PokerStars and Full Tilt – the world’s two leading online poker brands – will soon be available to players in the US state of New Jersey.

PokerStars

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has issued six waivers to Amaya, which is affiliated with Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, to operate PokerStars and Full Tilt in the state.

"We look forward to bringing our popular brands, innovative technology, marketing prowess and world-class security and game integrity to the growing New Jersey online gaming market," said David Baazov, CEO of Amaya.

The move represents a seismic shift in the nascent real-money online gaming market in New Jersey, which continues to grow at a slow if steady rate.

The introduction of PokerStars is likely to have a marked effect on both gross online gaming revenue in the Garden State and the fortunes of PokerStars owner Amaya. Shares in Amaya on the Canadian stock exchange jumped 16 per cent following the news.