Today is a landmark day for Pennsylvania online poker players, as the state is finally no longer isolated after years of anticipation.
This morning, BetMGM Poker, alongside its sister site Borgata Poker, and the WSOP Online network successfully connected their Pennsylvania player base with their existing shared liquidity network, creating a three-state network for BetMGM and a four-state network for WSOP.
Both operators experienced overnight downtime, but as of now, the player pools have been successfully merged.
This moment is even more significant than the day Pennsylvania’s online poker market first opened on November 4, 2019. At that time, PokerStars was the first operator to launch regulated online poker in the state.
Now, over five years later, after being confined to state borders, the BetMGM and WSOP networks are the first to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s entry into the multi-state online poker compact, following Governor Josh Shapiro’s signing of the agreement on April 23, which took effect today.
These two operators have wasted no time in launching their shared liquidity networks. The BetMGM Poker network now includes players from New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The operator connected their NJ and MI player pools about six months ago.
WSOP’s online network now includes players from Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, making it the first operator in the US with a four-state network. The operator initially launched its shared liquidity network in 2014 by merging players from Nevada and Delaware (the network no longer has access to Delaware market). It then expanded the network in 2018 to include New Jersey players, again in May 2024 to include Michigan, and now Pennsylvania in April 2025.
“The addition of the Pennsylvania player pool to WSOP Online comes at the perfect time, and we’re ready to give avid poker players in The Keystone State the opportunity to raise the stakes on their poker play,” said Danielle Barille, Vice President of Online Poker at Caesars Entertainment, in a press release.
Merger Celebration
In addition, WSOP has announced its online bracelet series, the first to feature players from all four states competing for bracelets in a unified event. Despite the expanded player pool, the schedule remains consistent with last year, featuring 30 events. Ten of these 30 online bracelet events, however, will have their final tables played out in Nevada. For more details, check out this article.
BetMGM will celebrate the merger with a special freeroll later this evening. This event will be a unique edition of its flagship daily tournament, the C-Note, with a boosted $35,000 guarantee. Typically featuring a $109 buy-in, the April 28 event will be completely free to enter, dubbed the “Free-Note” freeroll in celebration, and will be available to players from all three states.
The winner of the freeroll will receive a $5,000 BetMGM Poker package, which includes a $3,500 seat at a live event in Las Vegas, along with $1,500 in cash for travel and accommodations.
Following the freeroll, BetMGM will host the May Millions series from May 8 to 11, calling it their biggest weekend event to date. The series will feature 18 events with a total of $1 million in guaranteed prize money.
Key highlights of the series include a $1,000 Championship Event with a $400,000 guarantee, a $2,500 Super High Roller, and another freeroll offering a BetMGM Poker Championship package.
“Pennsylvania represents the largest state to join the shared player pool and turbocharges our poker platform,” said Angus Nisbet, BetMGM Vice President of Gaming, in last week’s press release. “This expanded player pool will allow us to deliver more games and bigger tournaments to our players. BetMGM Poker is ready to celebrate the growth of our shared liquidity network throughout the spring and summer in a variety of ways.”
A New Era for Pennsylvania Online Poker Market
Indeed, today is truly a milestone, not just for Pennsylvania, but for the entire regulated US online poker market. Pennsylvania stands as the largest state with active online poker. While state regulators expressed interest in joining the multi-state compact as early as 2019 when the market launched, progress was delayed due to legal uncertainty surrounding a reinterpreted opinion of the Wire Act.
The Shapiro administration officially got involved in January 2023, and the compact was on his radar by early 2024. However, it required additional legislative action, including the grassroots #GrowPAPoker campaign led by pokerfuse, to push the issue to Governor Shapiro’s desk.
In October 2024, Shapiro finally directed the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to prepare for joining the multi-state online poker agreement. Since then, progress has been swift. The board unanimously approved the move, negotiations began, and by the end of the year, Pennsylvania was officially invited to join. This week, the state became the sixth member, joining Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and West Virginia.
Meanwhile, PokerStars, the first operator to launch online poker in Pennsylvania and the first to combine New Jersey and Michigan players, has yet to join the compact. The reason for the delay is unclear, but continuing to wait could have consequences for PokerStars’ position in the US market.
Another key player is quietly preparing for expansion. BetRivers Poker, which currently operates solely in Pennsylvania, is looking to expand into New Jersey and Michigan. The company also has a unique opportunity in Delaware and is obligated to bring online poker there. However, BetRivers has yet to comment on its plans regarding Pennsylvania’s latest developments or when it might take advantage of the expanded player pool.
