Pennsylvania receives no new applications for online poker rooms, Rush Street moves in Delaware

Pennsylvania’s Gambling Control Board has not received any applications from online poker sites in its latest round of iGaming licensing. According to an official at PGCB’s office who was contacted by CardsChat, the application deadline to operate an online poker room ended on March 3 with no sites interested in opening a shop there.

Despite opening up business, no new online poker rooms applied for a license in 2023. (Image: US Chamber of Commerce)

This means that Pennsylvania residents still essentially only have to make three choices when deciding where to play licensed and regulated online poker: the two market leaders, PokerStars, or WSOP.com, or Borgata and BetMGM, which is on the platform operated by PartyGaming and only the same side is with different skins.

More than $35 million in sales was generated by these four rooms in 2022, an increase of $5 million from 2021. All of this money comes from players in Pennsylvania, which prohibits people from accessing its online gambling offerings outside of the Commonwealth.

How it breaks down:

• PokerStars: $22.5 million
• WSOP.com: $8.3 million
• BetMGM: $3.2 million
• Borgata: $1 million

Thirty-five million may seem like a lot, but in Pennsylvania’s online gaming space, that’s a drop in the bucket for an industry that will generate $1.2 billion in online wagering revenue in 2022 (fiscal year ends June 30). has.

In Pennsylvania, brick-and-mortar casinos must partner with online gambling operators to offer online products, including poker. Out of the 10 casinos that have tapped into this market, only four choose to pay the $4 million license fee to include poker.

Pennsylvania is now the only state that has an online poker industry but is not a member of the Multi-State Internet Gambling Agreement (MSIGA), which allows its members to share players. Michigan recently joined and now shares its PokerStars players with New Jersey.

It’s entirely possible that casinos and online poker sites are reluctant to send the money to enter the Pennsylvania market without the assurance that they will join MSIGA to allow the sites to become a major US-based poker network can build.

Meanwhile in Delaware

The Delaware Lottery allows its three casinos to offer online poker, online slots, and online casino games, but requires that they use the same provider. Since the start of the online industry in 2013, 888 Holdings has been the company. But that 10-year contract ends this year, so Delaware invited companies to submit proposals. Seven companies did.

So why has the tiny state of Delaware attracted the interest of seven companies while none have attempted to establish themselves in Pennsylvania? Well, Delaware is a member of MSIGA and shares its players with New Jersey. Officials will choose between two companies, 888 and Rush Street Interactive, which Phil Galfond now owns after selling his Run It Once site to them.

While 888 already operates in all MSIGA member states – New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan and Nevada – Rush Street Interactive does not.

The contract also provides for all online games – including poker – to be made available in a state that allows for a monopoly. That certainly appeals to those responsible for these companies.

Officials will hear presentations from the two finalists in April and will make a decision by November.

Written by

Bob Pajich

Bob Pajich is a poker news reporter, creative writer and poker player who has never come across suited connectors he didn’t like. Tips, corrections, complaints and kudos should go to CardsChatBob@gmail.com.