Jack Markell and Brian Sandoval Signed the Interstate Poker Compact in February 2014
One week after the online poker sites licensed by Nevada and Delaware began sharing player pools, the effects of the interstate poker compact are starting to become apparent. Early results have yielded evidence that the pool sharing arrangements are working and players who might have stayed away from iPoker sites are beginning to play.
The sites involved include Dovers Downs, Delaware Park, and Harrington Racecourse websites in Delaware and the WSOP.com website out of Nevada. Since March 24, the Multi State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) has allowed players from these sites to compete against one another. Some restrictions still apply: WSOP-specific satellite events and other promotions are still closed to Delaware players.
Delaware Traffic Nonexistent
Prior to last week, Nevada’s online poker community was small compared to New Jersey’s, but the number of players remained stable. Delaware’s average cash game traffic was virtually nonexistent, with most cash games having player activity in the single digits.
Delaware’s lack of players has made online poker in the state of little use to the gaming operators involved. Unlike single-player games in online casinos like slot machines, video poker, blackjack, and roulette, sites in the poker niche need to maintain a certain number of participants to maintain any attraction for the gamblers involved. Tables sit 9 players per game, such as Texas hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud. These tables need 9 players apiece, but different levels of betting need to be sustained, for high rollers, mid-stakes players, and low-roller penny players. On the cash games alone, a hundred of more players of all types need to be available 24/7 to keep players satisfied. It doesn’t stop there.
Why Player Pools Are Important
Also, ring games or cash games are not the only type of gaming which needs to be sustained. Many gamblers want to play in tournament events, like the games they see broadcast online. Many types of these game variations exist, such as freezeouts (lose your chips and you’re out), rebuys, and add-ons. Some players prefer to gamble on events with many players entered, such as the big Sunday Guaranteed events with the largest jackpot prizes. Other players do not have the time for such games, so they prefer the turbo events or sit-‘n-go events, which might take an hour to play. On the best poker sites, these won’t be active during the peak hours only, but also in non-peak hours.
Add it all up and the best poker sites have hundreds, and probably thousands, of players online at any given moment. Nevada and Delaware sharing players allows each state to swell the size of their gaming communities, giving each a chance to build a loyal player base. The idea is that word should spread and gamblers from Delaware and Nevada should begin to return to websites they might have given-up on sometime in the past.
Player Pool Has Increased from 150 to 170
The WSOP.com website once had as many as 150 players online at a time. With a smattering of Delaware players, one might expect its numbers to have increased to 160 in the past week. Instead, reports indicate that the numbers have surged to 170, which indicate that additional gamblers have signed up and began to play in the past week.
While ten players does not sound like a whole lot of players, it is significant when you consider that is a 6% to 7% increase in player traffic. An increase that size in the first week could be a sign of things to come. As word spreads that filled tables are available, more should join. An increase of 5% to 10% in the coming weeks could add up to serious numbers.
The online gambling news website Cards Chat said, “Ten extra players isn’t something groundbreaking for either state, and it isnt certain where exactly those players are coming from. But it is a good start for a program designed to increase the attractiveness of sites in both states, especially if those new players are coming back on Delaware’s end.”
Players Should Return to Card Rooms
Over time, Delaware gamblers are likely to take a look at the poker rooms. As more log-in to the sites to see what activation looks like, player retention in the card rooms should increase. As that builds upon itself, a critical mass should at some point be reached and the sites begin to have sustainable player activity. One gaming expert compared it to “rubbing two sticks together” hoping that eventually a fire starts.
The interstate compact might be the start of something larger. If and when more US states legalize online poker, they could sign onto the interstate poker compact and swell the ranks of players. If this happens, then the US poker sites could become major players in the world market. While it might sound like a pipe dream, the multi-state lottery associations once were small, but Powerball and Mega Millions are now virtually ubiquitous in the United States.
