After a brief down period to upgrade its servers, BetMGM Poker has launched an interstate online poker network, merging player traffic on its Michigan and New Jersey sites.
BetMGM Poker becomes the third interstate poker network in the US, joining PokerStars and WSOP Online.
Key Highlights
- BetMGM Poker combined its Michigan and New Jersey player pools on Wednesday.
- Many believe that it is a sign that Pennsylvania will join MSIGA soon.
- BetMGM Poker plans to launch an online poker room in Nevada next spring.
- The more states in a poker network, the healthier the poker rooms can be.
Hopefully, Three’s Not a Crowd
On Wednesday, players on BetMGM Poker in both Michigan and New Jersey had their games interrupted while the platform was taken down for upgrades.
Normally, that wouldn’t make poker players happy, but it was for a fantastic reason: the states’ player pools were combined, creating BetMGM Poker’s first interstate poker network.
Poker players in the two states now have three options if they want to play poker with people in other states. PokerStars also links players between Michigan and New Jersey, WSOP Online does it one better and includes Nevada, and, of course, there is now BetMGM.
Why Form an Interstate Poker Network Now?
Aside from a 15-second video from BetMGM Ambassador and poker pro Darren Elias, the company has yet to make a public statement about the new network.
We can surmise, though, that a big reason why it happened now is that Pennsylvania is close to joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).
BetMGM, PokerStars, and WSOP Online all have sites in the state and would quickly add them to their networks, greatly boosting traffic.
Last month, the state began talks with the MSIGA members: Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The goal is for Pennsylvania to join the group by the end of 2024.
Pennsylvania would immediately become the largest state in the coalition. BetMGM, PokerStars, and WSOP Online all have sites in the state and would quickly add them to their networks, greatly boosting traffic.
What Else Might Be in Store for US Online Poker?
Further expansion of legal online poker in the United States is not on the horizon, but there could be more in the works for the current states that allow online poker.
During a Nevada license extension hearing in April, MGM Resorts International told the Nevada Gaming Commission that it was almost ready to launch its online poker room in the Silver State.
Though the company’s focus this year has been expanding its sports betting footprint, it anticipates a Nevada BetMGM Poker launch in the spring, likely before the WSOP. It would almost certainly add Nevada to its interstate network.
BetRivers Poker, the resurrection of the former Run It Once Poker helmed by Phil Galfond, also just launched in Pennsylvania. Again, the timing probably correlates to an imminent entry into MSIGA.
Rush Street Interactive, the owner of BetRivers Poker, is licensed in many states, so it could launch online poker elsewhere and build a fourth interstate network.
One interesting potential state for BetRivers is Delaware, which once had three online poker rooms, all using the 888Poker platform and networked with WSOP Online.
In January of this year, though, the Delaware Lottery chose Rush Street as its new internet gaming provider, ending online poker in the state. BetRivers could very well decide to get the racino-linked online poker rooms going again and put them on a multi-state network.
Multi-State Expansion is Needed for the Health of Online Poker
That the US only has a few states with legal online poker is a problem for the industry. Though multiple poker rooms are active in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, it is very difficult to sustain sites when you are limited to single states at a time.
Nevada has just one online poker room, mainly because of its small population. West Virginia and Delaware have none.
By linking states together, player pools at the sites can grow, especially those in small states. More players means more active tables, larger tournaments, bigger tournament prize pools, and better promotions.
It can also have a snowball effect. If poker players see active lobbies, they will deposit and stay. That, of course, adds to the player pool, increases the number of active tables, and grows tournaments, which draws more players into the fray.
Sources
https://www.bonus.com/news/betmgm-enters-the-world-of-multi-state-online-poker-traffic-sharing-new-jersey-michigan-network-launches-tomorrow/
https://pokerfuse.com/news/industry/220923-mgm-has-everything-lined-nevada-online-poker/
https://www.cocosapps.com/news/betrivers-poker-launches-pennsylvania-419287/
https://www.cocosapps.com/news/pennsylvania-multi-state-poker-compact-409642/
