Nevada's first online poker licensee sets precedent for rest of country to follow.
It may be hard to believe, but online poker is well and truly on the march in the United States of America, with Nevada's first licensee Ultimate Poker dealing 100,000 hands in its first 72 hours of operations.
The big 100k!
In its first 72 hours of operations since opening its doors at the start of May, Ultimate Poker had registered thousands of users from all 50 US states and even from 20 other countries. By its third day, it was running 50 online poker tables with constant action and had already dealt out its 100,000th hand.
Company officials said the launch of Ultimate Poker, the United States' first legal real-money online gaming website since the 2006 UIGEA law effectively banned their operation, had exceeded all expectations. CEO Tobin Prior even joked that "We were the largest power room in the state."
History in the making
Ultimate Gaming made history last week when it dealt the first legal, real-money online poker hand in the US, made possible by the new law passed in Nevada that allows local firms to host internet gambling for non-state residents. This effectively creates a nationwide framework for online gaming despite the failure of federal regulation attempts.
Online gambling giant 888 is also preparing to launch in Nevada some time this year, while leading companies from around the globe are applying for licenses in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware - the three states that have passed laws approving some form of online gambling this year.
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