Online poker in the Silver State keeps getting closer and closer to becoming a reality. The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in December of last year flip-flopped, and decided that running an online gaming entity in the United States would not be deemed illegal as far as two conditions were met. First, licensing, regulating and policing would be governed on the state level, not federal. And secondly, no sporting contests could be offered for online wagering. Nevada quickly moved forward in became the first of the fifty United States to pass legalized online poker legislation, and just recently the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) gave their second recommendation to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC) for a potential license holder.

The NGCB has done their due diligence, and announced yesterday that they have found International Game Technology (IGT) favorable as a license recipient. Two weeks ago the NGCB unanimously approved Bally Technologies, a Nevada institution since 1932, for an Internet gaming license. The next step comes June 21, when the NGC votes on whether to allow those two companies to purchase an Internet gaming license or not. IGT is already a premier player in online gaming, and in their pitch to the NGCB, they pointed out that they are already running online gaming entities in regulated countries around the world.

NGCB Chairman Mark Lipparelli, quickly becoming one of the power players in this brave new world that is legalized online poker play in the US, said that both Bally and IGT must submit their proposed online software for testing at the state level. Both Bally and IGT are seasoned players in the online and off-line gaming worlds, and testing their online poker room experience would seem a simple formality. First and foremost on Lipparelli’s mind is providing a safe and secure online poker experience for the residents and visitors of Nevada. He specifically pointed out those two companies must show they can keep out potential poker players under the age of 21.

The city of Las Vegas, Nevada came into existence thanks to the gold rush, and the foundation was laid for them to become the first city in the United States to offer legalized brick and mortar casino gambling. The state of Nevada has continued that legacy, and IGT Executive Vice President Robert Melendres says this will help keep that state in the “forefront of the gaming picture.” He went on to state that at least 400 IGT employees would be slated to focus on the new online technology and business entity.

IGT is currently focused on the United Kingdom, where online gambling has been offered for years. In the early 2000s, they purchased the Internet gaming company WagerWorks, and they control several online gaming businesses in multiple foreign markets. Before the NGCB could give their approval, the security and safety of Nevada’s players had to be insured. To that end, Director of IGT Casino Operations Crystian Terry satisfied the board’s concerns by outlining strict anti-money-laundering policies, financial and residential verification processes, and other stringent security measures that company already employs in other countries. IGT owns Double Down, a free online gambling site with over 1.3 million customers, found on the social networking giant Facebook. Terry pointed out that this would create a smooth transition to a pay for play online poker experience for those Double Down customers living in Nevada.

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