SOUTH POINT APPROVED FOR ONLINE POKER LICENSE
Thursday August 9,2012 : SOUTH POINT APPROVED FOR ONLINE POKER LICENCE (Update)
Nevada Gaming Control Board happy with application for operator and software provider licensed status
Michael Gaughan's South Point Casino application for an intrastate online poker operator, service provider and software manufacturer license moved forward at a hearing of the Nevada Gaming Control Board in Las Vegas Wednesday, winning the approval of the Board and progressing the application to the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Under the title South Point Poker LLC, the application will next be considered at the August 23 meeting of the Commission, after which it will have to satisfy stringent technological requirements through an independent testing process.
It is understood that South Point is already well advanced in this process, having anticipated the requirement.
The operator licence for South Point will be is the first to be issued thus far, although manufacturer and service provider licences have previously been awarded to Bally Technology, International Game Technology and Shuffle Master.
What happens once the technology tests have been successfully completed is not clear; theoretically this would enable South Point to embark on real-money online poker operations within the state of Nevada, but NGCB chairman Mark Lipparelli has hinted that he would like a final "administrative review" before that happens.
Nevertheless, a legal representative for South Point seemed in buoyant mood following the hearing, telling reporters: “Michael Gaughan had the vision to embrace online gaming from the beginning. South Point Poker is optimistic it will be the first to take real-money bets later this year.”
Using the Zen Gaming product, South Point has been offering free-to-play online poker for almost a year now, building experience, player awareness and interest in its internet intentions.
The company has revealed that it will deploy on a different, and probably proprietary, software platform when the real action starts, including the use of what it has claimed is a "unique, patent-pending” technology for geo-location.
Wednesday's meeting of the NGCB also granted provisional operator approval to the Monarch Casino and Resort, and service provider approval to financial processor Global Cash Access.
