Full Tilt Poker Hot on the Heels of PokerStars

An announcement is expected this week from Fertitta Interactive, an online entity established by Station Casino Inc. and Full Tilt Poker announcing their prospective online poker partnership.

The announcement will come only days after Full Tilt Poker's biggest competitor PokerStars announced its future partnership with Wynn Resorts Ltd.

PokerStars is the number one offshore online poker provider for US players and Full Till Poker is a close second.

Both companies essentially violate US Federal Law, namely the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed in 2006, which bans the operation of online gambling within the US and bars US financial institutions from handling money transactions relating to online gambling.

In addition to the Wynn and PokerStars deal there was also a recent announcement that Caesar's Entertainment plans to join forces with 888 Holdings PLC. Unlike Full Till Poker and PokerStars, 888 does not violate US law by operating in the US and the deal is mainly aimed at having Caesar's capitalize on 888 stronghold on the European online gaming market in promoting Caesar's brands overseas.

These three deals mark the start of a new phase in the battle to legalize and regulate online gaming within the US.

The partnerships between online operators and huge land-based casino chains, that previously opposed online gaming and supported the introduction of the UIGEA back in 2006, are sure to help speed the process of amending the current legislation.