In the heady years of the first online poker boom back in the early 2000’s, it seemed like everyone in America was playing the game. In the years since, however, finding and retaining players in the online poker market has become tougher and tougher. That’s why many states have combined the liquidity of their online poker markets in multi-state gambling compacts that allow players from multiple states to play each other in a regulated space.
Recently, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro informed The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) that he is ready for the state to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) in order to promote its online poker sector. This is big news for online poker in general, as Pennsylvania is one of the biggest gaming markets in the country.
Online poker is a relatively small market in the US and in Pennsylvania it pulls in around $28.9 million annually in revenue. Last year the Pennsylvania gaming industry earned $525 billion on table games and $1.5 billion from slots, so online poker is just a drop in the bucket. But the increased liquidity that the MSIGA would be bring could turn things around in a hurry.
In his request to the PGCB, Governor Shapiro voiced the importance of joining an interstate gaming compact saying, “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.”
But even with the addition of Pennsylvania in the MSIGA, online poker will remain a very small factor in the greater online gambling ecosystem.