Nevada and Delaware officials say they expect the two states to begin sharing their online poker-player pools by this summer under the online gambling agreement between the two states.
That moves up the start estimate, which was originally set for the end of the year.
The two states signed the first interstate online gambling agreement last month to pool the player bases of their states for their online gambling sites. Only three states—New Jersey is the third—have approved online gambling. Online gambling is only available to players within each state’s borders.
Since both Nevada and Delaware have relatively small populations, agreements to share players between states has been seen as crucial to online gambling’s success.
Towards that end, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval is inviting other states including New Jersey—which has a significantly larger population—to join in the pact. As many as 10 other states are said to be considering online gambling legislation.
“I think it’s important for them to know that we’re capable of doing this,” Sandoval said. “I trust the regulatory process we have. We vetted this with Delaware for several months and we’re currently building the platform.”
Sandoval says joining in the pact could help states just starting out with online gaming.
“If there are states that don’t have as sophisticated a regulatory structure as we have, that’s something we can offer,” Sandoval told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “If your state doesn’t have the infrastructure, use our capabilities.”
As for New Jersey, Sandoval said he has spoken with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie about an interstate compact, but no deal has yet to be offered.
Nevada offers only online poker, while New Jersey and Delaware approved online gambling sites offer a full slate of casino games and slots.
Sandoval has also said he doesn’t believe bills currently introduced in Congress to ban internet gaming could override state laws and shut existing online networks.
