WSOP.com Network's Latest Numbers Post-Interstate Liquidity Launch
May 4, 2018 9:29 amOn May 1st, the USA’s three regulated online poker states finally started sharing player liquidity, with players located in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware now able to play against one another legally across a shared network.
Since they first started offering online poker in 2013, these states have all experienced dramatic declines in their poker revenues, with the latest development seen as representing an important step towards injecting some new life into the industry.
Two of the operators initially set to benefit the most from the liquidity sharing agreement are WSOP.com and 888 Poker, which share a common online poker platform across all three states. Commenting upon the interstate deal’s potential to transform an online poker market decimated following Black-Friday in 2011, WSOP.com’s Head of Online Poker Bill Rini said in a press release:
“It’s a monumental day for online poker in the United States. This is truly a game-changer for players and we hope is the model blueprint for additional states to join the fray.”
WSOP.com/888 Online Poker Platform
While players from all three states can now play across state borders, there is currently just one path available for them to compete against one another, namely via WSOP.com/888. This is because WSOP.com is Nevada’s only viable poker site, and runs on 888’s software, which also powers the three poker sites currently run by Delaware’s three racinos. Completing the WSOP.com/888 network offering is WSOP.com NJ in the Garden State, meaning that any New Jersey poker players will have to take to that site in order to compete at the same tables against their rivals in Nevada and Delaware.
In March, PokerStars and the Party Borgata Network topped New Jersey’s online poker market with revenues of $779k and $622k respectively, but as these operators do not have sites in Nevada or Delaware, their customers are now forced to continue playing solely against other state residents. Alternatively, they may be motivated to join WSOP.com NJ in order to widen their playing options, and it will be interesting to see just how many customers PokerStars and PartyPoker lose to WSOP/888 as they seek to take advantage of the interstate merger.
Initial Numbers
The WSOP.com and 888poker platform combines players from six online poker rooms, with the four sites previously sharing players in Nevada and Delaware now joining forces with WSOP.com and 888poker in New Jersey.
Prior to the merger, Nevada and Delaware reported a 7-day average of 140 cash players, and a peak of 245 players, while New Jersey’s WSOP/888 network averaged 100 players with a 24 hour peak of 215 players.
On the interstate network’s first day of operation, WSOP.com subsequently reported a 24 hour peak of 381 cash game players, with that number pretty much unchanged three days later. While that figure might seem somewhat disappointing, especially considering that both sites had a combined peak of 481 players last Tuesday (April 24), the news is not too bad considering the initial glitches experienced post-launch, and a range of improvements to the network that still need to be taken care of.
For instance, the three hours time zone difference between New Jersey and Nevada had players questioning tournament start times, with one player asserting that they heavily favored the west coast. There are also a number of expected software glitches to be sorted out, but putting matters into perspective, Michael Gagliano, a poker pro based in New Jersey, tweeted:
“As many know, there are some things that I think aren’t being done as well as they should be, but overall I have to say, it’s pretty cool that @WSOP @WSOPcom has completed interstate player pooling. Happy to be battling with people across the country for the first time in 7 yrs!”