Pennsylvania Governor Officially Greenlights Multi-State Internet Poker Gaming

It's been a long time in the making. After several years of contemplation, Pennsylvania has officially expanded its online poker-playing community by joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). With the state’s governor, Josh Shapiro signing the MSIGA, PA online poker players will be allowed to play poker (cash games and tournaments) against players who reside in other participating states.

Per the law signed by Governor Shapira, the MSIGA officially goes into effect at 12:01 am on April 28, 2025. At that time, any PA-licensed online poker provider will be allowed to will be allowed to offer multi-state online poker access to PA residents.

According to a press release from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), there are a few licensed sites that should be ready to immediately start offering this access. The sites that aren't ready will have ample opportunity to retool their software so they can join in the fun. To date, only BetMGM and its affiliated Borgata Poker site have confirmed they are ready to accept PA players because of the MSIGA.

MSIGA is Growing

By joining the MSIGA, Pennsylvania became the 6th state to do so. The state's residents will be joining poker players at the poker table in the following other five (5) states:

• Delaware


• Michigan


• Nevada


• New Jersey


• West Virgina
  

This is a major with for the other states because the Keystone state brings to the table a huge poker-playing population and a chance to create massive revenue for each participating state.

For players in PA, this is a massive coup. They will now get access to a larger selection of cash games and high-level tournaments that offer huge purses. Remember, the purse size of major online poker events is largely determined by the amount of entry fees. Indeed, more players participating will result in more entry fees and much larger purses.

How profound could the addition of PA to the MSIGA be? According to PGCB, it could increase existing pools by as much as 50%. That is based on an estimate of 150,000 or so PA players joining in the multi-state fray. It's important to keep in mind that Pennsylvania’s overall population is almost as large as the combined populations of Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. It's also a reasonably wealthy state, creating the possibility of more high-roller cash games and tournaments.

Previously, top poker sites like PokerStars and WSOP.com have been tentative about getting involved with an MSIGA due to low participation numbers. To them, the addition of Pennsylvania might be a game changer. More players mean larger betting pots. Larger betting pots mean more "rake" revenue for the online poker platforms. Even the states will benefit because higher rake revenue means higher tax revenue at the state level.

This is the biggest news to ever hit the U.S. online poker community. Effective April 28, it will be time to let the games begin.