Gambling911.com World Exclusive: Everest Poker Network Vying for Massachusetts License
Gambling911.com had an opportunity to sit down with Ethan Park, Internal Counsel for Cambridge Interactive Development Corp. (CIDC), an Everest Poker Network subsidiary based in the US. Park discussed the latest move to legalize online poker stateside, this time in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Everest is vying for one of three licenses that will be available once legislation is passed.
Last week, State Representative Daniel Winslow, R-Norfolk, introduced an amendment to current legislation that would expand gambling in Massachusetts, allowing for a maximum of three casinos, each carrying their own separate license.
Winslow’s amendment calls for the legalization of online poker in coordination with the state casino plan. A maximum of three licenses will be granted to online poker firms. Everest, which has an office based in Massachusetts, looks to obtain one of those three Web card room licenses.
“What Representative Winslow has put together is very well-crafted,” explained Park. “It is a coordinated plan that takes online poker and subjects it to the same requirements of the casinos and, on top of this, adds a number of consumer protections.”
And Park sees the potential for Massachusetts to have legalized Internet poker as early as mid-2013.
“There is a legitimate opportunity to pass (this measure) through both houses by the end of the year.”
Aside from the typical anti-gambling crusaders, Massachusetts does not have a whole lot of obstacles getting in the way of Web poker regulation. In California, it is the tribal casinos that continue to curb the process there. New Jersey has its horse racing lobbyists that could potentially wreak havoc, though that does not appear to be their intent at the moment.
Assuming Winslow’s amendment gets passed – quite possibly as early as September - specific regulations would have to then be drawn up.
“Massachusetts is very interested in protecting its residents,” Park said, noting that the state is well aware that hundreds of thousands of individuals within the commonwealth have been betting with foreign online gambling operators over the years. “None of the residents playing online from Massachusetts are being taxed or protected.”
At first glance, Everest Poker might seem like an odd choice to be aligning itself with a US commonwealth like Massachusetts. After all, Everest has found its niche over the years in countries where English is not widely spoken. They have the largest online poker room in France. Combining its entire worldwide player base with the segregated French pool and Everest ranks around the 8th largest online poker network in the world.
That said Everest has its roots in Massachusetts dating back to 2004 where they first launched a translatable poker product. Unlike many of their competitors, the company has never accepted a bet from US citizens.
“Everest has always respected US law,” Park asserted.
He also envisions a future where Massachusetts could potentially form compacts with states such as New Jersey and Connecticut, both of which are looking to legalize online gambling.
“The states would have to come up with provisions to determine proportional arrangements,” Park suggested when asked how each state would allocate how taxes and revenues might ultimately be divvied up.
Park does not foresee a situation where Everest’s European player pool can be combined with that of Massachusetts and other states.
“I have not found an exception (in US law) allowing for foreign commerce,” Park told Gambling911.com.
In the end, it could be that many of the European nations like France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal may object to having their citizens combined in a player pool that includes US poker enthusiasts.
For now, getting online poker up and running in Massachusetts remains Everest’s top priority.
“We will be very active in the legislative process,” Park promised.
Massachusetts’ population sits around 6 ½ million. That is greater than Denmark, Finland, Norway and Ireland, each of which host thriving gambling industries.
Combining with a state like New Jersey, the potential player pool jumps to around 15 million.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
