- Nevada’s online poker market shaped the legal framework for US states, but challenges limited its growth.
- WSOP NV enjoys a de facto monopoly with a strong player pool and multi-state liquidity.
- Nevada attracts poker enthusiasts, especially during the World Series of Poker.
- Nevada’s online poker journey saw milestones like shared liquidity with Delaware and the closure of competitors.
- While smaller in revenue compared to other states, Nevada remains a significant hub for poker.
The Nevada online poker market completed over a decade of operations in April this year. As the first state to embrace online poker regulation, the Silver State shaped the legal framework and set precedents for other US states.
Though initially the state received widespread interest with more than a dozen operators and manufacturers thought to have applied for an interactive gaming license, regulatory challenges and restrictions, coupled with its small market size, meant int struggled to support more than one operator.
Today, the Nevada online poker market operates under a de facto monopoly, with WSOP NV being the sole operator, benefiting mainly from the multi-state online poker compact. Nevada took a pioneering step along with Delaware to enter the country’s first-ever cross-border liquidity sharing agreement between two closed markets.
There have been occasional discussions and rumors about other operators potentially entering the Nevada market, but that has yet to come to fruition.
In this series of exclusive articles, PRO continues with an in-depth examination of the state of online poker in North America, examining Nevada, including its history, some of the key events, and potential future developments.
