The Nevada online poker market currently consists of just one online poker room, WSOP Online, leaving very little choice for poker players in Nevada that want to play on a legal and regulated real-money poker app. This is due in part to the segregated aspects of the US online poker market and the relatively small population of the state.
However, as online poker in the US becomes more connected through shared liquidity (Pennsylvania being the latest state to move towards shared liquidity for online poker) there is reason to expect that other online poker brands will come to the market, which would give online poker players in Nevada some much needed choice.
Barring any new unexpected entrants to the US online poker space, the top contenders to launch poker apps in Nevada are BetMGM Poker, PokerStars and what will soon be the newest online poker room in the US, BetRivers Poker.
When Will BetMGM Poker Launch in NV?
The launch of BetMGM Poker in Nevada has been anticipated for quite some time, with the last official word coming earlier this year when MGM stated poker in Nevada was a priority but still about a year away. Since then, the partypoker software used at BetMGM Poker was approved by the Nevada gaming regulator, but no additional milestones that would give further indication of an actual launch date have been announced.
No Plans Announced for PokerStars Nevada
PokerStars is known as a global poker brand that prioritizes entry into regulated markets, yet a decade after it launched in its first regulated US poker market, it still has not announced plans to extend into Nevada despite it being a state that could join its shared liquidity pool between New Jersey and Michigan.
Two likely factors that PokerStars isn’t offering online poker in Nevada are the relatively small size of the population and the potential legal lift that could be necessary. The size of the population in Nevada is likely viewed as a cap on the potential revenue that can be derived from the state.
The legal challenge refers to what is widely believed to be an attempt to freeze PokerStars out of the state with “bad actor” language in the state’s laws. And while gaming law experts believe such attempts will fail to hold up in court, combined with a small revenue upside, waging a legal battle may be enough for PokerStars to be happy with the status quo for now.
Last year, PokerStars said publicly that while it routinely considers a Nevada online poker presence, it has no immediate plans for launching in the state. Since then, PokerStars has increased its presence in the state with the relaunch of the North American Poker Tour (NAPT) which will hold its second annual live poker festival in the state in November.
BetRivers Poker Could be Eying a Nevada Launch Too
BetRivers Poker has been through testing in Pennsylvania, and a launch there is expected soon. The Pennsylvania launch is likely part of a strategy for a multi-state online poker network, and thus, a rollout to other US online poker states could vey well include Nevada.
Pennsylvania is also on the verge of joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which would allow online poker operators in the state to combine their player pools in other states where online poker is legal. This development could go a long way towards creating a more vibrant US online poker scene, which in turn could make launching in states with smaller populations like Nevada more appealing to online poker operators serving other states in the US.
