Rumours have started to circulate, first reported by PokerPlayer Newspaper, that PokerStars are not going to be one of the Sites go live in New Jersey on the 26th of November.
Sources inside The New Jersey Division of Gaming Control have been reported to have said that the regulators are increasingly concerned about the outstanding legal issues surrounding PokerStars founder, Isai Scheinberg.
Scheinberg currently has an outstanding warrant relating to the “Black Friday” indictments relating to the actions of PokerStars following the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006. He stepped down from an active role in the company as part of the deal with the DoJ that ended the civil suit against the company, and say Full Tilt added to the company’s assets.
We have ed PokerStars’ parent company, The Rational Group, for comment on these rumours, but we have yet to receive a reply.
The poker forums have responded to these rumours with an attitude that is less than enthused by the apparent decision. Players in New jersey were looking forward to being able to play on what is considered the best software package available. These forum posts also consider that this decision may be the result of lobbying by the other providers, who are concerned that bringing PokerStars into the New Jersey market limits their appeal, as the difference in product quality is considerable.
We will keep you up to date on this story as more becomes known, and if we receive any response to our communication with The Rational Group.