More than 125,000 sign up for online gaming in New Jersey

One quarter of a million online gambling accounts have been created in New Jersey, Poker News reported.

The number of online gambling accounts in New Jersey has surpassed 125,000 according to data released by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) on Sunday. The official number of accounts reported by the DGE was 126,231, an increase of 16,285 over the previous week.
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"We have seen a steady and continual increase in site traffic since November 21 due to the outreach of the casino operators,” said DGE Director David Rebuck. “We are encouraged by their marketing efforts and are optimistic for the future of New Jersey’s Internet gaming industry.”
While seven of the 12 licensed casinos in Atlantic City are offering online poker, two have been dominating the market in the first full month of business. According to PokerScout.com, partypoker owns more than 50% of the market share, averaging 240 real-money cash game players over the past seven days. Caesars Interactive Entertainment's World Series of Poker-branded site, powered by 888 Holdings, had a seven-day average of 150 players, while the All American Poker Network (80 players) and Ultimate Poker (18 players) make up the rest of the market.

View the full article from Poker News here.

Borgata announces dates for Winter Poker Open

Press release

BORGATA ANNOUNCES 2014 BORGATA WINTER POKER OPEN

Televised World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship Event to Feature Guaranteed $3 Million Prize Pool Borgatapoker.com Offering Online Qualifiers and Satellites to Support 18-Day Tournament

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (December 19, 2013) – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa announced today details of its ninth annual Borgata Winter Poker Open tournament series, beginning on January 14 and concluding with the televised WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open Championship event, January 26-31. This year’s Deep Stack No Limit Hold’em (re-entry) Championship is a $3,500 buy-in with 30,000 in starting chips and a guaranteed $3 million prize pool. “Borgata is delighted to continue its relationship with World Poker Tour (WPT) as we host the second of three televised tournaments throughout Season XII,” said Borgata Senior Vice President of Operations Joe Lupo. “Our strong partnership with WPT coupled with the onset of online gaming including the launch of borgatapoker.com make for an extremely exciting 2014.” Borgata’s new online poker site Borgatapoker.com will compliment the upcoming tournament series by offering players the chance to compete for qualifiers into next month’s Borgata Winter Poker Open. On January 12 at 4 p.m., borgatapoker.com will host a 50-seat guarantee with the winner awarded entry into the $560 Big Stack No Limit Hold’em opening event on January 14, which boasts a $2 million guaranteed prize pool. Online players will also have the opportunity for just $1 to qualify for the WPT $3 Million Guaranteed event on January 26, a package worth $5,000! Last year saw 27-year-old poker pro Andy Hwang outlast an immense field of 1,042 participants to take home over $730,000 and add his name to the distinguished list of Borgata Winter Poker Open Champions including Joshua Mancuso (2012), Vadim Shlez (2011), Jeffrey Madsen (2010), Steven Weinstein (2009), Gavin Griffin (2008), John Hennigan (2007) and Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi (2006). The 18-day series, held in the Event Center, will feature 53 unique tournaments such as No Limit Hold’em, H.O.R.S.E, Six-Max, Deep Stack, Seniors and Ladies No Limit Hold’em, and Omaha events. The 2013 Borgata Winter Poker Open saw the largest opening-event turnout in the history of East Coast poker – a record-breaking 3,871 participants entered for the chance to win $1.9 million in prize money. Online promotion to win a seat to the championship runs from December 23 – January 23 with the winner announced January 24. Online reservations for Borgata Winter Poker Open Main events are available 24 hours a day starting now through Friday, January 10 by visitingtheborgata.com. To view the event schedule or for more information visit theborgata.com and follow all of the action on Twitter @BorgataPoker. About Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Located at Renaissance Pointe in Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa features 2,000 guest rooms and suites; 161,000 square feet of gaming; 182 gaming tables; 3,475 slot machines; an 80+ table poker room; 11 retail boutiques; 6 acclaimed fine dining restaurants by renowned chefs; 6 casual dining options; a 54,000 square foot spa; 70,000 square feet of event space; 4 signature nightlife experiences; and parking for 7,100 cars. The resort also features Atlantic City’s first cosmopolitan hotel experience, The Water Club at Borgata, with 800 guest rooms and suites; a 36,000 square foot spa; 18,000 square feet of meeting space; 6 designer retail boutiques; and 5 heated indoor and outdoor pools. For more information on Borgata or to obtain a copy of this press release, please visit theborgata.com or follow Borgata on twitter.com/BorgataAC

Golden Nugget has poker again

The Golden Nugget has re-opened its poker room, according to a report on NorthJersey.com.

The 10-table room opened on Dec. 26 at noon.

According to Bravo Poker Live, the Golden Nugget room will have a high-hand winner’s wheels, and several games including $1-$1 No Limit Hold ‘Em, $1-$3 NLHE and $3-$6-$9 Limit Hold ‘Em.

Bravo Poker Live also says there are no tables going on this time. 

Revel closing its poker room

From US Poker:

Revel announced over the weekend that it will close its poker room by August 15, 2013.  It may close earlier if all promotional money is paid out before that date.  The struggling Atlantic City casino posted this announcement at the Two Plus Two forum over the weekend.

Read the full story on US Poker here.

NorthJersey.com had a statement from Revel:

“After careful consideration and in an effort to further improve the overall operating performance of Revel Casino Hotel, management has made the decision to close our poker room operations effective August, 2013.”

“Offering poker as an amenity on the property will be considered in the future as a component of an overall strategy related to our online opportunities. We have a very talented team of professionals who work in poker operations and we are actively working to place as many as we can in other areas.”

Read the full story on NorthJersey.com here. 

British Gaming company eyes Atlantic City to enter online poker market

From NorthJersey.com

British-based 2UP Gaming has announced it has a letter of intent in hand from an Asian investment group for 215 million pounds (about $331 million US) that “will facilitate 2UP’s planned entry into the United States Internet Gaming market by providing it the means to build or acquire a hotel/casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.”

The company operates the online gaming website 2UP.com, so this effort obviously relates to the planned launch late this year of online gaming in New Jersey.

Only companies that operate Atlantic City casinos can offer the online gambling, so this cash infusion would allow for that hurdle to be cleared. Casinos in the city have gone for as little as $20 million to $50 million in completed and uncompleted deals in recent years, so this investment can reach far beyond a straight building purchase. Of course, they could think about trying to build a new one as well, as was hinted. 

Link to the rest from NorthJersey.com

Rumor: Revel said to be refusing slot refund promotion to some customers

From Legal Us Poker Sites: 

At the end of June, Revel unveiled a slots rebate program which is essentially exactly what it sounds like: Revel promised to refund players for any losses up to $100,000 beginning on the first of July.

This promotion apparently was of especial interest to players known as “advantage players” – that is to say players who are familiar with how to take advantage of particular machines, games, and offers to their best benefit. Rumors currently swirling on gambling forums allege that advantage players have been denied refunds by Revel despite the fact that some have racked up tens of thousands of dollars in losses on the machines.

Furthermore, some players are saying they were not denied refunds, but were outright banned from participating in the promotion from the start. While none of the allegations have been revealed in the mainstream media nor has Revel publicly commented about the accusations, there are some who say that the casino maintains a list of names of advantage players and has blocked them from benefitting from the slot rebate program.

Link to the rest from Legal US Poker Sites