GGPoker PA

The GGPoker network is one of the few poker networks that made its inception post-Black Friday. It launched as a B2B network in 2014 and debuted its own poker client GGPoker in 2018.

Today it has grown to become one of the largest online poker networks in the world and is the main competitor of online poker giant PokerStars. The network is represented by some of the biggest names in the poker industry, including Daniel Negreanu, Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, and Fedor Holz.

It made a big wave in 2020 by partnering with big live tours such as the World Series of Poker to host the WSOP online bracelet events for international players for the first time. It also collaborated with the World Poker Tour (WPT), Asian Poker Tour (APT), and Battle of Malta (BoM) live tours.

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission regulates the GGPoker Network. It also holds a gaming license from the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and also has a B2B license from the Malta Gambling Authority (MGA)

The network is now eyeing the US online poker regulated market. It has already obtained an Interactive Gaming Manufacturer license in the state of Pennsylvania.

When is GGPoker Expected to Launch in Pennsylvania?

On February 10, 2021, GGPoker’s parent company NSUS Group was awarded a license for Interactive Gaming Manufacturer by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

The manufacturing license allows NSUS to offer software technology for online casinos or online poker in PA.

Before it could bring its services to the Keystone State with its own branding, it would first need to partner with a land-based casino or one of the approved Qualified Gaming Entities. It would then have to obtain Interactive Gaming Operator’s license.

Given that the process is expected to take time and it has already been a couple of years, it is entirely unknown when GGPoker will be up and running in Pennsylvania. It could be months, or it could be not until next year or later.

What Sign Up or Welcome Bonuses Will be Available at the Time of the Launch of GGPoker PA?

With PokerStars PA, BetMGM Poker PA, Borgata Poker PA, and WSOP PA already established in the Keystone State, GGPoker is likely to have to up its game when it comes to offering bonuses to new players.

In the dot-com client, GGPoker offers one of the best welcome bonuses in the industry, so expect a similar generous signup bonus once it goes live in Pennsylvania.

As of now, players on GGPoker's global client are welcomed with two options:

• 100% Deposit Match Bonus, up to $600
• $100 in Rewards when they make their first deposit of $20 or more.

Similar welcome bonuses are likely to be available to Pennsylvania players once the site goes live.

What Kind of Promotions Are Expected to be Offered on GGPoker PA?

There is no shortage of promotions on GGPoker’s global dot-com client.

The promotions can differ a bit due to regulatory reasons, but PA online poker players can be assured that GGPoker PA’s promotional offers are likely to be very generous compared to its competitors.

Look for GGPoker PA to offer constant monthly promotions covering all game types.

Expected promotions on GGPoker PA:

• Leaderboard Races covering both Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha
• Constant Giveaways
• Jackpot prizes
• Massive online MTT Series

What Tournament Offerings Will be Available on GGPoker PA?

GGPoker offers a strong line-up of tournaments for its international players. It runs all kinds of formats, including:

• Freezeouts & Re-Entries
• Bounty Hunters
• Mystery Bounties
• Short Deck MTTs
• Short-Stacked Progressive Knockouts
• Hyper-Turbos
• High Rollers

Pennsylvania players should hope to see similar tournament offerings once GGPoker PA is launched.

Will GGPoker PA Offer GGMasters in Pennsylvania?

This seems very likely. GGMasters has been one of GGPoker’s most successful tournament brands. The operator’s signature freezeout tournament brand started as a single tournament featuring a $250,000 guarantee for a buy-in of $150.

Today, it has expanded to seven tournaments running every day and boasting weekly guarantees of at least $2.5 million. It now comes in three different buy-ins: $25, $150, and $1000.

Pennsylvania players should definitely look out for GGMasters once it goes live.

How Good is GGPoker’s Software?

GGPoker’s online poker software is considered one of the best online poker platforms in the industry. What makes it different from its competitors is that how innovative it is, containing dozens of unique features not seen anywhere else.

It has its own poker analysis and financial tool, PokerCraft, available to all players for free. It also has its own built-in Heads Up Display (HUD) with basic statistics on opponents, such as lifetime tournament winnings and win/loss personal record in cash games, preflop playing style, and more.

It also supports the Tournament Staking platform, a Final Table Betting feature, SnapCam, which lets players record short “reaction” videos and send them to players at the tables.

Additionally, GGPoker also offers an All-In Insurance feature allowing players to protect themselves from a bad beat by insuring their hands.

However, most of these features will require regulatory approvals before they can become available to Pennsylvania players.

We believe the following features will be available once GGPoker PA goes live:

• PokerCraft
• Run It Thrice
• Rabbit Hunt
• Bubble Protection/Early Bird
• Card Squeezing
• Smart Betting
• SnapCam
• Dance Emotes

What kind of game offerings are expected to be available on GGPoker PA?

GGPoker is yet to launch in Pennsylvania, so it is hard to tell which games and tournaments will be part of the game offerings with certainty.

However, based on the operator’s game offered on its global client, we can assume that Pennsylvanians will have a similar game selection but with some limitations.

In the dot-com client, GGPoker offers one of the most diverse game offerings in the industry. These include the traditional cash games and tournaments in both Hold’em and Omaha variants; a fast-fold cash game variant which it calls Rush & Cash; a preflop game called All-In or Fold where players only have two options at the start of hand; a lottery-style Sit & Go tournament dubbed Spin & Gold; and Flip & Go — the operator’s unique tournament offering in which players straight away jump into the money.

GGPoker also offers ultra-popular progressive knockouts, multi-flight tournaments, freezeouts & re-entries, short deck tournaments, and hyper turbos. Expect all these tournament formats to be part of GGPoker PA offerings along with the standard affair of cash games.

Games such as the fast-fold variant require shared liquidity, so it is unlikely to be part of GGPoker PA’s initial offering. Spin & Gold is another format that is unlikely to be offered to Keystone players due to regulatory reasons.

No traditional Sit & Go’s are offered in the dot-com client, so it is unlikely this format will be available on GGPoker PA once it goes live.

What Poker Variants are Likely to be Available on GGPoker PA?

The international GGPoker client currently offers Hold’em, Omaha, and Short Deck poker variants. The site is also considering adding 5 Card Omaha and Pineapple Open Face Chinese variants.

However, it is expected that the GGPoker client in Pennsylvania will initially only offer

• Hold’em
• Omaha

Will Players on GGPoker PA be Able to Play Against the International Pool on GGPoker?

No. Regulated online poker in Pennsylvania is ring-fenced, meaning players can only compete against other players within the state. The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) is in place, allowing operators in its member states to share their player pools across state lines.

As of now, the interstate shared liquidity agreement is signed by four states — Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey, and Michigan. Pennsylvania is expected to join the agreement with other states.

However, for GGPoker to share its player pool, it must be operating in at least two states that are part of MSIGA. There is no indication that the operator has sought approval in other states as yet.