A silver medal hangs against a grey background. On the medal is the shape of the state of michigan. WSOP MI is Now the Second-Largest Michigan Online Poker Room. WSOP Michigan takes the MI silver medal and has also outpaced its Pennsylvania sibling. A silver medal hangs against a grey background. On the medal is the shape of the state of michigan. WSOP MI is Now the Second-Largest Michigan Online Poker Room. WSOP Michigan takes the MI silver medal and has also outpaced its Pennsylvania sibling.

Michigan has indicated its intention to join the shared liquidity compact … [888] is excited for the opportunity this would present. Online poker site WSOP Michigan has overtaken its PA sibling and market rival BetMGM MI, becoming the second-largest platform for real money online poker in Michigan, the latest cash game traffic data reveals.

According to GameIntel, which tracks concurrent cash game players across all major online poker sites, the 7-day moving average at WSOP MI hit 80 on Tuesday, April 19.

This puts it just a pip in front of BetMGM MI, Michigan’s long-standing second-place poker room. As per Poker Industry PRO, which makes GameIntel figures available to subscribers on its unique PRO Data platform, it averaged 79 on the same day. PokerStars MI is still the clear market leader, with 50% of total cash game traffic, but its market share is declining.

The strong showing will be welcome news for the operator, its partner 888, and Michigan online poker players, who are now enjoying a robust Michigan online poker scene with three competitive offers.

It also puts WSOP in a great position as it goes into its first-ever Michigan Online Circuit Series, which starts today, and puts it on strong footing ahead of Michigan permitting multi-state online poker.

wsop mi
Last verified: March 2024
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Must be 21 or over and in Michigan to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the MDHHS Gambling Disorder Help-line at 1-800-270-7117 or visit the MDHHS website.

WSOP is Number Two in Michigan: Key Takeaways

  • In just three weeks, WSOP MI has grown large enough to overtake incumbent BetMGM MI.
  • PokerStars still controls 50% of the market, but WSOP is chipping in to this lead.
  • WSOP MI Online Circuit Series starts today, with 12 ring events spread each day until May 1.
  • Michigan is expected to join the MSIGA soon, which will permit WSOP MI to connect with its existing US network in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.
Data provided by GameIntel

WSOP Michigan Has Enjoyed Constant Growth Over the Last Two Weeks

WSOP MI launched on March 30 and reported almost 60 concurrent players on its opening day. This calmed down over its first week, hitting a low of 53 on April 5. Ever since then, it has been on a tear.

Its traffic, which is based on a 7-day moving average to smooth out the natural peaks and troughs of weekends vs weekdays, has risen almost every day, up over 50% in the last two weeks.

Just last week, pokerfuse reported that WSOP MI had carved out a Michigan online poker market share of over 20%. The latest numbers now put it at 25%, and single-day figures suggest its cash game traffic will continue to grow into the next week, solidifying its second-place market position.

Michigan Online Poker: Market Share by Cash Game Traffic

Operator Cash game traffic Market share
PokerStars MI 162 50.5%
WSOP MI 80 24.9%
BetMGM MI 79 24.6%
Total 321

Perhaps even more surprising is that WSOP MI has overtaken WSOP PA, its longer-standing sibling, operating in a much bigger state (Pennsylvania’s population is 12.8 million, compared to Michigan’s 10 million). This change of places occurred on April 15 and, since then, the gap has widened, with WSOP MI some 11% larger than Pennsylvania.

While this is not entirely unexpected — PokerStars MI sat ahead of PokerStars PA for its first four months, due to pent-up demand in the state — what’s particularly surprising is that WSOP MI is already sitting at highs that it never enjoyed in its first months in PA.

In fact, when WSOP PA debuted back in the summer of 2021, its traffic sat at just 30 cash game seats, a level it held for many months. While it ultimately grew over the following six months to the size it is today, only a few times has it peaked above 80 concurrent cash game seats. Given the trajectory that WSOP MI is on, it could certainly surpass WSOP PA’s all-time high cash game traffic (97 seats, set in early February).

WSOP’s Position Strengthens as Michigan Set to Join Multi-State Poker

WSOP.com was the first operator to service interstate poker and is all-in on the future of online poker in the United States All this bodes very well for when Michigan permits its licensed operators to connect their online poker player pools with those in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.

This process is in its final stages. A draft bill is currently under review and the Michigan Gambling Control Board (MGCB) hopes to sign the MSIGA “expeditiously” once the State AG approves it. It will then be a case of individual operators being approved for multi-state play.

For the World Series of Poker and its partner 888, it will mean connecting WSOP MI with its existing three-state online poker network, which covers WSOP NV in Nevada, both brands in New Jersey, and a trio of small online poker rooms in Delaware.

WSOP.com was the first operator to service interstate poker and is all-in on the future of online poker in the United States,” said WSOP Executive Director, Ty Stewart, in a recent statement to pokerfuse. “We embrace any momentum to offer a unified experience for poker players to compete in regulated states and across new markets.”

As it stands today, that network enjoys an average of approximately 230 concurrent cash game seats, neck-and-neck with PokerStars PA as the largest regulated network for real money online poker in the US. When it connects this with Michigan, the network will immediately be boosted well north of 300 concurrent players, significantly improving the online poker offer for players.

“In March 2022, the Group launched the [WSOP] brand in Michigan under its partnership with Caesars Interactive Limited, bringing the Group’s latest poker platform to another US state following the launch of Pennsylvania last year,” 888 Holdings stated in a Q1 2022 market update on Wednesday. “Michigan has indicated its intention to join the shared liquidity compact and the Group is excited for the opportunity this would present.”

wsop mi
Last verified: March 2024
NOW LIVE IN MI • Special Signup Offer
100% deposit bonus up to $1000!
  • Up to $100 in free play on your first deposit
  • Fresh & modern Poker 8 software
  • Great tournament action 24/7

Bet With Your Head, Not Over It.
Must be 21 or over and in Michigan to play. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call the MDHHS Gambling Disorder Help-line at 1-800-270-7117 or visit the MDHHS website.

Meanwhile, the Online Circuit Series at WSOP MI Gets Underway

While this development is hopefully just weeks (or possibly a few months) away, WSOP is not waiting around. In fact, it has planned its first Online Circuit Series in Michigan, kicking off today — with some very ambitious guarantees which could offer significant value for players.

There is one ring event scheduled each day over the next twelve days. Each event has a big guarantee, and the winner of each tournament will win a coveted WSOP gold ring.

The action culminates with the $525 buy-in Main Event, which will need to attract 200 entries to cover its $100,000 guarantee. Satellites are available today in the client.

WSOP MI Online Circuit Series starts on Wednesday, April 20, and runs through to May 1.

WSOP MI First-Ever Online Circuit Series

Tournament Buy-in Gtd Date
Event #1 NLH PKO [2x Re-entry] $109 $20,000 Wednesday, April 20
Event #2 NLH PKO [2x Re-entry] $215 $30,000 Thursday, April 21
Event #3 NLH Freezeout $215 $20,000 Friday, April 22
Event #4 NLH [2x Re-entry] $320 $30,000 Saturday, April 23
Event #5 NLH Monster Stack [2x Re-entry] $215 $75,000 Sunday, April 24
Event #6 NLH PKO [2x Re-entry] $215 $50,000 Monday, April 25
Event #7 NLH High Roller 6-Max [2x Re-entry] $1,000 $50,000 Tuesday, April 26
Event #8 PLO PKO 6-Max [2x Re-entry] $109 $15,000 Wednesday, April 27
Event #9 NLH BIG $500 [3x Re-entry] $500 $50,000 Thursday, April 28
Event #10 NLH Deep Turbo [2x Re-entry] $215 $20,000 Friday, April 29
Event #11 NLH PKO [2x Re-entry] $215 $50,000 Saturday, April 30
Event #12 NLH Main Event [3x Re-entry] $525 $100,000 Sunday, May 1

Not signed up yet? Take a look at the WSOP MI No Deposit Bonus to boost your bankroll ahead of the first Online Circuit Series »