What Can US Online Poker Players Expect From Second Wave Sites?

Regulated online poker in the United States has brought with it the return of long-absent iPoker platforms Party Poker and 888, as well as the launch of a couple new platforms, Ultimate Poker and Real Gaming.
Unfortunately, a fresh start hasn’t brought about fresh software.

When it comes to 888 and Party, absence didn’t make the heart grow fonder. Both platforms have received their fair share of criticism from the poker community – some deserved and some not so deserved, as players rightfully compare their current options to their memories of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.
Party and 888 may have taken quite a few shots, but they are still standing and soldiering on.
On the other hand, the new platforms, Ultimate Poker and Real Gaming, have fared far worse.
Ultimate Poker took one right on the chin and was unable to get off the canvas, shutting down its online poker sites in New Jersey and Nevada in 2014. From the beginning, the site struggled to gain any type of market share and lost millions before finally closing its doors.
Real Gaming has peak cash game traffic of 12 players according to PokerScout.com. Most online poker players are likely unaware the site even exists, and that might be a good thing considering the lackluster graphics and features.
Looking to the future
Fortunately, there are other operators sitting on the sidelines. Unfortunately, these companies haven’t entered the market to date as they wait for one or more of the following to occur:
A more robust market.
A partner.
A license.
Here is a look at the platforms waiting in the wings, and what the poker community can expect from these operators in the coming years.
PokerStars and Full Tilt
Arguably the two best online poker platforms around, both PokerStars and Full Tilt would like to be operational in the U.S., but have so far been left sitting on the sidelines as they wait for regulatory approval in New Jersey, and continue to fight for their right to apply for licenses in other locales.
When it comes to PokerStars in New Jersey it appears to be a matter of when, not if they will receive a license (approval could come any day now), but what their plans are for Full Tilt Poker is still anyone’s guess.
Amaya, the parent company of both platforms hasn’t commented on Full Tilt Poker’s U.S. future, likely because of the bad taste the previous incarnation of Full Tilt Poker left in the U.S. online poker community’s mouth.
HDPoker
HDPoker is cross-platform poker software originally designed as Siena Casino’s real-money online poker platform in Nevada, but later amended to accommodate social and mobile operating systems.
With the Nevada market the size it is, and with WSOP.com’s virtual monopoly in the state, it appears Siena is content to develop HDPoker as a social poker platform for the time being.
HDPoker is available on Facebook, and even this beta “flash” version seems pretty impressive.
While not as fast as the upper echelon of software in the real-money online poker sector – such as PokerStars – HDPoker still possesses a responsiveness similar to a high quality video game.
However, HDPoker is far more aesthetically pleasing than PokerStars and other platforms, with tremendous, highly-customizable graphics also fit for a high-end video game.
A fully downloadable version of HDPoker would likely increase both the GUI as well as the speed of the software.
Pala Poker
Pala Poker’s software is a bit of a mystery. Some sardonically expect the site to have a similar look to the now defunct UB (Ultimate Bet) software considering the man at the helm of Pala Interactive, Jim Ryan, was a former CEO of Ultimate Bet’s parent company, Exscapa.
Ryan also held the title of co-CEO at Party Poker and bwin.party before moving on to head Pala Interactive.
Truth be told, we have no idea what Pala’s online poker room will look like, but it will likely have a similar style to its already-launched online casino. We should know in the not so distant future, as a Pala spokesman indicated they still plan on unveiling their online poker room in New Jersey in Q4 of 2015.
Gamesys
Gamesys has been extremely successful in the online casino market in Europe and in New Jersey, where they power the Tropicana and Virgin online casinos.
Even though the company has never operated an online poker platform, there were some early intimations that Gamesys would be developing an online poker site for New Jersey. Market size seems to have put these plans on hold.
The chances of Gamesys launching an online poker platform in the U.S. will heavily depend on the following three future developments occurring:
Other states legalizing online poker.
Those states partnering with New Jersey.
Gamesys securing partners in those markets.
Churchill Downs Interactive
This is yet another company with big designs on the U.S. online gaming market, considering CDI has been developing an online poker product for several years, and has sunk quite a bit of money into it – at least $10 million as of July 2014.
CDI now appears ready to launch its online poker software, as it has partnered with Oceans 11 and Crystal Casino in California. Unfortunately, at the rate that state is going, it’s more likely we’ll see CDI’s product in another state first, perhaps in Pennsylvania, or in New Jersey by piggybacking off one of the current licensees.
Expectations are pretty high for CDI’s online poker platform.
Churchill has a good deal of online gaming experience as it runs the extremely successful TwinSpires.com online horse racing site. Later in 2014, the company acquired the social casino company Big Fish Games.
NYX
NYX is partnered with two New Jersey casinos, Resorts and Golden Nugget. And while this is speculation, the company could be considering developing/unveiling an online poker platform.
NYX has purchased OnGame from Amaya, which could allow them to quickly fine-tune an online poker product for Golden Nugget.
The problem is, OnGame online poker software is considered second- or even third-tier at best. It will have to be overhauled by NYX to be a viable online poker site in 2015.
Golden Nugget’s Thomas Winter said the company is still considering online poker, but it’s not in its immediate plans.
AcePlay
AcePlay or ACEP is the online poker product developed for the Stratosphere Casino in Las Vegas. Similar to other platforms, market constraints seem to have stalled ACEP’s real-money launch, but the product is available as a play money site.
ACEP is the OnGame Network’s latest incarnation, as it was sold to Amaya following the merger between bwin (OnGame’s previous owner) and Party Gaming, and later to NYX.