BetMGM Becomes Third US Site To Merge Michigan, New Jersey Online Poker Pools

The online poker world received fantastic news on Nov. 5, and it had nothing to do with the elections whatsoever. BetMGM Poker announced that it planned to merge its player pools in New Jersey and Michigan the following day.

BetMGM Poker’s servers in both states went down on the morning of Nov. 6 and came back later that day as one network. It is the third poker site to merge player pools and share liquidity between both states, alongside PokerStars and WSOP.com.

The additional players should boost engagement, which could be positives for BetMGM’s online casino and sports betting businesses, as well.

Shared network ‘a significant step forward’

BetMGM has been involved in New Jersey online poker since day one through its partnership with PartyPoker, which still operates in the Garden State on the BetMGM Poker Network. It was the second site to go live in Michigan in 2022, a year after PokerStars blazed new trails in the Mitten State.

Michigan also joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement in 2022, enabling the state’s online poker sites to enter shared liquidity agreements. Other MSIGA states at the time included Delaware (2015), Nevada (2015) and New Jersey (2017).

WSOP.com was the first to merge player pools in Nevada and New Jersey in 2019. PokerStars followed in 2023, combining its New Jersey and Michigan pools.

This past May, WSOP became the first three-state market when it added Michigan to Nevada and New Jersey. Now, BetMGM ventures into a multi-state network to compete for the title of top online poker site in the US.

“This authorization represents a significant step forward in the development of online gaming within our state boundaries,” MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams said. “We are confident that the partnership with BetMGM will enhance the gaming experience for Michigan players and drive growth in the industry.”

A stronger case for more states to join

It has taken over a decade for all three major US online poker sites to offer multi-state player pools. However, we’ve seen more progress in the last three years than the eight before, including the following:

• PokerStars NJ and MI merging in January 2023
• WSOP.com MI merging with NJ and NV in May 2024
• BetMGM NJ and MI merging in November 2024

Additionally, West Virginia joined MSIGA in November 2023. No sites have launched in West Virginia yet, but it will need multi-state support to prove itself as a viable poker market.

However, Pennsylvania would have the greatest impact on the health of the US online poker economy. The state was the top online poker market from 2021 until late 2023 when Michigan overtook that spot due to its venture into multi-state poker.

Last month, Pennsylvania announced that it planned to join MSIGA. Bringing its player pool into the equation would increase traffic significantly and could make it the largest market in the US once more.

What will the future bring?

The recent changes and growth in online poker represent a snapshot of its future dynamics. 

In addition to the above, BetRivers Poker launched in Pennsylvania on Oct. 31. BetRivers purchased RunItOnce Poker, Phil Galfond’s startup that operated briefly in Europe before closing its doors. Now, it will look to shake up the landscape with its modern software and a radical new approach to collecting rake.

GGPoker, the world’s largest online poker site, has also held a license in Pennsylvania since February 2021. GG’s parent company, NSUS Group Inc., purchased WSOP earlier this year and could bring WSOP.com onto its platform further down the road.

However, even with all this news, online poker’s current ceiling remains within view as the game will only be able to grow so much if it remains legal in just a handful of states.