Joining WSOP.com and 888poker.com in Apple’s official app store is NJ.PartyPoker.com and BorgataPoker.com.
It looks like 888 will have some competition in NJ’s mobile iGaming arena. Mere weeks after releasing mobile apps for WSOP.com and 888poker.com, PartyPoker NJ and Borgata have followed suit by launching iOS compatible poker apps of their own. Both apps were developed by PartyPoker parent company bwin.party, and can be accessed via iPhone and iPad devices.
PartyPoker NJ and Borgata Poker share a common player pool, thus players who download one app will gain access to online players across both sites. 888poker and WSOP do not have the same luxury, despite both platforms being developed by 888 Holdings.
The mobile version of PartyPoker NJ’s app is essentially the same as its .com offering, sans a few minimal visual tweaks. Currently, it only supports ring-games and fast forward poker.
Although Multi-table and Sit-and-go tournaments are not yet supported, PartyPoker NJ’s iTunes site indicates that they’re “coming soon.” Play-money games are also not supported at this time. And as expected, players will only be able to sit at one table at any given time.
The mobile app will support many of the same features as the full-site including: deposits and withdrawals, hand histories, table settings and alerts.
Apple has a low tolerance for real-money wagering apps, only excepting ones from jurisdictions that permit and regulate online gambling. In addition, in order for a company to successfully submit an app, it must first be licensed by the sanctioned jurisdiction. To date, the four New Jersey apps are the only gambling applications on Apple’s US app store.
The Google Play store carries even stricter policies, not allowing any form of real-money gambling application, regardless of its legality. However, Internet gaming providers are permitted to allow direct downloads of Android compatible apps from their websites.
Not surprisingly, the four NJ poker sites that have already released mobile variants of their poker brands are leading the charge in NJ iGaming market. Currently, PartyPoker and the Borgata control approximately 50% of the market, with WSOP.com holding 30%. 888Poker controls a mere 15%, but has been making strides lately. The implementation of a VIP rewards structure (coming soon) should propel the burgeoning site even further.
