PokerStars PA has once again become the leading poker room in the US. According to the latest cash game data, *the Pennsylvania online poker site has just nudged ahead of its sibling PokerStars Michigan in terms of cash game traffic.
The most recent stats from GameIntel, as recently reported on Poker Industry PRO, indicate that PokerStars PA recorded a 7-day average around 330 concurrent cash players. The corresponding figures for PokerStars MI show it dipping below 300 for the first time since its launch at the end of January.
The Michigan site was immediately popular, quickly becoming the biggest regulated poker room in the US, with traffic peaking at over 500 concurrent users. The initial high numbers were maintained with the help of its debut series, MICOOP, which began less than three weeks after the room went live. This helped PokerStars MI to keep the top spot for over two months.
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Competition for PokerStars in Michigan
Since then, traffic has waned, allowing PokerStars PA to edge in front. This is partly due to a natural tailing-off of interest—after such an auspicious launch, it is to be expected that numbers would drop somewhat.
No doubt coronavirus has played its part too. As the country begins to return to normal, player numbers are sure to come down. Indeed, it is worth noting that traffic has also dropped at PokerStars PA , just not to the same extent as in Michigan.
A major reason why PokerStars has taken such a bit hit in the Wolverine State is the recent launch of BetMGM Poker MI. Regulated online poker has only come to Michigan this year, and for nearly two months, PokerStars had a de facto monopoly there.
But now it has a competitor—and BetMGM Michigan has taken a bite out of Stars’ player base. It is currently averaging around 75 concurrent players. The bare figures may not sound huge but that is roughly 20% of the traffic PokerStars was enjoying previously.
Michigan Still the Biggest Market… For Now
The BetMGM numbers are also relevant because they mean that the Michigan market as a whole is still bigger than that of Pennsylvania. How long it will stay that way remains to be seen.
Regulated online poker is in a very fluid state right now. The end of April saw the launch of not one but two new poker rooms in PA. BetMGM and Borgata now both have a presence in the Keystone State
It is too early to tell how this will affect the market in Pennsylvania. But the competition will be good news for players and the industry will be watching closely as the two states vie for poker supremacy.
One thing is for sure: this is only the beginning of the story for online poker in PA and MI. As the two largest markets in the US, there is sure to be more competition in the coming months.
The next big launch is likely to be WSOP Pennsylvania, but other sites could follow shortly in both states. The prospect of shared liquidity between the states is another major factor. Whilst there is no definite date for this to happen, it seems inevitable that it will—and the major operators will want their infrastructure in place so they can capitalize as quickly as possible when it does.
