It has been almost 5 long years since Americans could legally play at PokerStars.nj, but starting tomorrow (March, 21st 2016) US Players living in New Jersey will be allowed to play against other NJ players for real money. This is a big first step for US Online Poker as it will open up other options if all goes well. New Jersey will be used as a model for other states and other online poker companies to enter the US Online Poker Market, and this move couldn’t happen at a better time for players and PokerStars.
There’s no doubt that the poker world is excited to see online rooms making progress to bring real money online poker back to the United States, and although the Poker Stars launch is limited to New Jersey for now, if all goes well that is surely going to expand to new States and involve more poker rooms. However, there are a few things you need to know about this launch.
5 Things You Need To Know About PokerStars In New Jersey
#1 – New Age Restrictions – Must be 21 Years Old
One of the minor differences for New Jersey players is that you must be 21 years old to play at NJ Pokerstars. This stays in line with US laws which require players to be 21, as opposed to 18 years old which is the standard age barrier online.
#2 – Player to Player Transfer Are Not Allowed
Another stipulation set forth by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) is that players playing from New Jersey cannot make Player to Player transfers of funds. The NJDGE didn’t elaborate on why they insisted on this restriction, but it’s expected to be only a minor inconvenience.
#3 – New Jersey Players vs New Jersey Players Only
This should come as no surprise to anyone who has been keeping up with Online Poker in the US, but it’s worth stating again. Players in New Jersey can only play against other players living in New Jersey. This means that players playing on pokerstars.nj won’t have access to the massive player pools around the world, but hopefully, that will change as US regulation is updated.
#4 – Improved VIP Program for NJ Players
To make up for the smaller player pools and the lack of some of the major VIP tournaments after the initial launch, PokerStars.nj will have a more player friendly VIP program with lower thresholds to reach the various tiers. See the new tiers listed below:
| VIP Level | VPP Requirement | Estimated Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| BronzeStar | 0 | 8-9% |
| ChromeStar | 100 per month | 12-15% |
| SilverStars | 500 per month | 15-18% |
| GoldStar | 2,000 per month | 17-21% |
| PlatinumStar | 4,000 per month | 22-25% |
| Supernova | 50,000 per year | 27-305 |
#5 – PokerStars.nj Promotions and Incentives
PokerStars.nj is pushing hard to get players to sign up by putting up some nice promotions and incentives. One of the big player promotions is their “We Are in New Jersey Freeroll” which is for any player who creates a new account within the first week of launch. The freeroll takes place on March 27 at 17:00 ET with a nice $25,000 guarantee tournament.
As we mentioned above, this is a great first step for Poker in the US, granted it’s not the perfect dream scenario but it’s a good start especially if you are lucky enough to live in New Jersey. In the coming weeks we should have a good idea on how the new launch is going, and new revenue streams are always important in an election year. With the two largest online poker rooms like PartyPoker and PokerStars finally breaking into the US market, this can only mean good things for players in the months to come.