The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced on Wednesday afternoon that it has officially negotiated the state into the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). Online poker operators will legally be able to start networking their Pennsylvania sites with those in New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan starting April 28.
PGCB Communications Director, Doug Harbach, told PlayPennsylvania earlier this month that he expects some operators to be ready start sharing liquidity immediately. He cautioned that others might not be as fast, however.
This opens the door for more than 150,000 poker players in Pennsylvania, which should expand the player pool by more than 50%. Pennsylvania becomes the largest state in the shared market with a population of more than 38 million.
Gov. Josh Shapiro instructed the PGCB to begin negotiations into the compact back in October. Now that it has come to fruition, he said in a statement:
“This is a commonsense step to support hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, grow our economy, and bring in more revenue to support our schools, our seniors, our small businesses, and more.
“Three of our neighbors are already part of this agreement – and with this action today, we’re making sure Pennsylvania remains competitive in a rapidly growing online market.”
What operators are ready to launch
The PGCB announced that operators can go live with networked markets beginning on Monday, April 28. BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker have already announced their platforms will be ready to go. Angus Nisbet, BetMGM’s VP of Gaming, said in a statement:
“Pennsylvania represents the largest state to join the shared player pool and turbocharges our poker platform. This expanded player pool will allow us to deliver more games and bigger tournaments to our players.
“BetMGM Poker is ready to celebrate the growth of our shared liquidity network throughout the spring and summer in a variety of ways.”
PokerStars is another candidate that could be ready to launch next week, as it was the first platform to do so in Michigan in 2022. WSOP was right behind PokerStars, and has the necessary software to include players from Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey.
BetRivers Poker would likely be the last operator to start networking players. The operator launched its first poker platform in Pennsylvania last November. It might take some time for BetRivers to work up the capabilities to start sharing players from other states.
What the news means for poker players
Pennsylvania has seemingly fallen behind New Jersey and Michigan in the poker industry because of its lack of involvement in MSIGA. However, that should change moving forward.
Before Michigan and New Jersey joined MSIGA, Pennsylvania was the No. 1 poker market. It has taken a bit of a backseat, though, it has still held its own.
Michigan does not report poker revenue separately as New Jersey has produced $7.6 million in year-to-date earnings, which is the same as Pennsylvania.
With a higher population and larger player pool, Pennsylvania is almost certain to be the No. 1 poker market once again. Because of player pools being larger, it also means prize pools increase.
Players are also going to test their skills against new competition in other states, which should be rejuvenating.
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are perhaps the biggest winners because of the proximity each state is to each other. Otherwise known as the Tri-State area, individuals cross state lines everyday. Poker players in multi-day tournaments would be able to travel to each state freely, as long as the operator is live in all three markets.
It took the state around six months to enter the compact, and remained on schedule the entire time. As the poker industry is expected to grow, Pennsylvania joining MSIGA appears to be a win for everyone involved.
