Good news for online poker players playing at the regulated rooms in Delaware and Nevada as governors of both states have agreed to allow pool sharing and therefore players to play against each other at the virtual felt. The deal creates the very first interstate compact between 2 states and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval declared that, “The possibilities that are ahead of us are truly extraordinary, the agreement we’ve signed today provides the tools and the structure necessary for us to pioneer this expanding industry together, as states and as partners.”
The deal lays out the basic regulatory standards that all states must agree to however certain areas of online gambling are left to states themselves to decide upon, such as allowing online games other than poker to be played by their residents. At present of course the deal only involves Nevada and Delaware and should other states wish to join then both Governors would have to give their consent. Gov Jack Markell of Delaware said that, “Gov. Sandoval and I both share the goal of ensuring that our states’ gaming industries are as competitive as they can be, while ensuring that games are conducted fairly, honestly, and securely,” Over in New Jersey, the only other state with regulated online poker, there’s been a little interest in the deal, however it’s thought that with by far the largest potential player pool New Jersey officials will sit back a while and see how this deal pans out. It’s hoped that the sharing of player pools can drive online poker revenues further as with the small populations that both states have, liquidity is of course a problem.
