After a frustrating year that more or less maintained the status quo for online poker in the United States, 2015 has begun with some promising rumbles in both New Jersey and Washington.
While Ultimate Poker and Betfair closed its doors in New Jersey last year, two of the three remaining active poker sites in NJ are looking ahead.
888poker NJ and WSOP.com NJ announced yesterday they have begun sharing player liquidity in selected cash games and tournaments.
Shared cash games on the host All American Poker Network include microstakes No-Limit Hold’em up to 25c/50c and Limit Hold’em up to 50c/$1.
Sit-and-gos with buy-ins of $5 and less are also now shared along with daily and weekly MTTs including the $5,000 and $10,000 Nightlys. The $10,000 and $25,000 Sunday tournaments will be shared starting January 18.
“This is an excellent step forward for us," CEO of the All American Poker Network (AAPN) David Licht told PokerFuse, "and should help in building a larger audience and player base for online poker in New Jersey.
“Shared liquidity will help create a better player experience, we hope will attract a diversity of players and begin to bring poker to a broader audience once again.”
PokerStars Back By March?
One of the major reasons 888 and WSOP might be making a push to consolidate their player bases?
The looming return of online poker behemoth PokerStars.
While nothing has been confirmed about the ongoing licensing process for PokerStars in New Jersey Senator Ray Lesniak feels confident the new ownership group won't be denied:
@OPReport @DavidPurdum March 2015
— Senator Ray Lesniak (@SenatorLesniak) January 10, 2015@wggm @OPReport @DavidPurdum Adelson's play to ban eGaming in Congress is dead and Poker Stars new ownership too formidable to deny
— Senator Ray Lesniak (@SenatorLesniak) January 10, 2015Lesniak has been wrong before but, given the general recent push to expedite a ruling on a sports betting case, it seems to be a higher priority to start 2015.
Washington Moves to Reverse 2006 Decision
While the State of California pushes forward with its plans to legalize online poker another state out West is working to reverse a decision it made almost a decade ago.
Back in the post-UIGEA haze of 2006 the State of Washingtona passed a law that made playing online poker a class C felony.
Players caught and convicted of playing online at an unlicensed provider were subject to up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
On Monday a new online poker bill, HB 1114, was introduced by State Representative Sherry Appleton (D) that would reverse that law and make licenses to operate online poker networks and skins.
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