The impending release date of the shared liquidity on WSOP.com between Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey resulted in excitement across the markets. May is finally here and WSOP.com coronated the launch with a major online tournament series. The shared liquidity agreement was announced on October 13 and anticipation has been high since then. The shared player pools allow for larger prize pools, increased offering in live games and tournaments, and potential for legislation in other states. Pennsylvania is expected to be the next state in the pecking order to join in the shared liquidity. The state signed online gaming into…

UK-based firm Sky Betting and Gaming (SBG) is to be sold to a Canadian company for about £2.5bn, it has been announced. The Stars Group Inc – which owns PokerStars, an online card room – said the deal will make it the largest publicly listed online gaming company in the world. SBG is currently in the middle of a multimillion-pound sponsorship deal with the English Football League. Rafi Ashkenazi, Stars Group’s chief executive, said SBG would complement the PokerStars platform and give the group potential for growth. He described the acquisition as “a landmark moment” for the Stars Group. More…

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…

WSOP.com and 888Poker have submitted for testing their new poker software. The hope is to grow US online poker via regulatory bodies in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, with the goal of pooling players from all three U.S. states upon the anticipated approval by all jurisdictions – a major step for gaming operators in the U.S. The linking of all three states is hopeful to go live on Tuesday, May 1 and would allow customers in Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey to play poker against each other, if final approval is granted from all jurisdictions. This shared-liquidity* gives way for…

The Washington State Gambling Commission has tweeted that it has been receiving questions about free play poker sites, such as PokerStars, denying access to state residents. A recent ruling by Ninth Circuit of U.S. Court of Appeals stated that social casino games are illegal under the State of Washington’s existing gambling laws. It began back in 2015 after a woman lost over $1,000 in virtual chips. She sued Churchill Downs, the then-parent company of Big Fish Casino over the loss. Under Washington law, gambling is “risking something of value upon the outcome of a contest of chance.” It all boils…