Online poker revenue derived from the 888poker platform in the US continued to perform at an elevated level in July, according to figures released by gaming regulators in Delaware and New Jersey.
Combined, revenue from the two states totaled nearly $2.9 million, setting a new record-high for the 888 US platform which has been in operation since 2013.
The surge in online poker revenue in the two states is a direct result of the increased time people in both states have been spending in their homes as the US continues to grapple with the Covid-19 pandemic.
888 provides the online poker software that appears under several different brand names in addition to the 888poker brand, the most prominent of which is WSOP.com, the online poker brand of the World Series of Poker.
Also referred to as the All American Poker Network (AAPN), the 888 US platform also serves players in the state of Nevada under the WSOP.com brand and is currently the lone online poker provider in the state.
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US Online Poker Rooms on 888poker Platform
| New Jersey | Nevada | Delaware | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WSOP.com | X | X | |
| 888poker | X | ||
| Delaware Park | X | ||
| Dover Downs | X | ||
| Harrington | X |
However, as a result of statutory limitations, the Nevada Gaming Control Board does not provide online poker revenue figures when there are less than three operators up and running in the state. That threshold was only met in the early days of online poker in Nevada when Ultimate Poker and South Point’s Real Gaming were also in the mix.
New Jersey Online Poker Compared to Delaware
New Jersey – with an approximate population of 9 million – has a much larger population than Delaware – its neighbor across the river with an approximate population of 1 million, and as a result, it is no surprise that The Garden State outgained The First State in terms of online poker revenue in July $2.9 million to $62.6k.
The revenue from the 888 platform in New Jersey marks an all-time high for a single network in the market, while Delaware set its all-time high of $107k in its first full month of operation back in December 2013.
However, the recent increase in revenue due to the changed behavioral patterns associated with the pandemic has been impressive in both states.
With a lower base point, Delaware is more susceptible to bigger swings when considering change on a percentage basis, but the biggest divergence depicted in the graph above is the result of the 2020 WSOP Online Bracelet Series that ran in New Jersey (and Nevada) in the month of July.
Though players in Delaware play on the same network, the bracelet events were only open to those that could play on the WSOP.com skin, which is not available in Delaware. And, the high-profile events proved to be popular, setting a record as the biggest online poker tournament series ever held in the US with nearly $27 million in prize money paid out across the 31 bracelet events.
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888 Online Poker in Pennsylvania
888 is looking to expand its AAPN to the state of Pennsylvania.
Currently, 888 Atlantic Limited and several subsidiaries including 888 US Services, Inc have a Manufacturer Application pending with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) that would allow the company to offer online poker in the state.
The application has been “pending” since January 8, 2020, and the team of 888 and WSOP.com was once expected to be the second online poker provider to offer its services in Pennsylvania. But the buzz around the launch of WSOP PA in the Keystone State has been drowned out by the current expectation that partypoker PA will be the next online poker room to open up the state.
Comments made during the July meeting of the PGCB alluded to an impending launch by ROAR Digital, a joint venture between MGM Resorts International and partypoker parent company GVC Holdings, which manages the partypoker US Network in New Jersey.
Subsequentially, the PGCB confirmed to pokerfuse that “PGCB staff have been working closely with Roar to launch the Party Poker and BetMGM apps, which will include interactive slots, table games and poker.”
Doug Harbach, Director of Communications for the PGCB further indicated that testing of the partypoker and BetMGM apps was already underway, and that the “PGCB anticipates overseeing a soft launch sometime this summer or early fall.”
