The Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix has arrived and BetMGM Poker is rolling out a perfectly aligned Grand Prix Fast Track series on its platform for players in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
The series spans four days, running in full parallel with the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, which began on Thursday, November 20. The first two days are practice sessions, with qualifying scheduled for Saturday, November 22. On Sunday, the official race takes place.
Likewise, the online series on BetMGM Poker began on Thursday and finishes on Sunday, featuring just 15 tournaments on the schedule and guaranteeing over $100,000 in total combined prize money.
As the name suggests, every tournament is structured in turbo or hyper format, keeping the speed theme consistent with Formula 1, with events named after F1 terms such as Pole Position, Pit Stop, Overcut, Sprint, Podium, and others. Events are designed to conclude within a few hours (not exceeding four or five hours). It suits players with limited time who still want to compete for sizable prizes.
Buy-ins cater to all bankrolls, starting at $10 and reaching up to $250. Despite being a short schedule, it still offers plenty of variety, including PKO tournaments and hyper-structured events, most of which run 8-handed, though a few are 6-handed and one is 7-handed. All events are NLHE except for two tournaments played in the PLO format.
- Up to $100 in tournament tickets on top of the bonus
- Frequent MTT series with good guarantees
- Combined player pools in Michigan and New Jersey
Terms & Conditions apply. Must be 21+. PA Only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. If you or someone you know has a Gambling Problem, help is available, Call 1-800-GAMBLER. In Partnership with Hollywood Casino Penn National Race Course.
Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. Must be 21+. NJ only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit and/or tournament entries. Rewards subject to expiry. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Terms & Conditions apply. Must be 21+. MI Only. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms.
Bet With Your Head, Not Over It. Must be 21 or over and in Michigan to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the MDHHS Gambling Disorder Help-line at 1-800-270-7117 or visit the MDHHS website.
Sunday is the marquee day for the series, featuring five events with nearly $50,000 in guaranteed prize money. The day opens with the Final Turn Turbo, guaranteeing $8,000 for a $50 buy-in, followed by the $250 Checkered Flag Turbo, boasting $20,00, the biggest guarantee of the series.
A $25 Podium PKO comes next after the $20,000 guaranteed event, offering a $5,000 prize pool. After that is a $100 Victory Lap Turbo guaranteeing $12,000 for a $100 buy-in, and finally, the $10 Mini version runs with a $3,000 guarantee for a $10 buy-in.
Accompanying Promotions for Grand Prix Series
Even though the series is short and modest, BetMGM is supporting it with accompanying promotions, including a leaderboard and the popular Spin the Wheel with a Grand Prix theme.
For the leaderboard, BetMGM Poker is partnering with its sports division to offer a special leaderboard competition during the Grand Prix Fast Track Series, awarding a total of $1,000 in Sports Bonus Bet prize money.
All players participating in the series are automatically entered into the challenge, and all players who cash in events will earn points based on the registration count of each tournament. The top five finishers will share the $1,000 in bonus bets, with first place receiving a $500 sports bonus bet, 2nd place earning $250 in bonus bets, 3rd place taking $150, and 4th and 5th place both getting $50 sports bonus bets.
Alongside the leaderboard, there is also a Spin the Wheel bonus offering Casino Bonus rewards.
To participate, players simply need to opt in to the promotion and then play in four Grand Prix tournaments. Re-entries also count toward the four-tournament requirement. After meeting the requirement, players automatically qualify for the Spin the Wheel, with prizes ranging from $1 to $25 in Casino Bonus. Satellites do not count toward the four-tournament requirement.
BetMGM Poker Nevada Plans Stalled
Overall, it is a clever strategy to leverage the Las Vegas Grand Prix to run an online series themed around Formula 1. While the Grand Prix takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, ironically, BetMGM does not offer online poker in Nevada. For years, rumors suggested BetMGM would eventually launch regulated online poker in the Silver State, but that never materialized.
BetMGM held a provisional waiver from the NGCB to bring online poker to the state for a decade, but ultimately failed to launch and allowed the license to lapse this year. The reasons remain unclear, though it seems an internal decision was made to shelve the project.
Still, that is not stopping the operator from capitalizing on major sports events in Las Vegas but will we ever see BetMGM online poker in Nevada? Hopes are certainly fading.
