NetEnt has entered into a licence agreement with Amaya-owned online gaming brand PokerStars in the US state of New Jersey. Under the deal, NetEnt will supply desktop and mobile games to PokerStars, which this week began a soft launch period in the state ahead of a scheduled full launch next week. NetEnt, which already has partnerships with a number of major operators in the state, will now apply for a transactional waiver from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement to launch operations with, PokerStars. The company’s application for a full licence is still under review from regulators in the…

First Look at Software PokerStars NJ is now accessible for download and real-money play in New Jersey. The site entered a soft launch testing period starting at approximately March 16 at 4:00 pm, and is slated for a full launch at midnight on March 21. Here are some notes, observations, and analysis from my play on PokerStarsNJ.com during the soft launch period. The PokerStars NJ platform is based off the PokerStars 7 software, which is the latest version offered internationally. Although only in a limited launch phase, server response has been generally lightning fast, vastly outperforming existing NJ operators. Login…

Amaya Inc. today announced that it expects to initially launch its PokerStars brand in New Jersey on Monday, March 21, 2016. The launch quickly follows the September 2015 authorization by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to operate the PokerStars and Full Tilt brands in the State. Amaya currently expects to conduct an interim testing period with the DGE and a beta period for a limited player base beginning in mid-March. “PokerStars is the global leader in online poker and trusted by its customers for its robust and innovative technology, world-class security and game-integrity. We are honored and…

Amaya Gaming’s PokerStars brand has become the latest operator to withdraw its services from Portugal. This week saw the PokerStars Partners Team issue emails to its Portuguese affiliates, instructing them that Stars’ affiliate program “will no longer accept players from Portugal until further notice.” The email warned that “all marketing materials (banners, links, etc.) and marketing efforts should cease immediately.” The decision also applies to Amaya’s Full Tilt brand. Portugal is in the process of implementing its new online gambling regime, which came into effect on Monday, June 29. Operators interested in obtaining new Portuguese licenses are withdrawing from the…

PokerStars has joined forces with a number of California tribal casinos and cardrooms to launch an online poker coalition in an effort to promote an open and fair market for any future regulated internet poker market in the state. The new ‘Californians for Responsible iPoker’ group features five tribal-gaming groups as well as the Commerce, Bicycle and Hawaiian Gardens cardrooms. Each member of the group has already reached an agreement with PokerStars to use the online poker operator’s software should the state opt to regulate internet poker activities. PokerStars said the group will enable it to demonstrate in state-level hearings…

Given the secular decline of the online poker industry, Amaya (parent company of PokerStars) will be hard-pressed to double the size of its poker arm in the next five years. That’s one of the focal points of a new research report on Amaya authored by Adam Krejcik of Eilers Research and Online Poker Report publisher Chris Grove. Eilers has proven to be one of the more sobering (and accurate) voices with regards to online gaming revenue predictions. Its latest report continues that trend, and not without good reason. The online poker industry is in the midst of a multi-year downswing,…