There’s exciting news for Pennsylvania online poker players: shared liquidity is finally about to become a reality and it could launch within just a couple of weeks.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has confirmed to pokerfuse that once the final approval is in place, operators will be ready to start connecting their Pennsylvania player pools with other states.
This is not just about signing the compact — though the Governor’s signature is still pending — but about players actually being able to compete in larger player pools, enjoy bigger tournaments, and access more frequent and varied games, in just days, not months like it was for Michigan online poker players.
“Our staff has already been working with those operators who wish to participate in the [Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement] when it has final approvals,” Douglas Harbach, PGCB Director of Communications said referencing the final sign-off from Governor Josh Shapiro. “That should allow for a launch within the next couple of weeks.”
The news was first reported by PlayPennsylvania, which revealed that the launch could be just weeks away. Pokerfuse reached out to the PGCB and independently confirmed the timeline with Harbach.
How We Got Here
This marks a major milestone years in the making — dating back to 2019 when Pennsylvania first launched regulated online poker. At the time, the state was already considering joining a multi-state agreement, but a reinterpretation of the Wire Act cast uncertainty over interstate poker and stalled progress.
As legal clarity emerged and it became evident that the Wire Act did not apply to online poker, other states like Michigan and West Virginia moved forward and joined MSIGA. Yet Pennsylvania, the largest state with a regulated online poker market, remained on the sidelines keeping its player pool fenced off even as others expanded.
The change of Governor brought no immediate progress even after Shapiro took office, and Pennsylvania’s position on MSIGA remained stagnant. Then in March 2024, former State Representative George Dunbar, a longtime supporter of online poker and shared liquidity, introduced HB 2078, a bill aimed at pushing the state toward joining the compact as well as capturing the Governor’s attention. Dunbar has since been appointed to the PGCB.
Around the same time, pokerfuse launched the #GrowPAPoker campaign, urging state officials to prioritize shared liquidity. The campaign aimed to highlight the many benefits of joining the compact, such as larger prize pools, increased game variety, and a more vibrant online poker ecosystem.
The campaign quickly gained momentum, with overwhelming support from the online poker community. Players rallied behind the cause — tweeting, emailing, and sending letters in large numbers and lawmakers began to take notice. While the bill ultimately failed to advance and the state remained quiet at first, the mounting pressure eventually led to a breakthrough.
By the end of 2024, Governor Shapiro directed the PGCB to move forward with MSIGA membership, finally putting Pennsylvania on the path to shared liquidity.
PA Merger: Who Moves First?
Now that it’s confirmed operators will soon be able to merge their Pennsylvania player pools with other MSIGA states, the next big question is: who will move first?
The PGCB has not named any specific operators when asked, but based on past actions, we can make educated guesses.
PokerStars PA is the clear frontrunner. It was the first to link Michigan and New Jersey players after MI joined the compact in 2022, launching its shared network just six months later. Given Pennsylvania’s larger market size, PokerStars won’t want to miss this opportunity.
PokerStars PA also underwent a lengthy server upgrade back in January 2025 — which may or may not have been related to preparations for shared liquidity, but it does suggest the operator has been laying the groundwork for a potential tri-state MI-NJ-PA network.
WSOP PA should also be quick to act. Though it took about 18 months to include Michigan in its NJ-NV network, its PA software is already in sync with its other platforms. This technical readiness puts WSOP Online in a strong position to roll out the country’s first four-state network including PA without major delays.
BetMGM Poker came third in the shared liquidity race, merging MI and NJ in November 2024. It could move fast to add BetMGM Poker PA, although it might choose to wait until its online poker platform is live in Nevada. Time will tell.
Then there’s BetRivers Poker. While it is currently only live in PA, the operator is preparing launches in multiple states — including NJ, MI, DE, and possibly WV — all members of MSIGA. That means it’s likely to follow the other operators a bit later, potentially merging player pools by summer.
In short, expect PokerStars and WSOP to lead the rollout, possibly by the end of April, with BetMGM close behind and BetRivers joining the shared liquidity network later in the year.