Without WSOP The Online Poker Market in PA Would Have Dropped by 20%

By Scott Bowen,
Editor at online-gambling.com

Scott Bowen Editor at online-gambling.com

Scott Bowen is a casino expert and editor with many years of experience in the gambling industry. He is one of the most valuable members of our team at online-gambling.com. Bowen specializes in writing on a variety of subjects, including roulette, blackjack, video poker, sports betting, and more.

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Last updated: June 22, 2022

As WSOP gets closer to celebrating the first anniversary of its launch in Pennsylvania, revenue data shows that without the brand, the online poker market in the state would have dropped by 20.4% year-over-year.

According to the data from PGCB – Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, in the last 11 months, the success of the WSOP company in the state has been at the expense of PokerStars PA who has been controlling the market till March 2021.

Before WSOP entered the market, two operators (Borgata Poker PA and BetMGM Poker PA) squeezed into the market and have proven quite resilient. Since WSOP was launched in July 2021, the two operators have been holding shares of 3% and 9% respectively.

The Slow Growth of the PA Poker Market

In May, the poker market in Pennsylvania grossed a total of $2.8 million which is 3.4% less compared to the previous month – $2.9 million but is 8% higher than the $2.6 million recorded in May 2021. Which contributed to a year-over-year improvement for the casinos in Pennsylvania as a whole.

The growth in year-over-year comparison is quite lower compared to the 22.8% in April and the 34.9% in March. In the market, March has been the second highest year-over-year growth, slightly below the 37.7% growth recorded in February 2021 after the market started recovering from the pandemic.

However, the figures for the total revenue from last year do not completely paint the picture. Without WSOP, the total revenue of the online poker market would have fallen by 20.4% to $2.1 million in May, and when compared to June – the last month before WSOP’s entrance, the market would have been down by 14.3%

Borgata Poker PA and BetMGM Poker PA Still Standing Firm

Since its launch in November 2019, PokerStars PA which is running with the license of the Mount Airy Casino has been leading the market. The operator grossed a total of $1.7 million in May, which is about 61.7% of the entire market. This is slightly down from the $1.8 million revenue and the 62.1% dominance recorded in April.

However, in May, WSOP PA scooped $739k from the market, which is about 26.3% of the entire market – figures lower than the record from April (26.5% and $771k). Following WSOP PA are BetMGM PA and Borgata PA, which got $255k revenue (9.1% market share) and $83k revenue (3% market share) respectively.

BetMGM is running with the license of the Hollywood Casino, while Borgata PA is currently running in partnership with Rivers Casino in Philadelphia.

WSOP up in NJ and MI but Down in PA

Even though WSOP is down in PA, its sister poker business is faring better in New Jersey and Michigan. The data from the Department of Gaming Enforcement in NJ shows that the WSOP Network, including its 888poker NJ, WSOP.com NJ, Delaware Park racino, and WSOP.com NV had total revenue of $864k in May. This is about 9.5% higher than the previous month.

It is quite difficult to judge the performance of WSOP MI because the information from the Michigan Gaming Control Board doesn’t show separate data for the online poker market. However, data published by GameIntel, an independent market analyst, revealed that the revenue of the WSOP branch in Michigan has increased by 10.3% from April’s $634k.