The legal saga surrounding the Wire Act is officially over, meaning legal forms of gambling like online poker, casino and lottery have less to worry about when it comes to federal law.
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Connecticut has cleared what was probably the largest hurdle to legalizing online gambling: reaching a fair compromise with the tribes.
The post Full Steam Ahead In Connecticut As Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Reaches Compromise With Governor’s Office appeared first on Online Poker Report.
Gambling analyst Chris Grove says legal online poker in New York could dovetail nicely with the state’s efforts for mobile sports betting.
The post How Legal Online Poker Could Help New York’s Quest For Mobile Sports Betting, And Vice Versa appeared first on Online Poker Report.
BetMGM Poker is the latest gambling app available on the Google Play store, but the casino and sportsbook have yet to appear.
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Online poker players in Pennsylvania have been in a tantalizing spot for quite a while now. One online poker room is up and running, PokerStars PA. That has been the case for what will soon be a full year-and-a-half. However, expectations are another or perhaps two or three more online poker rooms may launch soon.
It’s a bit like having been dealt a premium starting hand and building a nice pot preflop. Now you’re waiting to see how things will proceed going forward. Prospects seem favorable, but for the next little while there remains some uncertainty.
One of the new online poker rooms expected to launch in Pennsylvania is BetMGM Poker. BetMGM has already launched online casinos as well as an a BetMGM online sportsbook in PA. In other words, licensing and many other particulars are currently in place for a BetMGM online poker room as well.
Here’s a quick look at what a new BetMGM online poker site should provide PA poker players.
When BetMGM Poker does come to Pennsylvania, it should hit the ground running with an inviting, well-functioning online poker room. After all, the site will arrive with a lot of prior online gaming experience behind it.
BetMGM has now gone live with not one but two online casinos in the Keystone State. In early December, the first BetMGM online casino launched in Pennsylvania via a partnership with the Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville.
Then in February, BetMGM launched the Borgata Casino app in Pennsylvania with the Rivers Casino Philadelphia as a land-based partner.
Meanwhile in mid-December the BetMGM Online Sportsbook began accepting its first wagers in Pennsylvania as well.
So far, BetMGM Poker is only live in New Jersey. However expectations are it will soon launch not only in Pennsylvania, but in Michigan as well where the MGM Grand Detroit will serve as a retail partner.
With the Borgata as its brick-and-mortar partner, BetMGM’s first online poker room launched in New Jersey in 2017. Initially the site was known as playMGM, then in 2019 rebranded as BetMGM. In Pennsylvania, BetMGM Poker will again utilize its partnership with the Hollywood Casino to operate its online poker room.
BetMGM is of course owned by MGM Resorts International, which also owns the software developer Entain (formerly known as GVC Holdings). In New Jersey, Entain not only powers the BetMGM Poker site, but also the partypoker NJ and Borgata Poker NJ online poker rooms. They do so under the BetMGM brand (originally ROAR Digital) created via the joint venture between MGM and GVC.
Those three New Jersey sites — partypokerNJ, Borgata Poker NJ, and BetMGM NJ — together form a network that combines player pools, called the partypoker US network. That increased liquidity means bigger tournament fields and more players at the cash tables.
When BetMGM Poker initially launches in Pennsylvania, it will be as a standalone, ring-fenced site with only PA players allowed to play on it. However, much as community cards alter the course of a hand of hold’em, that circumstance could change, and perhaps significantly.
As far as the BetMGM Poker site goes, Pennsylvania players should find plenty of reasons to want to explore it as a new option once it goes live.
The BetMGM Poker site at New Jersey features an attractive design and an intuitive interface. Thinking back to online poker’s early days, you might describe the site as featuring a clean or “classic” look. Rather than complicate the screen with cute animations and other ornaments, all of the details are unembellished and instantly clear at a first glance.
The site can be accessed in multiple ways. On a laptop or desktop, you can play either through a web browser or on a downloadable, Java-based client. Meanwhile the site is also mobile-friendly, meaning you can download apps and play on your Apple (iOS) or Android devices.
Currently the site features no-limit hold’em ($0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50), fixed-limit hold’em ($0.02/$0.04 to $30/$60), and pot-limit Omaha high and hi/lo (same stakes as NLHE).
In the past seven-card stud was also offered, but that has been removed at present. There are NLHE and PLO sit-n-go’s ranging from $1 to $500. The site also features a version of “fast fold” poker called “fastforward” – although there are rarely enough players wanting to play it for that game to run.
The BetMGM Poker NJ site has many regular, featured MTTs like a $109 buy-in Daily $10K (with a $10,000 guaranteed prize pool) and the $535 Mega Tuesday (also with a $10K guarantee). There is a weekly $215 tournament, the Sunday $35K.
There are frequent tournament series on BetMGM Poker as well. In fact, over the past year BetMGM Poker NJ and the other New Jersey sites in the partypoker US network hosted a number of World Poker Tour-branded online events. These included some especially large events with $1 million guarantees. They also afforded players the chance to win entry into future live WPT events.
Also worth noting when previewing a potential BetMGM Poker site in PA are the welcome bonuses.
For the New Jersey site, players receive a $25 no-deposit bonus just for creating an account. Of that bonus, $15 has to be played in either cash games or tournaments. The other $10 is essentially cash going straight into the player’s account, as long as the player plays a minimum amount with it.
BetMGM Poker players in New Jersey also can receive a 100% matching deposit bonus worth up to $1,000. Much like other sites, the deposit bonus comes with a playthrough requirement. BetMGM Poker players participate both in a loyalty program called iRewards and MGM’s popular M Life Rewards program.
In terms of software, BetMGM Poker is more than adequate though for most players probably doesn’t match the standard set by PokerStars’ smooth-running interface. PokerStars has the advantage in game selection at present as well, although a BetMGM Poker site in PA might be able to offer more than what it currently does in NJ.
In New Jersey, the partypoker US network of sites to which BetMGM Poker belongs tends to draw close to the same traffic as PokerStars NJ. Meanwhile the WSOP NJ site routinely tops both by a wide margin, attracting more NJ players in part because it shares player pools with its poker rooms in other states.
However, when it comes to welcome bonuses, BetMGM Poker has an edge over PokerStars. The latter does not offer a no-deposit bonus. PokerStars does offer a 100% matching deposit bonus, though only up to $1500.
Certainly not at the start, although circumstances could change in the future.
BetMGM’s affiliation with partypoker potentially bears some significance. Despite its name, the partypoker US network currently only operates in one state, New Jersey. Theoretically the network could expand to include sites in other states. First, however, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will have to okay PA operators joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).
The January 2021 ruling by the First Circuit Court of Appeals invalidating the US Department of Justice‘s most recent opinion of the Wire Act of 1961 was good news in this regard. That ruling removed an obstacle that had previously made PA regulators and others less than eager about pursuing multi-state agreements. That said, there is no set timeline at present for Pennsylvania to enter the MSIGA.
For Pennsylvania poker players, then, the likelihood will be once BetMGM Poker goes online, they’ll have another ring-fenced online poker site as an option alongside PokerStars PA. That it itself will be a welcome development, and perhaps later will come an opportunity to play opponents located outside of the state as well.
That is to say, first things first. You can plan ahead, but you can’t play the turn or river until after you first play the flop. Here’s looking forward to those first flops being dealt at BetMGM Poker PA.
Lead image via Dreamstime.
The post A Player’s Guide to BetMGM Poker in Pennsylvania appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.
Partypoker US Network’s latest Online Series begins on Sunday with $340,000 guaranteed. The series runs March 21-29 for players in New Jersey and includes a $125,000 live streamed championship event.
Currently the state hasn’t seen any live major tournament series in Atlantic City live poke rooms. Many players are shifting online to partake in more online events. That’s led to increased revenue numbers and historical traffic highs.
“I generally go to Atlantic City for poker tournaments every few months, but unfortunately that hasn’t happened since pre-COVID,” says Michael LoPresti, a poker player from Lumberton, NJ. “Having some more tournament options online has been nice.”
The Online Series is available to any players physically located in New Jersey’s borders. The partypoker US Network also includes the player pools from the BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM skins.
The $1,060 Main Event is set for March 28 and includes a $125,000 guarantee. The tournament plays out over two days, which includes a live streamed final table on LearnWPT’s Twitch Channel. The platform will stream the action March 29 at 8 pm (ET).
Players of all bankrolls will find three tournament options on the same day. Beyond the Main Event, the site offers a $20 Mini Main Event and a $109 tournament as well.
Most events feature No Limit Hold’em with one Omaha tournament also on the schedule. Players will find traditional bounty events, progressive knockouts (PKO), and even a heads-up tournament. Some highlights include:
Here’s a look at the complete schedule.
| Date | Time | Tournament | Total | Guarantee | Bounty |
| March 21 | 5 pm | #1: $50K GTD SUNDAY SPECIAL NLH | $215 | $50,000 | |
| March 22 | 8 pm | #2: 8-MAX PROGRESSIVE KNOCKOUT BOUNTY | $320 | $25,000 | $150 |
| March 23 | 8 pm | #3 $20K GTD 8MAX PKO KNOCKOUT BOUNTY | $215 | $20,000 | $100 |
| March 24 | 8 pm | #4: $10K GTD POT LIMIT OMAHA 6MAX | $109 | $10,000 | |
| March 24 | 8 pm | #5: HEADS UP 32 MAX | $320 | ||
| March 25 | 8 pm | #6: $20K GTD 6MAX PROGRESSIVE KNOCKOUT BOUNTY | $320 | $20,000 | $150 |
| March 26 | 8 pm | #7: $20K GTD 40-STACK 8MAX NLH | $215 | $20,000 | $150 |
| March 27 | 8 pm | #8: $25K GTD 8MAX PROGRSSIVE KNOCKOUT BOUNTY | $320 | $25,000 | |
| March 28 | 5 pm | #9: $10K GTD 8MAX MINI CHAMPIONSHIP NLH | $20 | $10,000 | |
| March 28 | 5 pm | #10: $35K GTD $109 1/2 PRICE NLH | $109 | $35,000 | |
| March 28 | 5 pm | #11: $125K GTD 8MAX NLH – DAY1 | $1,060 | $125,000 | |
| March 29 | 7 pm | #11: $125K GTD 8MAX NLH – DAY 2 LIVE STREAMED FINAL TABLE | |||
| Total overall guarantee | $340,000 |
Partypoker is offering several ways to enter the championship event. Each day players can log into the site and get a free spin on the promotional wheel.
Partypoker will award $5 satellite tickets and even give away $1,060 Main Event seat tickets. The site will also be running daily satellites to win a seat into these events. Satellites range in buy-in from $0 to $55.
Players can simply click on the satellite tab in the tournament lobby to see which are events currently running.
Besides hosting the live stream, LearnWPT will also offer free training videos to help players get an edge.
LearnWPT is the official training site of the World Poker Tour. All partypoker players can access these videos.
During the Online Series, players can still look for big Sunday events and daily promotions. This includes weekly Sunday specials including the $10 and $20 Deepstack events with $250 and $500 guarantees
The popular nightly $10,000 guaranteed tournament will also run daily. Here’s a quick look at that event:
★★★ Ready to jump in the action at partypoker US Network? Click here for a site review and exclusive USPoker bonuses. Reviews and bonuses are also available for BorgataPoker.com and BetMGM. ★★★
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Pennsylvania emerged as the leading regulated online poker state in the US for February. For months, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been neck and neck in revenue.
In February PA slightly pulled ahead in the rankings. Michigan is also now in the mix since PokerStars launched in January.
Overall, despite being a short month regulated online poker markets saw strong numbers for the month.
According to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE), online poker was up 44% year over year in February. Online operators brought in revenue of $2.48 million.
However, this is slightly down from the $2.7 million reported in January. Three online poker platforms currently operate in the Garden State including:
The site rankings remained the same as seen in January. WSOP.com holds on slightly in first place with revenue of $955,000. Despite holding on to the top spot, the site has seen decreasing numbers for the last few months.
Currently the WSOP.com Online Circuit Series runs 12-18 events each month. The platform also shares liquidity with Nevada and 888poker in Delaware. The site hasn’t yet launched in Pennsylvania or Michigan.
The partypoker US Network came in second with $796,647. Partypoker includes the BetMGM and BorgataPoker.com skins. The platform has held on to the silver medal for two months.
Partypoker is looking to boost numbers again this month. The site has plans for some live streamed online events in March. The operator is hosting the upcoming Online Series with eight events with $300,000 guaranteed overall.
PokerStars took third again with $728,945, but saw the least amount of decrease among all operators.
Internet gaming as a whole in NJ reported $93.8 million in February revenue. Year over year, that’s an increase of 80.4% for online sites.
Golden Nugget remains the state’s top online casino but Borgata is closing in. Nugget online pulled in $27.9 million with Borgata posting $25.7 million.
For February, all NJ online casinos produced $30.2 million in gaming tax revenue for the state. Gaming taxes represent 8% of taxable casino gross revenue and 15% of Internet gaming gross revenue. New Jersey has only two live poker rooms open to the public – Harrah’s and Borgata.
Live casinos may see some uptick in visitors this spring. As of March 19, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) will allow casinos to operate at 50% capacity. Additional COVID rules still apply.
After a big February, Pennsylvania is now the top online regulated poker state. Poker players produced revenue of $2.5 million, according to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
That was slightly down from the $2.7 million in January, but enough to beat out New Jersey.
Mount Airy Casino partners with PokerStars in the state. The company remains the only online poker operator in the state. February tax revenue generated from online poker accounted for $370,000 to state coffers.
Pennsylvania currently has seven live poker rooms in operation including:
Michigan reported a nice revenue total after only a January report that accounted only for a partial month due to launch. Michigan reports online casinos and poker revenue together brought in $79.7 million. This was up from the $29.4 million in January.
Online gaming, including poker, officially launched in January in Michigan. The state doesn’t currently separate online casino revenue by different games.
As of February, PokerStars remains the only online poker site in the state. As in PA and NJ, Stars players can only play among other players in Michigan.
Super Bowl betting helped ignite February’s sports betting totals in the state. Online sportsbooks took in $301.9 million in bets, up 162% from January. Online gaming revenue produced $14 million in tax revenue.
Even though it may be a ringed-in state so far, even some pros are on the hunt. That includes Michigan native and 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Joe Cada.
Playing on Michigan PokerStars is the closest comparison to the birth online poker. I feel like I’m playing on Party Poker back in 2003.
— Joseph Cada (@JoeCada99) March 15, 2021
There are currently four brick and mortar poker rooms opened within the state borders including:
Delaware online poker had a small decrease from January. The First State reported a total revenue of $39,193 for February.
The positive side is poker revenue continues to grow year over year. Delaware iGaming reported almost a 25% increase in poker revenue since February 2020.
888poker is the only operator in the state. Online poker runs through three skins in partnership with the state’s racetrack casinos including:
Delaware Park continues to show growth and took in $25,612. The casino had almost a 10% increase month over month. This accounts for 64% of all online poker revenue. Harrington online casino also saw a small increase month over month.
Delaware live poker rooms have remained closed since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Online poker continues to be the only option for the state’s players. No announcements have been made about reopening live poker rooms yet.
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One of Dan Bilzerian’s first acts as a GGPoker ambassador was to publicly call a customer a “hoe,” and things only got worse from there.
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