South Point online poker site goes live

The South Point hotel and casino is seen Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012.

South Point’s entry in the online poker arena, Realgaming.com, has started operations, becoming the third company to offer real-money play within the state.

Known corporately as Real Gaming, the site is owned by longtime casino executive Michael Gaughan, who was the first person to offer a free-play poker site in 2011.

Real Gaming joins Station Casinos’ Ultimate Poker and Caesars Entertainment’s World Series of Poker sites in the market.

Real Gaming’s entry means the state Gaming Control Board will soon begin posting revenue figures for the online sites in its monthly reports.

Frank Streshley, chief of the Control Board’s tax and licensing department, confirmed that Real Gaming was licensed to take customers and said he expects the first financial statistics would appear in the state’s February revenue report. That report will be released in late March.

Streshley said by state policy, there must be at least three operators in a market segment to post supplementary financial information.

Gaughan and South Point have not formally announced operation of the site, which was approved by state gaming regulators in August 2012.

Gaughan is using a proprietary poker software developed by his company. Other companies are using software developed by partners.

Under regulatory procedure, the game is considered to be in a field trial period, which means it can be played publicly while regulators closely observe operations.

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