FanDuel and DraftKings Exit Nevada. Will We Ever See Another Nevada Online Poker Site?

The last real flicker of hope for competition in online poker in Nevada faded after DraftKings and FanDuel surrendered their positions in the state. The development, tied to their planned prediction market products, has effectively removed two of the few viable avenues into Nevada for new poker brands.

This action leaves WSOP as the lone regulated operator and makes any near term challenge to its monopoly unlikely. For Nevada online poker, the drought persists with no clear end in sight.

Last week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board accepted FanDuel parent Flutter’s surrender of its registration and approved DraftKings’ request to withdraw its pending sports wagering applications. As reported in PRO on Monday, the the Board views the companies’ planned event contract products as unlawful betting under Nevada law.

“Today the Nevada Gaming Control Board … accepted the surrender of Flutter Entertainment PLC’s Order of Registration, as well as all related licenses and approvals … in addition, the Board granted administrative approval of requests to withdraw all pending applications submitted by DraftKings relative to its interests in sports wagering in Nevada.”

In the notice, the Board said their planned conduct in prediction markets is incompatible with participation in the state’s gaming industry. The order spelled out that the policy applies even when the products are offered only outside Nevada. The language left little room for interpretation and set a clear line for licensees. The notice was published by the NGCB on November 12.

These decisions extinguish realistic routes for two of the most likely entrants for online poker. PokerStars, part of Flutter alongside FanDuel, now has no real path forward. DraftKings, which had a ready made poker format, also saw its Nevada window close.

“Whilst we’re sad to have to surrender the license, that’s what we’ve done,” said Flutter Group CEO Peter Jackson to investors last week. FanDuel only had a license in Nevada to provide a sportsbook services through a “legacy arrangement” with Boyd, he explained.

“Nevada are protecting their interests. We need to protect our interests … FanDuel Predicts will allow us to go after the half of the market that we haven’t previously been able to go after,” he added.

PokerStars’ path into Nevada was always complex, but it was not impossible. The five-year lockout in the state’s bad actor rule ended years ago, and legal experts considered legal paths still open. PokerStars’ revived live footprint in Las Vegas also raised questions in recent years. The NAPT returned to the Strip and wrapped its festival in Las Vegas just this month. But Flutter’s decision to exit Nevada licensing makes any PokerStars Nevada plan far more distant.

Any plan from DraftKings to expand their Electric Poker product to Nevada now also seems off the table. The company debuted Electric Poker in Michigan in 2024 and subsequently rolled it out to Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Technically, a Nevada launch was viable for a poker-only product, but the operator’s withdrawal from Nevada ends that possibility.

BetMGM had been the most mature contender on paper. It operates a three-state online poker network spanning Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey. For years, its parent held waivers to keep Nevada poker rights alive. The operator finally let its license lapse this year after a decade of delays. That decision strongly suggests the project has been shelved.

That leaves Rush Street Interactive’s poker brand as the final potential challenger. BetRivers Poker has scaled quickly across several states, including Delaware and West Virginia, and is expected to expand into New Jersey very soon. But Nevada remains a special case. The lack of online casino diminishes the commercial upside, and RSI prioritizes multi-vertical states. Any Nevada bid looks like a long shot.

All told, it looks like players will be stuck with just a single online poker in Nevada for foreseeable future.

Nevada online poker competitive outlook