US Online Poker Closes Out The Year Strong, iGaming Numbers Break Records
Online poker revenue in the US remained strong in December. Big news was announced as Michigan and New Jersey merged online player pools and iGaming continues to crush records in legal states.
The American markets closed out the year with some of its biggest results to date. In the US, online poker is currently live and legal in the following states:
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New Jersey online poker again reaches $2 million in December
For seven months in a row, New Jersey online poker revenue has reached the $2 million mark. The PokerStars merger with Michigan may open the door to even bigger numbers.
In total, the state brought in $2.2 million in December. This stays relatively the same month over month according to the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE).
New Jersey currently hosts three legal online poker operators:
- WSOP.com/888poker
- BetMGM (including the Borgata Poker and partypoker US skins)
- PokerStars
For the second month in a row BetMGM retained the top spot in the Garden State. The site reported $797,100, about the same as last month, and slightly ahead of WSOP.com’s $755,460.
BetMGM just wrapped up the live tournament series called “The Return.” The festival ran as a partnership in January with the Borgata in Atlantic City. January numbers may have seen a small increase due to the higher numbers of players that came into New Jersey for the event.
PokerStars held third place again but that may change in the near future. In December Stars reported $619,714 for the platform’s third straight month-over-month growth.
On Jan. 1, Stars officially merged player pools with Michigan. Tournaments have attracted large prize pools almost every single night.
In the New Jersey live poker scene, only three rooms are open in Atlantic City including:
- Borgata (offers weekly tournaments)
- Harrahs
- Tropicana
BetMGM, Resorts score $40 million
According to the NJDGE, New Jersey online casinos reported $151.5 million in revenue for December. That’s a 13.7 % increase from 2022. The Borgata/BetMGM brand hit over $40 million for the seventh month in a row. The site reported $43.7 million in total for iGaming.
The online site has remained No. 1 in the state for 21 straight months, but another property is lurking just behind. Resorts posted $40.3 million for the platform’s biggest month ever. Golden Nugget rounded out in third and remained the same month over month with $37.7 million.
The NJDGE reported that overall gaming revenue by casino, racetracks, and partners reached $454.8 million for the month. Year over year, that’s a 12.5% increase from December 2022.
Gaming taxes represent 8% of taxable casino gross revenue and 15% of Internet gaming gross revenue.
Pennsylvania sees online poker increase
The Keystone State saw slight growth month over month in December. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported $2.6 million for online poker for the last month of the year.
Pennsylvania players currently have three online poker platforms to pick from:
- PokerStars
- BetMGM (and the Borgata Poker skin)
- WSOP.com
PokerStars remained number one in the state again and held strong with $1.6 million. Stars remained relatively the same throughout the fall. WSOP.com came in second and saw a small increase by netting $545,098. BetMGM saw the biggest jump and finished the month in third with $449,556.
Pennsylvania iGaming sets another record
The Keystone State online gaming record was broken again in December. This was the fifth month in a row for a new record. In December the state saw a gross of $134.5 million. This was a 31.8% year-over-year increase.
State combined total revenue generated in December from all forms of gaming including fantasy contests reached $462 million. This is an increase of 16.9% compared to 2022.
Michigan has best iGaming month to date
Another month and another record in the Wolverine State. The Michigan market continues to crush records and expand. According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), Michigan online casinos showed total Internet gross receipts of $152.8 million in December.
This broke the previous record of $145.4 million. Overall, with sports betting included, operators brought in $201.6 million.
Michigan online poker merges
Online poker revenue is combined with other iGaming in the state and its influence of iGaming numbers are reflected in the growth. There are currently three online poker operators including:
- PokerStars
- BetMGM
- WSOP.com
On Jan. 1 Michigan players merged with New Jersey. Players were already seeing bigger prize pools and tournaments from the start.
“It was brilliant to see our communities in Michigan and New Jersey come out in force on Jan. 1 to celebrate the combining of our player pool and enjoy our special New Year’s Day events and smash the guarantees,” PokerStars US managing director Severin Rasset said in a news release.
BetMGM and FanDuel also set records for the third month in a row. MGM reported the highest with $54.3 million while FanDuel came in with $28.9 million.
Gaming operators in total produced $30.4 million in tax revenue and local share to the state including:
- Internet gaming taxes and payments – $28.5 million
- Internet sports betting taxes and payments – $1.9 million
The remaining fund balances of the Internet gaming and sports betting funds are transferred to the state’s School Aid Fund at fiscal year end. The total transfer for fiscal year 2022 from each fund was:
- Internet Gaming Fund: $251.8 million
- Internet Sports Betting Fund: $8.1 million
Delaware poker up for bid
The First State showed growth for the second month in a row in online poker. In December, Delaware gaming officials announced revenue of $40,007. That’s up from the $34,318 reported in November. In total online gaming revenue reported just over $1.1 million.
According to the Delaware Lottery, iGaming new player registrations hit the highest of the year with 1,207. In Delaware, 888poker operates three different skins in partnership with racetrack casinos including:
- Delaware Park
- Bally’s Dover
- Harrington Casino and Raceway
It’s possible 888 may not hold the contract much longer. The contract is now up for bid and will be awarded by March 2023. It’s possible other operators may bid on offering online poker in the state.
Delaware Park saw month-over-month growth in December, making the property No. 1 for the entire year. The property offers the only live poker room open in the state. The casino is offering high hand bonuses weekly.