A report from BetMGM recently had some wording that has caused poker players all over America to get excited: online poker shared liquidity! If you understand what that means then you understand the excitement. And if not, let us explain.
Simply put, online poker shared liquidity is the holy grail of the internet game. Why? Well, poker is a community game and the house only makes money from the “rake”, or a certain percent of each pot. Therefore, it’s not as profitable for the house as other casino games. But why does that matter?
It matters because in order to make money and stay in business, internet poker operators need full tables and a lot of players. That’s a problem for some smaller states who may not be able to generate a huge player base. But shared liquidity makes that a thing of the past.
Basically, online poker shared liquidity is an agreement between states to allow their players to be centralized into a single poker room. That means players from multiple states can not only play at the same site, but even sit at the same table. That’s good for players, who are more likely to find a game. And it’s good for operators.
Having shared liquidity means that all their players are in one place, which increases how much they play and how long they stay. It also means that same marketing can be used from one state to another, and makes the logistics of running an online poker room that much easier.
So when will all this happen? Let’s get back to BetMGM, who are available in Michigan and New Jersey. Those states are already part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, which also includes Delaware, West Virginia, and Nevada. It’s speculated that the company soon announce a three to four state online poker shared liquidity agreement.
So, while this may not be the coast to coast internet poker game we were all hoping for, it is a step in that direction. And the more states that successfully regulate online gambling, the more that other states will see that it can be done successfully and profitably. So let’s go!