There appears to be a new player in the U.S. online poker landscape after DraftKings launched a poker game in Michigan in the company’s casino app lobby on Aug. 20.
The sports betting and online casino company has now dipped a toe into the world of online poker and offers the chance at another major competitor in the industry. The game, known as Electric Poker, “features real players in a fast-paced, three-handed, no-limit hold’em poker tournament,” a company representative told Card Player.
Poker That’s ‘Electric’
Electric Poker was built entirely in house, according to the company, and is based on standard no-limit hold’em rules with a few enhancements including a randomly-generated prize pool based on the prize multiplier, two-minute blind levels, a special “electric mode” feature, and more.
“As a leader in casino games, we’re excited to expand our offerings to deliver DraftKings customers the latest online poker game technology with more exciting ways to win,” DraftKings Vice President of Product Operations Signe Yama told Card Player. “Our new game will enhance the overall player experience while capturing new customers with our DraftKings twist on traditional poker games.”
The game is similar to short-handed “jackpot” style sit-n-go tournaments found on other platforms. Buy-in levels range from $1 to $25 and include prize multipliers up to 10 times the buy-in.
While the product is only available in the Wolverine State as of now, it seems likely DraftKings poker could expand to other states. The company hasn’t announced if poker would move beyond the jackpot game, but that at least seems like a possibility.
Expansion could mean players seamlessly moving to poker tables inside the casino app, and adding the game could potentially open the door for DraftKings to offer poker in several states. DraftKings also operates online casino gaming in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
Other states have also considered legalization recently including New York, Maryland, and others.