The state of Delaware and Nevada will soon make US online poker history as they become the first to offer interstate player pools. The two signed an agreement last year that would allow players from each state to take part in online poker gaming within the other. According to the Governor of Nevada, Brian Sandoval, the player pooling could happen in less than two months, with both states to benefit from the new shared liquidity.
The move will see the completion of the first interstate liquidity sharing compact to take place within United States borders. A precedence will be set and the move will help to continually see additional states open up to offer interstate game play.
In the state of Nevada, players have access to two online poker sites, the WSOP.com and Real Gaming. Essentially WSOP holds the market share and is the most popular within the state, powered by 888 Gaming. Two new poker rooms are expected to be launched in the near future within the state, with an 888 branded site as well as one by Treasure Island. Banding with the WSOP, the sites will create the All American Poker Network of the state.
In Delaware, players have the option for poker game play based on the racinos of the state. Each facility offers an online poker room and all three share liquidity, on the AAPN. The compact will essentially take place between four poker sites and then eventually six once the two new sites are launched.
Based on information at such sites as PokerScout, Delaware will benefit the most from player traffic. In the state of Nevada, the main average of cash game players is 150 while Delaware only has around 7 during peak times, according to ring game data. The smaller population of Delaware falls below the critical mass needed to create a fully functioning online poker community. An additional problem for the state is nearby New Jersey, which has a blossoming online poker market and takes players who would otherwise play in Delaware if not for NJ poker gaming.
When Delaware and Nevada begin to share player pools, players from Nevada will be able to take part in sites based in Delaware. This will provide additional traffic that should help to boost the player numbers for cash gaming. The state would need to market their gaming options to Nevada residents to see players take part in such gaming instead of staying on sites available in Nevada.
The factors of the multi-sharing compact are not entirely clear on many areas and have not been made public by either state. For example, one can assume that each site will have separate schedules for promotions, we do not know if the states will be sharing liquidity for cash gaming on every stake or only certain stake levels. The level of liquidity will be a big factor as to market growth based on the options available.
Also under consideration is the time zone difference. Each state is in a different time zone. This will create peak hours of gaming traffic that will last longer. Gaming traffic in Delaware should pick up during the early hours of the evening with largest times being late evening around nine o’clock. The gaming tables should stay busy till around three in the morning which will help to boost the cash gaming traffic.
Only weeks remain until the two will be sharing player pools and everyone in the industry is curious to see how the compact will play out. Hopefully the partnership will be a success, allowing other states to begin offering shared liquidity as well.