Technical and payment option problems have hurt Ultimate Poker’s launch of online gambling in New Jersey says the site’s parent company’s Chief Financial Officer. But the company expects improvement and is readying an upgrade to the sites.
Marc Falcone, chief financial officer of Station Casinos—parent company of Ultimate Poker—spoke about the company’s New Jersey launch in a press call with reporters on the company’s earnings.
Ultimate poker has lagged behind online leaders in New Jersey such as BorgataPoker.com and WSOP.com from Caesars Entertainment.
Falcone said four factors have hurt their rollout in New Jersey, as outlined by Online Poker Report:
• Consumer awareness: Internal research shows that “a very low percentage of the residents are even aware that online gaming is now legal in New Jersey,” Falcone said.
• Geolocation: Falcone characterized the process as “complex,” “new” and one that Station will “continue to improve.”
• Banking: Blocked transactions by credit card companies are “a meaningful impediment to delivering currency to the sites,” said Falcone.
• Unregulated competition: The presence of unregulated gambling sites in New Jersey and Nevada cuts into the market, said Falcone, who argued that “there are potential players in both Nevada and New Jersey that continue to game on these illegal sites.”
He also said the online gambling products at Ultimate Poker and UCasino are set to receive an upgrade.
“Ultimate Gaming is making progress on expanding our player content, adding more feature upgrades and enhancements to our current platform, as well as adding additional platforms to enhance our customers’ playing experience,” he said.
Falcone said the upgrades would go online in the coming months.
Falcone also supports a recent deal between Nevada and Delaware to share online poker players.
”The Delaware, Nevada compact is particularly important for setting a precedent in how these agreements will look and the benefits that can be achieved across multiple states, or in this case, Delaware and Nevada,” he said. “On the margin we think it’ll be helpful, but I don’t think it’ll change things too much at least with Nevada and Delaware pooling liquidity. More substantial opportunity, for example, would be pooling the liquidity across Nevada and New Jersey state lines at this point.”
