The Stars Group has entered into an agreement with Reno-headquartered casino operator Eldorado Resorts to gain access to 11 US states. That means PokerStars US expansion could hit 13 states in total when coupled with it’s operation in New Jersey and pending launch in the Pennsylvania online poker market. The agreement grants PokerStars operator, The Stars Group, the option to launch online sports betting, poker and casino in states where Eldorado currently owns or operates casino properties. This provides the operator with a route into Nevada, Mississippi and West Virginia, three states in which sports betting regulations have already been…

New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow says he was eight Democrats away from getting the online poker bill put to a vote last week at the end of the state’s legislative session. While admitting that “we didn’t really look at it” in the final weeks as New York online poker took a back seat to a more urgent sports betting bill that also didn’t pass, Pretlow attested that he had a commitment from 68 Democrats that they would support A 5250. Officially, the bill finished with 51 Assembly members signed on as supporters, including 47 Democrats and four Republicans. Another assertion…

Online poker in New York is turning into the legislative version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s literary masterpiece, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. After a couple of close calls in each of the last two years, Albany lawmakers don’t seem to know if they’re coming or going in 2018. And depending on who you ask, online poker efforts have either taken a step forward or a step backward in 2018. On the one hand you have first-term Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, who appears to be spearheading the current online poker effort in the Assembly. “The budget effort didn’t…

It took Chris Ferguson about seven years to issue a 42-second video apology for the Full Tilt Poker fiasco. Hopefully he wasn’t working on writing it the entire time. Regardless of his motivations, the poker community responded harshly to his attempt at reconciliation. This summer will mark Ferguson’s third year back at the World Series of Poker, after he took several summers off after the Full Tilt scandal. The government said that Ferguson allocated himself $85 million in distributions for his work at the poker site, while about $160 million in U.S. player deposits went missing after the platform shut…

A decision has been made for a China online poker ban which will hurt the industry throughout Asia and beyond, says Hong Kong Poker Players Association managing director Stephen Lai. According to Macau-based Inside Asian Gaming, as of June 1 online poker and the promotion of the game via all social media channels will be banned. Poker has experienced a rapid rise in China despite the fact people are unable to play for money and Lai said the decision to ban it altogether would have a negative impact on places such as Macau, Manila and South Korea’s Jeju island. “It…

New York’s online poker efforts could be getting a serious shot in the arm thanks to growing support in the one legislative chamber it has historically struggled in. Per OnlinePokerReport, the Assembly version of the online poker pitch, A 5250, could soon quadruple its number of sponsors, which would bode well for its chances there. The New York State Senate has, on more than one occasion, passed an online poker bill. The Senate bill most recently cleared a committee vote in January. The man spearheading the bill in the Senate, Republican State Senator John Bonacic, expects the measure to clear…