Potential online gaming operators are going to need to hustle if they want to get in on the game when New Jersey‘s intrastate online gambling market opens later this year. The Garden State’s Department of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has informed current casino licensees that they have until June 29 to ink any partnerships to launch an internet gambling product. That’s a little over two weeks from now.

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According to eGaming Review, which originally reported the news, casino operators are now in “mad scramble” mode. At the same time, online gaming operators are likely feeling just as much, if not more pressure since their options are very limited. Only those that are licensed to operate a casino in New Jersey can apply for an internet gaming permit, so there are really only two ways online operators can get in on the action: buy a New Jersey casino or partner with one.

On the surface, a partnership does not seem like it would be too hard to pull off, but the big problem is that there are only a dozen casinos in New Jersey. Four of them are owned by Caesars Entertainment, two are owned by Trump Entertainment, and Boyd Gaming, owner of Borgata, has already partnered with bwin.party, so that takes the total number of possibilities effectively to seven.

Caesarswill be using 888 Holdings’ software for its WSOP.com offering in Nevada, although it plans to eventually switch to a platform it is developing with Barriere Digital. It is not known if Caesars will stick with the 888/Barriere plan for New Jersey. If this happens, there are only six casino licensees with which online providers could potentially partner: Atlantic Club, Golden Nugget, Resorts, Revel, Tropicana, and Trump.

PokerStarstried the other route in its failed purchase of Atlantic Club. One would expect the site to push hard for a partnership.

It is not a certainty that a casino’s online gambling application would be rejected if it misses the deadline, but the DGE will also not guarantee that it will be approved by November 16, the date intrastate online poker is set to launch in New Jersey.

The state published the regulations for online gambling during the first week of this month. There were not many surprises: players must be at least 21 years old and located in New Jersey (they do not have to be residents of the state) and players from other states will be allowed if an agreement is made with that state. All games offered in brick-and-mortar casinos will be permitted, including poker and table games like craps, blackjack, and roulette.

Deposits can be made online with a credit card or debit card or transferred from a player’s casino account, while in-person deposits can be made with cash, check, and money transfer, just to name a few.

The one clause that has caused the most concern among players is that if a player account has seen no activity for a year, the funds in it will be forfeited.

The regulations are now in a two-month period during which the DGE will accept public comments. August 2 is the last day that people may submit their suggestions. While the anticipated launch date for New Jersey online gambling is November 16, operators will receive 45-day advance notice regardless of what the actual date turns out to be.

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