The US iGaming industry is a fast-moving landscape. There are all kinds of online gambling platforms available stateside today, from sports betting and casino gaming to card games like poker.
At the time of writing, just six US states have launched casino gaming sites. However, many more have opted to operate online and retail sports betting portals, as well as land-based casino gaming and table games including poker. Any online player looking to play poker in US states should head to Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, Delaware, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia. Some of these states also share player pools which helps to bump up the prize pools – a win-win for poker rooms from a marketing perspective and players from a possible revenue perspective.
Although the same number of US states have launched iGaming and online poker, you might be surprised to find they’re not the same regions. Below, we’ll outline America’s major hubs for iGaming in 2023. We’ll also give you the lowdown on the seventh US state that’s likely to go live with iGaming in the New Year.
New Jersey leads the way
New Jersey is the oldest and largest iGaming market in the US by some distance. iGaming commenced in New Jersey a decade ago, with the Garden State viewed as a pioneer in the global iGaming scene, overseen by New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement. Fast forward ten years and New Jersey now boasts over 12 licensed online casinos that serve NJ-based residents, as well as visitors to the area keen to play within state lines. It took some time for the industry to fully establish but within six years its revenues had soared from $3.5 million in 2018 to $25 million in 2019. It had more than doubled in the year to January 2022, with revenues reaching $60 million.
Pennsylvania and Michigan secure podium places
In second place is Pennsylvania. This state launched iGaming in 2019 and has already gone from strength to strength. For the latest year, combined iGaming revenues were up 41% year-on-year, reaching a whopping $159.4 million. Although New Jersey leads the way with the number of active operators, Pennsylvania has real potential to be the new number-one in the years to come, backed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Similarly, Michigan has also seen its iGaming market become a big challenger to New Jersey. It was only launched in the Great Lakes State in 2021 but in H1 2022 it generated a staggering $757 million in revenue.
West Virginia and Connecticut bring up the rear
West Virginia actually launched iGaming before Michigan, but the sheer size of Michigan’s iGaming market means the former has been pipped into fourth place. Its FY 2021-22 revenues hit $86 million, representing an almost three-fold rise year-on-year. Meanwhile, Connecticut is one of the newest iGaming markets stateside. There is clearly real potential here too underpinned by the arrival of live casino software firm, Evolution, which has set up a studio in the Constitution State.
It’s also widely believed that the state of Rhode Island will be launching iGaming services very soon. A March 2024 launch is anticipated here after it was signed into law in June. Gamesys is expected to be the sole provider of online casino platforms in Rhode Island.
