Pennsylvania is the only state with legal online poker that is not part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). However, that appears to be changing soon.
According to a report from PlayPennsylvania, Gov. Josh Shapiro has instructed the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to begin negotiations for entering the MSIGA. While there are no timelines stated, it is not unreasonable to expect the state to join the agreement by early 2025.
Key Highlights
- Pennsylvania governor ordered regulator to begin MSIGA negotiations.
- No timeline exists for joining, but it could be sometime in early 2025.
- Pennsylvania players could compete with other states for WSOP bracelets and enjoy larger prize pools on all sites.
PA Governor Instructs Regulator to Start MSIGA Negotiations
On Friday, October 11, PlayPennsylvania broke news that state regulators have been instructed to begin negotiations to enter the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement. Earlier this year, the state legislature attempted to pass a bill to begin talks, but that failed.
This time, Gov. Josh Shapiro instructed the PGCB to begin negotiations “through its statutory authority pursuant to section 1207 Title 4 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.” This will allow for direct negotiation and a quicker entry into the agreement.
In a letter acquired by PlayPennsylvania, the governor stated, “In order to remain competitive in the gambling sector, I am expressing my strong support for Pennsylvania to join the MSIGA alongside Michigan, Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and West Virginia.
“Pennsylvania should capitalize on our status as a leader in legalized gambling, and join this compact, which would bring in additional revenue for the Commonwealth and allow players more gaming options.”
No Timeline Stated, Early 2025 Could Be On the Radar
In June, Rep. George Dunbar speculated that the state could join MSIGA by the end of 2024. However, there is no official timeline for the state joining the agreement.
PlayPennsylvania spoke with PGCB Director of Communications Doug Harbach, who confirmed that the governor instructed them to start negotiations.
Certainly, since there are ‘roadmaps’ from other jurisdictions already operating within the compact, our hope is to use those and get PA operational as soon as viable.
– Doug Harbach – PGCB Director of Communications
Harbach confirmed that talks are underway and that no timeline has been established. He explains, “Certainly, since there are ‘roadmaps’ from other jurisdictions already operating within the compact, our hope is to use those and get PA operational as soon as viable.”
“At the same time, every jurisdiction is different, so it is not possible at this early stage to predict the expediency of the complete launch process.”
With the holidays approaching, it seems unlikely that substantial progress will be made towards an agreement. However, the process could accelerate once the new year begins.
PokerStars and WSOP.com Benefit Most from MSIGA
Pennsylvania has numerous reasons to join MSIGA, the first of which is to reestablish its prior dominance in the US online poker industry. Last year, Michigan took over as the largest online poker market.
Joining MSIGA would give Pennsylvania the momentum it needs to retake the industry lead. Furthermore, two of the state’s top sites would see massive bumps in traffic and prize pools.
Both PokerStars and WSOP.com operate in Pennsylvania, and joining MSIGA would allow both sites to see instant and significant jumps in player pools and prize guarantees.
WSOP.com players would enjoy an immediate benefit as they could instantly join the player pools that compete for online bracelets.
Until now, Pennsylvania has held its own ring-fenced bracelet events, but in a greatly reduced capacity compared to WSOP.com in other states.
Rep. Dunbar stated, “….’shared liquidity,’ is critical to a healthy online poker system. Much like what we have seen with multistate lottery contests, joining MSIGA will mean more players in the overall player pool. This makes for bigger tournaments allowing operators to offer bigger guarantees.”
Sources
https://www.playpennsylvania.com/gov-shapiro-instructs-pgcb-start-negotiating-entrance-msiga/
https://www.playpennsylvania.com/poker-can-regain-top-spot-bridging-other-states/
https://www.playpennsylvania.com/new-legislation-msiga-poker-compact/
