Moneybookers to Operate in New Jersey

The popular online payments solution Moneybookers, now known as Skrill, has received permission from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to provide its e-wallet for use by those online casinos about to launch in the Garden State. Skrill will be the only digital payments solution on offer to residents of New Jersey wishing to play online poker and casino games, and Neil Steinhardt, CEO of Skrill USA, commented, "We're extremely excited about the new opportunities opening up in the US market for gambling merchants and consumers. Skrill's global reach aligned with local expertise makes us the perfect partner to work with businesses in this market."

In other payments news, it's not so great as American Express, Bank of America, and PayPal have said that they will not be permitting transactions to regulated US online gaming sites, which is not great news for those sites getting ready for launch. There have been reports that cards are being declined and that some customers are having difficulty depositing. It must be remembered that both Visa and MasterCard are just fine for online poker sites, for those regulated in the US and for the offshore operations; however, it is the card issuer, i.e., the bank, that has the final say on this one. PayPal does allow transactions in certain regulated countries and may enter the US market again, after withdrawing from the US market in 2002.