BetMGM Poker Player Pooling Coming to Michigan and New Jersey
BetMGM Poker has expanded its online poker presence by becoming the third US operator to merge player pools across states, bringing together participants in Michigan and New Jersey. The company announced the launch of its new multi-state poker network on November 6, signaling a significant advancement in the interstate online poker market.
The BetMGM Poker Championship logo. (Source: BetMGM)
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:Both Michigan and New Jersey are part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), which facilitates shared liquidity for online poker by allowing players from participating states to compete against each other. The BetMGM multi-state platform became available Wednesday afternoon, following scheduled morning maintenance to set up the system.
Related: WSOP Online Unites Three States in One Player PoolThe Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has emphasized the importance of this development. The executive director of the MGCB, Henry Williams, indicated that authorizing BetMGM's merger represents a substantial step in Michigan's online gaming evolution.
Williams conveyed confidence that this new partnership would not only enhance the experience for Michigan poker players but also foster growth within the broader online gaming industry. As the market for online poker grows, Michigan's integration with New Jersey on BetMGM's platform is expected to contribute positively to this momentum.
Angus Nisbet, BetMGM's Vice President of Gaming, commented on the merger's significance, highlighting that the new player pooling addresses players' demands for more games and larger prize pools. Nisbet explained that the combination of the two-state player pools allows BetMGM to showcase an improved poker experience, integrating various gaming options across its properties, sports betting, and online casino offerings.
Alongside the pooled tournaments, BetMGM is also offering players in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania access to exclusive MGM property events. The upcoming Borgata Fall Mini-Series, taking place from November 11 to 17, and the National Harbor BetMGM Poker Fall Festival, scheduled for November 20 to 24, are among the major events. Players can also look forward to the ARIA Poker Open in Las Vegas from December 4 to 22.
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With the launch of the combined player pools, BetMGM has introduced special promotions and a series of new tournaments to celebrate the occasion. The BetMGM Poker Online Championships, expected to be the largest tournament series to date on the platform, will begin on Sunday, November 17, and continue through December 1.
The series includes $2 million in guaranteed prize money, nightly trophy events, and a leaderboard competition to engage players over two weeks. This tournament is a notable expansion in the operator's offerings and showcases BetMGM's commitment to delivering an exciting poker experience that appeals to a broader, interstate player base.
The multi-state poker market in the US has expanded steadily, with Michigan being the most recent addition. New Jersey joined the MSIGA in 2017, several years after the initial participants, Nevada and Delaware. Michigan legalized online poker in 2020 and launched the market in early 2021, joining the MSIGA in 2022. The state's inclusion has accelerated growth in the interstate poker market, bringing additional player liquidity and bolstering the availability of larger tournaments and prize pools.
With BetMGM now entering the multi-state market, Michigan has seen its third major operator offer pooled poker options across state lines. Michigan's first cross-state poker operation came in January 2023, when PokerStars merged its Michigan and New Jersey pools. Later, WSOP added Michigan to its network in May 2024, creating a three-state platform with Nevada and New Jersey. BetMGM's entry enhances the competitive landscape, offering players more choices and increasing the visibility of its poker services.
Although Nevada and Delaware were the first states to join MSIGA, their online poker ecosystems remain limited; Nevada currently operates just one poker platform, WSOP.com, while Delaware has no active operators. West Virginia joined the MSIGA in 2023, though it has yet to launch any licensed online poker operators, and Pennsylvania has been in negotiations to join, which would make it the sixth state in the agreement.
By combining the Michigan and New Jersey markets, BetMGM now provides a substantial player pool, which is anticipated to attract increased competition from PokerStars and WSOP, the two other multi-state operators in these markets. As BetMGM enhances its interstate poker offerings, the operator has positioned itself for future expansion opportunities, particularly if Pennsylvania completes its membership in the MSIGA.
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