PokerStars Planning $10 Million Atlantic City Poker Room

We could be about to see another major American poker room open if PokerStars gets its wish, with plans for a $10 Million poker room afoot. The online giant is planning the land based poker rooms as part of its internet partnership with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The move comes as more and more US gambling companies look to align their online and land based businesses after changes to American gambling laws allowed online gambling on a state by state basis. So far, internet based casinos are legal in 3 US states: New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware; and it is in the first of these that PokerStars is awaiting its online license.

Spokesman William J Pascrell III was confident the plans would go ahead soon, saying: “As soon as the license is in hand, they’re ready to start building. It will be the PokerStars poker room at Resorts.”

He later added: “PokerStars is committed to investing significant resources to put in a brand new poker room at Resorts Casino Hotel. In addition to the poker room, they are committed to driving traffic to Atlantic City through their marketing.”

As the world’s biggest online poker operator, PokerStars are looking to bring their online poker site to the US as soon as possible, and plan to reach as many players as possible. As such, they plan to locate their North American internet headquarters in New Jersey, creating a host of new jobs for the state, and Atlantic City in particular.

However, any PokerStars license could come under threat because of previous legal problems the company has faced in the US. Last year, they agreed to pay $731 million to settle a Department of Justice lawsuit on money laundering, bank fraud, and illegal gambling, however, they admitted no guilt in the settlement.