PokerStars now fully operational in N.J.

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After years of sitting on the regulatory fence, online gaming giant PokerStars is now licensed and fully operational in New Jersey as of early Monday morning, the state Division of Gaming Enforcement has confirmed.The Amaya Gaming-owned site, widely regarded as the global leader in Internet poker, began full-time operations at 12:01 a.m. Monday at www.pokerstarsnj.com following a five-day “soft-play” trial period that started last Wednesday. It is now the 18^th internet gaming site to be authorized by the DGE.

Amaya, which purchased the parent company of the PokerStars and Full Tilt poker brands in 2014, is partnering with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Currently, only players physically located in New Jersey can partake in the site’s online wagering offerings.

Prior to its acquisition by Amaya, PokerStars was previously denied entry into the New Jersey market in 2013 by the DGE, citing the company’s then-questionable legal history in the United States. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Justice seized and shut down the PokerStars and Full Tilt sites for allegedly using fraudulent methods to circumvent a 2006 anti-Internet gaming law.

But last September, the reborn brand got hope that it would be allowed to re-enter New Jersey after the DGE granted Amaya authorization to operate.

Monday’s news was celebrated by state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), a longtime Internet gaming supporter.

“I expect PokerStars to breathe new life into Atlantic City,” Lesniak said. “Not only through its Internet platform, but through hosting and sponsoring events that will attract more tourists into Atlantic City.”