Editor
BetRivers Poker has expanded from a single state to four, all in a single day. The fledgling US poker room, which until yesterday operated only in Pennsylvania, has just added Michigan, West Virginia, and Delaware to its network.
This news will be particularly exciting to players in the latter two states. It’s the first time that West Virginians have ever had access to a regulated poker site. Meanwhile, Delaware residents have had to do without for over a year. WSOP formerly operated in Delaware but had to leave when the state lottery switched its partnership from Evoke (formerly 888, which powers WSOP) to Rush Street Interactive.
Rush Street built BetRivers Poker using the same platform as the European site Run It Once Poker, which it acquired in 2022. It launched the product in Pennsylvania last year, which was at the time the only regulated state without access to the multi-state poker pool.
Run It Once founder Phil Galfond has continued to serve as a brand ambassador for his product under the new ownership. Unfortunately, some of the original site’s most innovative features, like its “Splash the Pot” rakeback system, did not make the transition.
“The launch of a unified cross-state player pool significantly enhances the BetRivers Poker experience,” said Richard Schwartz, CEO of RSI. “By expanding the network, we’ll bring more players to our tables, offer a wider variety of games, and raise the stakes with larger tournament prize pools. We’re thrilled to strengthen our poker footprint and deliver best-in-class competition and community-driven play across multiple states.”
Pennsylvania’s Entry to Shared Liquidity Pools
Pennsylvania joined the Multistate Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) earlier this year. Two sites—BetMGM and WSOP—were able to connect to their respective multistate networks on day one. PokerStars, which has historically been quick to network when legally able to, has deferred adding its Pennsylvania site to the network. By way of explanation, it has said that its international operations have presented other, higher priorities.
Aside from PokerStars, BetRivers Poker was the only Pennsylvania site not networking, and that was only because it had no operations in other states to link to.
Now spanning four states, it is tied with WSOP for the largest network by that metric. However, in terms of population reached, it is still one of the smallest, due to not having launched in New Jersey. That launch may still be coming. However, New Jersey regulators are typically quick to grant approval. The lack of a New Jersey launch may indicate that Rush Street doesn’t see the value in entering a market where its competition is so well-entrenched. New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada were the first three states to adopt regulated online poker, with all three having launched in 2013. No other states joined them until Pennsylvania came online in 2019.
Here’s how the four US operators stack up at the moment:
- WSOP: Four states (MI, NJ, NV, PA), 36 million population
- BetRivers: Four states (DE, MI, PA, WV), 26 million population
- BetMGM: Three states (MI, NJ, PA), 33 million population
- PokerStars: Two states (MI, NJ), 19 million population + standalone Pennsylvania site, 13 million population
Will Delaware, West Virginia Monopolies Help BetRivers?
Delaware and West Virginia aren’t big markets, with fewer than 3 million residents between them. Although BetRivers is the only operator with access to Delaware, West Virginia is an open-licensing market. All three of BetRivers’ competitors could launch there if they wanted.
Neither state is big enough to sustain a poker site on its own. Online poker rooms require a certain minimum user base to be viable. Otherwise, games dry up outside of peak hours and have a hard time getting going again.
However, West Virginia has been party to MSIGA since 2023. It’s not clear why no other operators have launched there, but presumably they calculated that the additional players wouldn’t be worth the technological cost of setting up the network.
Rush Street seems interested in exploiting its Delaware monopoly. Players there grew accustomed to having online poker through WSOP from 2013 until 2023 and are likely eager to have it back. West Virginia, although small, has nearly twice as much population, so if the other operators aren’t interested in West Virginia, it makes sense for Rush Street to pursue a second monopoly there as well.
WSOP has benefited greatly from its monopoly in Nevada, but that state holds special importance in poker. After all, it’s the host of the annual World Series of Poker, which now includes 30 online bracelet events on WSOP.
Delaware and West Virginia don’t hold the same cachet, but may provide a different sort of advantage. The player base in newly-launched states often includes more inexperienced recreational players than longer-standing markets. While some Delaware players may still be skilled after only a year off, the West Virginia field might be pretty green. If that proves to be the case, a reputation as a softer network might provide a temporary edge for BetRivers.
