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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) confirmed to PlayPannsylvania on Friday that it has begun negotiating the Commonwealth into MSIGA at the request of Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Pennsylvania entering Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) has been a long time coming, and now that Pennsylvania has the blessing of the Governor, it’s going to join the following in MSIGA:
- Delaware
- Michigan
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- West Virginia
Joining the compact, which has been on Pennsylvania’s radar for awhile, is great news for Pennsylvania online poker players.
PGCB enters negotiations into MSIGA
Pennsylvania has started the process to become the sixth state to enter the MSIGA, PGCB Director of Communications, Doug Harbach, told PlayPennsylvania. “We did receive correspondence from Governor Josh Shapiro,” Harbach said, “directing us to begin the process of negotiating the Commonwealth’s entrance into the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) for poker.”
According to a letter PlayPennsylvania obtained, Shapiro contacted the PGCB on Thursday, Oct. 10 to begin negotiations with the MSIGA. He said in the letter:
“I respectfully request the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board through its statutory authority pursuant to section 1207 Title 4 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, begin the process of negotiating the Commonwealth’s entrance into the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement.”
Shapiro acknowledged the importance of the Pennsylvania gambling industry and stated why the state should join the compact.
“In order to remain competitive in the gambling sector, I am expressing my strong support for Pennsylvania to join the MSIGA alongside Michigan, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and West Virginia.
“Pennsylvania should capitalize on our status as a leader in legalized gambling, and join this compact, which would bring in additional revenue for the Commonwealth and allow players more gaming options.”
Potential timeline of Pennsylvania joining MSIGA
Rep. George Dunbar, who introduced the bill back in March, believed that the state could join by the end of the year, he said in June. That prediction appears to be plausible.
However, Harbach told PlayPennsylvania there is no timeline for an agreement, though talks are ongoing.
“Certainly, since there are ‘roadmaps’ from other jurisdictions already operating within the compact, our hope is to use those and get PA operational as soon as viable.”
“At the same time, every jurisdiction is different, so it is not possible at this early stage to predict the expediency of the complete launch process.”
Despite an unclear timeline, Pennsylvania’s entry into the MSIGA is a matter of when, not if. It certainly appears to be in the not-so-distant future, to boot.
What the Pennsylvania’s entrance into MSIGA means for players
Pennsylvania poker players have waited a long time for news such as this. Over the last year or so, players have organized campaigns for the state to join the compact as quickly as possible.
Keith Becker, PokerNews Pennsylvania ambassador, told PlayPennsylvania last month that he wants to “keep Pennsylvania poker in the public eye [to] motivate the governor to finally sign us into the MSIGA!” It appears that that has happened.
Now that it’s another step closer to the finish line, Pennsylvania players will enjoy competing against players from other states. With a much larger player pool, the prize money associated with tournaments will also be bigger.
Michigan joined the MSIGA in May 2022, much to the delight of poker players residing there. Dan Schill, a poker player in the Great Lakes State, won $23,000 after finishing in second place of a $200 two-day Sunday Special. He told PlayPennsylvania back in January 2023:
“There are typically not many tournaments that are offered where you’re going to have the ability to cash for that much. The fact that we’ve already had multiple tournaments in the first several weeks of the merger where people are taking home more than $20,000 is a pretty awesome opportunity.”
Players are certainly going to benefit from playing other competition, which enhances the poker market and drives more revenue as a result. Pennsylvania has fallen behind Michigan and New Jersey in online poker revenue as of late.
Joining the MSIGA should put the Keystone State back on top of the market in short order.
