Bwin.party CEO: PokerStars will double New Jersey poker market
Norbert Teufelberger says PokerStars and Full Tilt are a âwelcome additionâ but doesnât see them as a threat
Bwin.party CEO Norbert Teufelberger believes PokerStars could double the size of the poker market in New Jersey after the operator was awarded a license by the stateâs gaming regulator earlier this week. [private]
Speaking to eGR North America, Teufelberger said PokerStars and Full Tilt were a âvery welcome additionâ and that he didnât seem them as a threat to his firmâs market-leading position.
âWhen you think how small the poker market is in New Jersey, only around $20m a year, they will at least double the poker market there.
âThey will bring some players back who currently play on unlicensed off shore sites, so I donât think they are a threat,â he added.
The arrival of PokerStars and Full Tilt will pose a challenge to the market leaders, bwin.party and land-based partner the Borgata, who have led the charge since New Jersey regulated egaming in November 2013.
But Teufelberger believes PokerStars being licensed in New Jersey is not the main issue affecting the industry at this time.
âOverall, I think the big question right now is not what happens in New Jersey, but whether other states will come online or not in the next couple of years,â he told eGR NA.