Questions have been raised over whether PartyPoker is aiming to launch a US poker network throughout the country following an interesting email message promoting entry to one of its events. Players from the BetMGM and Borgata Poker platforms in New Jersey were the ones on the receiving end of the promotional email, which offered them the opportunity to win a place in the PartyPoker US Network $250K Freeroll event. This is scheduled to take place on Sunday, Jan. 26, and many players are curious as to whether this could see the brand begin operating in Nevada soon too.
The Email That Started It All
In early January, players at BetMGM took note of an email that was sent out by the site. Normally, promotional emails from online poker sites aren’t too likely to raise any questioning eyebrows, but because the email promoted the PartyPoker brand and its US Network Free Roll event, it doesn’t seem surprising that players were slightly more intrigued than they potentially would normally be. It even led to one Twitter user posting a screenshot of it on his feed.
Kevin Mathers, a prominent member of the poker media, bases himself out of Syracuse, New York, but he clearly got the BetMGM email himself. In the post from Jan. 5, Mathers exclaimed that there “may be some #HotNews coming from PartyPoker” with regard to its status in the United States before referencing the email he had received.
In that same email, players at BetMGM are encouraged to sign in and make a minimum deposit of $50 or more as well as earn a minimum of 25 iRewards Points via cash games or tournaments. The promotion, which runs from that same date of Jan. 5 right through to Jan. 25 of this year, will then see all qualifying users receive an online entry into the PartyPoker US Network $250K Freeroll event.
That ticket will automatically enroll anyone wishing to participate into the event, which is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 26 at 3p.m. Players who finish in the top 100 will receive quite the reward as a result. Each one will be granted a $320 online tournament entry into the PartyPoker US Network $250K tournament, which is to be held on Sunday, March 29 at 5p.m.
Where Does Nevada Come Into It?
As far as anyone knows, PartyPoker has never used the phrasing of “US Network” in any of its promotions before, which is what led to the recent speculation. Now, that phrasing could be interpreted in a number of different ways. Many people have guessed that it could mean PartyPoker is looking to go live in the state of Nevada.
For the moment, the only place in the United States that PartyPoker operates is in New Jersey. Technically, a PartyPoker network already exists within The Garden State, comprised of the PartyPoker NJ, BorgataPoker and PlayMGM (the same as BetMGM) sites. Yet, these are all active within a single state, so to refer to that as a “US Network” is quite the stretch of phrasing.
However, the parent company of PartyPoker – GVC – was given the go-ahead last year to be able to provide online poker to the state of Nevada. Despite this, the company didn’t leap straight into launching any products there. Now that such phrasing has been utilized with customers of the BetMGM website, the signs are pointing toward an eventual launch in Nevada. At the same time, the operator has applied for an online gambling license in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, which soft launched its first online poker service in November last year. The application is still pending as of Jan. 17, 2020 though.
A potential launch in Nevada gives PartyPoker the possibility of uniting its player pools there with those in New Jersey. Pennsylvania has not joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) as of yet, but Nevada and New Jersey are both members of it alongside Delaware. This allows player pools to be merged across state borders, although at the moment, 888/WSOP.com is the only network that is able to make full use of it due to having operations in all three states.
The Three Participants in the Internet Gaming CompactA Launch in Nevada Could Mean More Traffic
Should PartyPoker actually go ahead with an online poker launch in the state of Nevada, this means that player liquidity could be shared with its New Jersey operation. This would make it the second poker network to take advantage of the MSIGA. It also would leave the door open for the company’s future Pennsylvania operations to join in should PartyPoker’s application to provide online services there be accepted. Yet, because Pennsylvania isn’t a part of the traffic sharing agreement yet, the state of Nevada is the most logical choice for PartyPoker to launch in first.
It’s no secret that New Jersey’s online poker scene has been somewhat struggling over the past few months. In November of 2019, it recorded an all-time low of revenue from internet poker gamers while Pennsylvania’s launch in the same month far exceeded The Garden State’s figures. If PartyPoker starts operating in Nevada and the player pools are united in the process, then this could potentially boost New Jersey revenue at the same time.
PartyPoker Tries to Dismiss Rumours
Even though it seems like fans of online poker are casting speculation over the potential launch of PartyPoker in Nevada, it may be wise to not count these chickens before they’re hatched. The CEO of PartyPoker US’ parent company Roar Digital, Adam Greenblatt, said that such a launch in The Silver State is not something that is a priority for the short-term. Instead, he said, sports betting launches in other states are getting the main portion of the company’s attention for the time being.
Even though that’s the case, Greenblatt still made certain to state that expansion via PartyPoker within the United States “will get there.” It’s just that this isn’t something that fans should expect to take place in the near future. Doubtless, that will be a bit of a blow for those players who were looking forward to not only a Nevada launch but a potential entry into the interstate network for PartyPoker too.
Of course, the revenue figures from New Jersey recently could have something to do with the company’s decision not to rush into additional poker launches in the US. And despite the fact that combining the player pools of New Jersey and Nevada would likely have a positive overall effect on revenue, it’s not likely to be anything major.
Because sports betting is expected to generate greater profits, it makes sense for PartyPoker to veer more in that direction. This was further highlighted by the fact that Roar Digital obtained approval to operate online sports betting in Nevada by the state’s Gaming Control Board on Wednesday, Jan. 8.
Online Poker in Nevada at Present
While nothing has been confirmed either way with regard to a PartyPoker launch in Nevada, this does not mean that it’s impossible to access online poker rooms within the state already. In fact, The Nevada was the very first one to provide regulated online poker to its residents, but it’s also possible for players to access offshore brands as well. We have reviewed a selection of these that we would recommend to our users in our online poker guide for Nevadans. If you reside in some other state, you can obtain guidance that pertains to the country as a whole in our USA internet poker overview. And if you have any questions about the legality of playing on these sites, we have addressed this topic with our legal online poker page.
source https://casinonewsblogger.com/partypoker-coming-to-nevada-by-march-2020/
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