Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania signed onto the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement on Wednesday, adding the state as the sixth member of a player pool that combines online poker players across the country.
The April 28 expansion will link Pennsylvania with New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan to create a pool of 38 million Americans across six states.
More players, bigger prize pools
Pennsylvania will be the largest state in the agreement, increasing the overall player pool by 50% with an estimate 150,000 online players. The state is the leader among legal US gaming jurisdictions in tax revenue, drawing $2.7 billion annually from its 17 retail casinos and 22 online gaming sites.
"I think it's common sense," Governor Shapiro told PokerGO President Mori Eskandani in an interview. "Folks are playing poker all the time. Whether you are doing it at a table, or whether you're doing it at a casino, you're doing it with some buddies, or you're doing it online, I just think you should have the freedom to do that."
The move will increase prize pools and create larger tournaments across several states. An increased player pool may also incentivize other states to legalize online poker and join the compact.
"I am hopeful that more states will join in and more Americans will get the opportunity to participate with one another in this great game."
Online multi-state play will kick off on April 28, and the launch will include BetMGM's online poker platform. Other sites, like PokerStars and WSOP.com, are expected to join soon after.
