This week Nevada added the third legal real money online poker site to its roster.
The chairman of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, A.G. Burnett, said on Wednesday that South Point Casino, a property in Las Vegas, soft lauched its RealGaming.com poker site on Tuesday evening.
RealGaming.com joins two sites in small market
Nevada was both the first state to pass online gambling legislation (it did so back in 2011) and the first state to see the commencement of its regulated industry.
Last April, Ultimate Poker became the first legalized U.S. poker site. It was followed up by Caesars-owned WSOP.com in September of 2013.
Speaking to Tuesday's start of RealGaming.com, A.G. Burnett was quoted in the Las Vegas Review-Journal as saying, "This is a regular field trial of their I-gaming poker platform and will be monitored closely. Assuming a successful launch and field trial, South Point is now the third poker offering for Nevada players."
Only online poker in Nevada, no other games are permitted
Thus far, Nevada only offers the game of poker to the exclusion of other forms of online betting. The market for such games remains relatively small, as players from Nevada are permitted to play only against other players who are physically located within the state. Nevada has a relatively small population of just under 3 million residents. Here are some of the best online poker sites.
New Jersey and Delaware, the only two other states in the nation to have enacted online gambling legislation, offer a broader array of betting options that include online versions of classic casino games such as roulette and blackjack for cash.
New Jersey has thus far proven to be the star of the regulated iGaming show, as it were, mostly because with its somewhat large population of about 9 million people, its online gambling market is quite a bit more active than those operating in Delaware and Nevada.
Whether or not more comprehensive online betting - or interstate compacts that would allow play between players in other states - will be introduced in Nevada in the future remains to be seen, but there are many gambling industry pundits who believe that such an action is only a matter of time.
Background on South Point Casino
South Point Casino, which opened back in 2003, is mostly regarded as a locals casino. It received approval from Silver State regulators to operate a digital poker room in 2012.
Fun fact: South Point Casino is owned by Michael Gaughan, son of the legendary Jackie Gaughan, the owner of the historic El Cortez Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas.
At 93, Jackie Gaughan still resides in the penthouse of the El Cortez tower and is said to walk the casino floor and play in the casino's poker room on a near daily basis.
Not only is the El Cortez the oldest casino in continuous operation in Nevada, it also retains its 1952 facade and last year earned itself a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
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