MGM Receives License for Nevada Online Poker

With online gambling thought to be on the horizon, Nevada continues to issue licenses to a variety of different businesses that wish to participate in online poker. The licenses are given out by the Nevada Gaming Commission, which receives the applications from companies, and then considers them on a case-by-case basis. The most recent meeting in Las Vegas was helpful, allowing a number of companies to see their licenses approved including MGM Resorts International, and some smaller Las Vegas companies including Z4Poker LLC and Cams LLC. The applications were always sought to be approved after receiving recommendations from the State Gaming Control Board on 1 November.

So far, video poker has not been approved for online play. The type of poker that is been approved will involve individuals playing against one another in their own rooms or lobbies, much in the same way that they do in physical casino poker rooms now.

In order to ready the technology that will be required for online gaming, MGM has said that they will likely put up a free, play for fun website in the coming months in which they can test the technology. This, will likely be connected to their already popular myVegas social media website, which is a partner website with developer PlayStudios.

MGM Resorts and Boyd Gaming will be partnering with a real money poker company, bwin.party digital entertainment plc, which will be considered for licensing by Nevada sometime next year. If the company is approved, the real money online poker could go live at that time.

During the hearing in which MGM was approved, gaming commissioners also commented saying that they would need to consider the bwin application more deeply, and that the examination of their application will be done at a time that is separate from both MGM as well as Boyd.

Currently, Z4 Poker is in the process of developing their online poker system. There are also working on potential being go and Keynote systems, even though it is not currently clear whether or not those games will be available online under the law. It is thought that they are looking to expand in to those games, should online gaming become available in a number of different states.

With the approval of some of the largest companies in Las Vegas now complete, it is thought that many of these companies will begin to test their online gaming systems. With MGM launching their free to play online poker service, they will be able to work out all of the bugs and kinks in the system in order to provide a seamless real money system once they are allowed to do so. A number of other companies were also approved including SHFL Entertianment, American Casino and Entertainment Properties, PokerTrip Enterprices, NetEffect Networks, and Monarch Interactive.

With so many companies being approved for online gaming, it will be interesting to see what the future holds. As Congress begins to look at legislation that would limit online gaming to only preapproved games, states are hoping that online gaming will be allowed to flourish in a free-market setting, with the states being allowed to collect tax dollars.