Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), making the Keystone State the sixth and largest state to join the shared poker market. The first sites should begin sharing traffic with other states on Monday.
Expanding poker play beyond the Commonwealth’s borders will give Pennsylvanians, including the state’s approximately 150,000 online poker players, more freedom of choice. For players in other member states—New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan—Pennsylvania’s entry more than doubles the available player pool to 38 million.
In a release shared by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), Shapiro said joining MSIGA is a commonsense step to keep Pennsylvania competitive.
This is a commonsense step to support hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, grow our economy, and bring in more revenue to support our schools, our seniors, our small businesses, and more. Three of our neighbors are already part of this agreement –and with this action today, we’re making sure Pennsylvania remains competitive in a rapidly growing online market.
Already, BetMGM Poker has confirmed that it expects to be up and running with multistate poker as of April 28, when the compact comes into effect.
PA is the sixth and largest state to join pooled liquidity
No online gambling vertical is more impacted by market size than online poker.
Without enough players, games stagnate, leaving operators in smaller markets struggling to offer a variety of formats and stake levels. Tournament payouts also improve with access to more players.
Unlike those restricted to operating state-by-state, offering multi-state poker allows online platforms to pool the action. As a result, pooled jurisdictions enjoy more games and players, which typically leads to more fun.
New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware have long been members of the MSIGA, which allows traffic sharing among participating states. Michigan joined the fun in April 2022, and West Virginia signed on in November 2023.
Under the MSIGA, states adhere to a uniform set of rules that govern the multi-state jurisdiction. Membership in the group is open, and each state that joins receives one seat on the governing board.
Pennsylvania’s online poker players had long sought entry into the multistate market to benefit from the enhanced competition and access to more lucrative prizes. Other motivating factors included growing the poker industry, supporting smaller operators, and combating unregulated play.
Could more states follow PA’s lead?
Under Governor Shapiro’s direction, Pennsylvania opted to join the multistate agreement in October 2024. With yesterday’s signature, Shapiro made this intention a reality.
Pennsylvania now joins New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan as collaborators. This move allows the PGCB to protect its online poker players while allowing them access to MSIGA’s larger player and prize pools. Pennsylvania’s membership could also prompt other states to consider joining the multi-state effort, though whether that outcome materializes remains to be seen.
Angus Nisbet, BetMGM’s Vice President of Gaming, said the company is preparing to celebrate the expansion in the coming months.
Pennsylvania represents the largest state to join the shared player pool and turbocharges our poker platform. 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.
The state expects other operators, perhaps including PokerStars and WSOP.com, to follow suit soon. BetRivers Poker may take longer, as it doesn’t currently have sites in other states to connect to.
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