Pennsylvania may be in its final months as a standalone state for regulated online poker. The chances of its long-awaited joining with the Multi-State Internet Gaming Association (MSIGA) have taken a significant jump with the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro, having recently instructed Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) officials to negotiate the state’s entrance into the MSIGA alliance.
The Pennsylvania-dedicated PlayPennsylvania.com site reported on the most recent development, in which the PGCB’s Director of Communications, Doug Harbach, confirmed the agency received a directive from Shapiro on Thursday instructing PGCB officials to begin negotiating the state’s entry with MSIGA officials.
At the present time, five other states are MSIGA members — Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia. However, only Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey are active MSIGA members, as Delaware’s regulated online poker is on hiatus amid a change in the state’s single iGaming provider, and no online poker site has launched in West Virginia to date.
Shapiro’s directive likely renders as moot a measure introduced by PA State Representative George Dunbar in March. Dunbar’s HB 2078 called for the PGCB to begin MSIGA negotiations in the absence of a Shapiro directive or legislative order. That bill, despite some support, has languished in a House committee without a vote to date.
MSIGA membership for Pennsylvania would add vitality to US’s regulated market
Pennsylvania’s addition to the MSIGA roster would provide a much-needed shot in the arm to the US’s regulated online poker marketplace. The Keystone State might not be able to match Nevada or New Jersey online-poker participation on a per-capita basis, but the state’s large population would nonetheless be a huge boost to multi-state play.
With a population estimated in 2023 at 12,961,683, Pennsylvania is the US’s fifth most populous state and is larger than the other currently active MSIGA member states. Michigan ranks 10th with a population of just over 10 million. New Jersey is just behind Michigan with nearly 9.3 million residents, and Nevada ranks 32nd with about 3.2 million residents.
A four-state active MSIGA network including Pennsylvania would also allow US-facing multistate operators such as WSOP.com and PokerStars US to eliminate operational redundancy. That, in turn, would encourage other operators to consider launching multi-state products, and perhaps incentivize more US states to seriously consider regulating online poker.