Canadian based Amaya Inc, the parent company of the PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker websites, has received a six month license renewal from New Jersey authorities. PokerStars, the biggest online poker website in the world fought long and hard to enter the U.S market for a number of years after it was forced out during the Black Friday scandal.
New Jersey was the first state to approve online poker licenses for PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker in September 2015, but PokerStars website went live in the garden state only on the 21st of March. The first license which was for an initial period of six months has now been renewed for another six months.
PokerStars has had a great launch in New Jersey and early reports suggest that the website is dominating the market and has already captured more market share than its competitors. The New Jersey state gaming commission has struggled during the last twelve months to revive a sluggish online poker market and were expecting the launch of PokerStars to turn things around.
The initial performance of the website and player feedback suggests that PokerStars has lived up to expectations and will continue to dominate the New Jersey market. The website is also offering players a number of exciting casino games and is expected to launch a number of exciting online poker promotions in the coming weeks.
The renewal of the PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker licenses brought good news to the Canadian based Amaya. The company has had a tough couple of weeks as the company’s CEO David Baazov has been forced to step down from his post after Quebec’s securities regulator Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) filed five charges of insider trading against Baazov.
Baazov stepped down voluntarily in order to distance himself from Amaya while his lawyers fight these charges and look to clear his name. The company appointed Rafi Ashkenazi as the interim CEO who released a statement congratulating his PokerStars team on their New Jersey performance.
In a statement, Ashkenazi said, “While it’s very early, we’re extremely pleased with the initial launch of PokerStars in New Jersey and the positive working relationship that Amaya has with the DGE. I’m very proud of our employees, including those we have hired in New Jersey, who have worked diligently to prepare for the launch of a robust, stable platform backed by great customer service. We hope to continue our early positive momentum in the market as PokerStars NJ continues to roll out additional marketing and promotions.”
