevada GCB approval
Caesars Interactive and Dragonfish B2B deal has one more obstacle to overcome before becoming first approved partnership between Nevada licensee and foreign egaming business.
The suitability application between Caesars Interactive’s (CIE) supplier relationship with 888 B2B arm Dragonfish has been approved by the Nevada State Gaming Control Board (GCB) and now awaits a final decision from the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) on 24 March.
If approved, it would be the first partnership between a Nevada licensee and a foreign online gaming provider to receive such recognition.Thenews follows Caesars’ increased activity in other European markets, including agreements with Microgame in Italy and Barrière in France.
Dragonfish signed a long-term agreement on 11 September 2009 to provide services to support the UK launch and roll-out of CIE’s World Series of Poker and Caesars Casino brands, since then the two companies have been waiting for the state’s regulators to approve the deal’s suitability. Caesars, which is already registered with the NGC, had requested a finding of suitability in relation to a state law governing Nevada gaming companies conducting business outside state boundaries.
The initial suitability application was seen as an opportunity for 888 to start afresh following its pre-UIGEA activities, while a positive ruling from the NGC might pave the way for others to re-enter the US market in the knowledge that previous activities would not be a barrier.
CIE chief executive Mitch Garber claimed the group would support New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had he approved his state’s proposed egaming bill last week.However, now that he has issued a veto, and with a new intrastate bill in Nevada seemingly on the horizon according to unconfirmed reports this morning, it appears this news could be well timed.
Read the full interview with Mitch Garber in the latest issue of eGaming Review.