Poll results: PokerStars to dominate New Jersey casino sector

PokerStars will become the market-leading online casino operator in New Jersey, according to the majority of respondents to this week’s eGaming Review poll.

The poker giant made its long-awaited return to the US market at the start of the week, offering poker and casino products to players in the Garden State.

While the operator is expected to double the size of the poker market – which generated GGR of just ?1.3m in February – Stars will be equally keen to establish itself as a casino power player.

And according to 68% of readers the operator will do just that having already made a good start by joining forces with NetEnt to integrate the supplier’s games into its casino offering.

But it will be a tough task for PokerStars to claw back share from current market leaders and land-based giants Borgata, Tropicana and Golden Nugget.

Since the New Jersey market opened its digital doors in November 2013, players have preferred to wager with established bricks-and-mortar brands over online only operators such as Betfair.

And 32% of respondents said this quirk of the market will be too much for Stars to overcome and will only dominate within its core poker vertical.

However, PokerStars long-term future in New Jersey was thrown into doubt yesterday after news that Amaya CEO David Baazov had been charged with five counts of insider trading.

The state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement told EGR it was keeping a close eye on the situation and would “address the matter” with Amaya in due course.