Weekly Roundup March 18 2016
PokerStars New Jersey Launches
PokerStars New Jersey launched this week. Players report few issues with the testing phase. The most popular games this week have been Spin & Gos. Those are jackpot sit and gos where the prize pool is determined by a random number generator. This is the first introduction of this type of product in the regulated New Jersey online poker market.
The testing phase is limited to 500 players at any given time and has limited hours. PokerStars New Jersey will fully open on March 21. It will offer a $25,000 freeroll on March 27. Any player that creates an account there before that time will qualify. No deposit is required.
New Jersey Regulated Gaming Revenue Breaks Record
New Jersey online regulated gaming sites won $14.75 million in February. That was up seven percent from the previous month and 42 percent from the previous year. It was a record win for the state’s licensed gaming sites, an impressive feat considering the short month. Casinos won $12.75 million. Poker games raked $2 million. Casino win was up 53 percent from the previous year. Poker rake was down three percent.
Delaware Online Gaming Posts Second Best Month Ever
The Delaware Lottery’s three online poker and casino sites took in $230,000 in February. That is the second best month in the regulated industry’s history in the state. The trio of sites took in $241,000 in April 2014.
Casino games took in $201,000. That was the highest in a single month. It was not all good news. Poker rake was only $28,000. Poker continues to struggle, even after the Delaware network merged with WSOP.com in Nevada.
Bitcoin Added to Bovada Deposits and Intertops Withdrawals
Bovada, the largest U.S.-facing poker site, added Bitcoin as a deposit option. There are no fees involved with it. Bitcoin withdrawals are not yet available but are planned in the near future.
Intertops and its sister site Juicy Stakes added Bitcoin as a withdrawal option. There are no fees associated with it, making it the only withdrawal option at U.S. sites that is always free.
The addition of Bitcoin is likely due to the loss of cash transfer services. Western Union is currently under investigation by the U.S. government. MoneyGram limits had dropped to $400, making it an expensive and undesirable option.