Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an agreement Wednesday accepting the Keystone State as the sixth member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) for online poker. This expansion of online gaming for poker creates more options for an estimated 150,000 online poker players in the state.
Pennsylvania Expands The Pool Of Online Poker Players By More Than 50%
According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the Commonwealth joining the MSIGA will also expand the pool of online poker players by more than 50%. Pennsylvania becomes the largest state in the shared market that now covers over 38 million Americans.
Pennsylvania joins Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia as participants in MSIGA. The PGCB will also work with its online operators and the other state gaming agencies to ensure that Pennsylvania’s 150,000 online poker players are provided with a fair and thoroughly tested platform.
“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,” said Governor Shapiro.
“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.”
Online Poker Players Will Have Access To Larger Prize Pools
The poker community has been asking Pennsylvania lawmakers for years to enter the Commonwealth into the multistate market in order to provide access to larger prize pools, support smaller operators, reduce offshore play, and expand the poker industry.
Additionally, this expansion will afford larger prize pools without requiring an increase in buy-in amounts.
Online poker players in the Keystone State will be able to participate in the multi-state games beginning on April 28, 2025. Operators will include BetMGM and PA Borgata Online, with others expected to join soon.
Pennsylvania’s gaming sector offers residents 17 retail casinos and 22 sites associated with online casino gaming. The amount of tax revenue generated by legalized gambling in the Commonwealth is nearly $2.7 billion annually.
Jose is an iGaming analyst with wide experience within the sector. He has been working as content writer on casino and betting websites for more than 10 years, contributing on websites like Pokerlistings, Casinobee, Betpack among others, sharing his insights and perspective for the future ofthe iGaming market.
