Tim is a journalist, author, and columnist with two decades of experience writing for outlets like the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He is an expert on regulation, business, and industry and is fluent...
Read Full BioPoker players in Pennsylvania were given the green light to join multi-state online games yesterday, joining pools comprising gamers in New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware, West Virginia, and Michigan.
The move comes after Governor Josh Shapiro signed an agreement that made Pennsylvania the sixth member of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) on poker. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) confirmed Shapiro’s decision in an April 23 press release.
In the release, Shapiro was quoted as saying: “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.”
Pennsylvania Multi-State Online Poker Approval
BetMGM and PA Borgata Online, which both already provide online poker in Pennsylvania, are now set to unveil multi-state offerings. Other operators will join soon, the board said.
These could possibly include BetRivers, Pokerstars, and WSOP.com, all of whom currently offer online poker games in the state.
The board had previously said that it was working with online poker operators on plans to launch the shared liquidity market in Pennsylvania. The PGCB added that it expected official approval and launches to finalize before the end of the month.
The board added that some 150,000 Pennsylvania-based online poker players could now access the new pools. This could boost the overall multi-state player pool by more than 50%, it claimed.
The move makes Pennsylvania the largest state in the 38 million-player shared online poker market, the PGCB wrote.
Pennsylvania Eyeing Legalized Gaming Growth
Per the board’s figures, Pennsylvania’s gaming industry currently comprises 17 retail casinos and 22 associated online casino sites.
The PGCB says that these businesses employ over 15,000 people. The state’s gambling businesses pay almost $2.7 billion a year in tax revenue and annual slot machine license operation fees.
In January, Pennsylvania announced that its iGaming revenue rose to $2.18 billion in 2024. This represents a 25.25% increase on the $1.7 billion raised in 2023.
The state reportedly uses this tax revenue to pay for school property tax reductions. It also uses it to fund agricultural sector purchases and grants for projects in Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
Shapiro first signalled his willingness to sign the Keystone State up to MSIGA in October 2024. The governor said that the state needed to capitalize on its status as a leader in legalized gambling.
