BOYD GAMING GRANTED NEVADA ONLINE POKER LICENCE

Thursday October 18, 2012 : BOYD GAMING GRANTED NEVADA ONLINE POKER LICENCE (Update)
 
Partnership with BwinParty makes for a formidable competitor
 
The Nevada Gaming Commission has accepted the recommendation of the Nevada Gaming Control Commission, granting Boyd Interactive Gaming a Nevada interactive poker licence on Thursday.
 
When we went to press it was not yet clear whether two other applicants, Fertitta Interactive and the Golden Nugget, had also been successful.
 
Boyd is in a powerful partnership with the European-based Bwin Party Digital Entertainment group, which includes the operationally and technologically experienced Party Poker subsidiary. The NGC licence will allow Boyd to offer Bwin.Party's poker platform to Nevada residents once the online poker firm achieves separate licensing as a Nevada service provider.
 
Boyd executives told the NGC that the company had decided on a partnership with an established and experienced company in the online poker industry rather than attempting to develop its own software technology or spend large amounts on acquiring a suitable subsidiary for the task.  They said almost 20 potential partners had been evaluated before BwinParty was chosen.
 
Interestingly, one executive opined to the commissioners that the Nevada online poker market should be capable of generating up to $180 million a year, which he said was equivalent to the amount currently delivered by live poker operations in the state.
 
Boyd Interactive Gaming's parent company is a major bricks and mortar casino operator in Nevada and Atlantic City.
 
Bwin.Party also owns the World Poker Tour live tournament brand, delivering additional potential to the deal.