The Nevada Gaming Control Commission (GCC) is giving three big-time online poker operators a little more time to get their acts together.
Under Nevada law, operators have six months to launch their sites after getting the final okay on their online operators licenses. MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming and Golden Nugget all requested, and were granted, extensions of that period from the GCC at its Wednesday meeting. All three operators cited the challenges of testing new software and procedures as the impetus for the extension requests.
This isn’t the first time that these companies have asked for a little more time and GCC Chairman, AG Burnett says that’s no big deal:
All three operators have been granted an extension, which is somewhat routine.
We entertain such requests periodically in the land-based world as well. In this case the operators are understandably examining the market to see how it develops and grows over the coming months.
Even if the extensions are routine, they certainly don’t cast the Nevada online poker industry in a good light.
Silver State online poker operators have, seemingly, been very slow off the blocks when it comes to launching their regulated products. Despite a flurry of licensing activity over the past year and a half, only two operators (Ultimate Poker and WSOP.com) have gone live.
The final verdict on whether Nevada operators are moving fast or slow will likely come next month when a platoon of operators go live in New Jersey.