Manx-based Pokerstars is facing a battle to buy a casino in America after a lobbying group objected to its bid.

The company wants to buy the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel in New Jersey but will need Interim Casino Authorization from New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement.

However, last week the American Gaming Association which represents almost all casino operators in the US, filed a brief with the New Jersey Casino Control Commission and the DGE against the purchase.

The AGA refers back to the well-publicised federal crackdown on firms including PokerStars, claiming the company had "operated as a criminal enterprise" and arguing the integrity of the US gaming industry would be compromised by regulatory approvals.

If Pokerstars was successful, it would be able to operate online in New Jersey under new laws saying egaming companies can offer services if they also have a bricks-and-mortar presence in the state.