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WSOP.com Expanding To Michigan With Shared Player Liquidity

Online Poker Site Adding Michigan To Nevada And New Jersey

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Recent reports point to some major additions in the U.S. online poker market. WSOP.com is expected to upgrade the software platforms in Nevada and New Jersey in the coming weeks and then add shared liquidity with Michigan.

PokerStars is the only other operator offering shared liquidity in the U.S., between New Jersey and Michigan, although BetMGM has recently hinted at sharing player pools at some point as well. Adding Michigan and upgrading the company’s platform offers a significant step for WSOP.com and U.S. online poker.

Growing Player Pool

Pokerfuse reported this week that a WSOP.com Online Circuit Series is scheduled to run in all three states May 11-22 and legalese associated with the series noted that “shared liquidity with Nevada and Michigan (as permitted by law).”

WSOP.com’s All-American Poker Network previously also included Delaware, but that state no longer has poker since changing online gaming providers.

Bringing on Michigan would now give WSOP.com a sizable potential player pool. Here’s a look at the population of each state.

  • Nevada – 3.2 million
  • New Jersey – 9.3 million
  • Michigan – 10 million

Pennsylvania is not yet a member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), but legislative efforts are underway to change that. Adding the Keystone State would add another 13 million potential players to the mix. WSOP will continue running a segregated poker platform in that state until Pennsylvania joins the MSIG.

WSOP.com offers online bracelet events each summer during the annual World Series of Poker. The three-state shared liquidity now allows those tournaments to be even larger events. The company is expected to announce this year’s online bracelet event schedule in early May.

The moves come as there has been considerable movement in online poker recently. BetMGM recently informed Nevada regulators that a launch in the state is imminent. West Virginia has also joined the MSIGA, offering regulators in that state some hope that an online poker operator would go live this year. Other states have at least considered legalization as well.