The unrealistic expectations for regulated US online poker are long gone, and analysts realize that this is going to be a long process. However, one state that’s showing some promise in recent months is Delaware since their iPoker revenue has increased for three straight months. And this is quite impressive, given that warmer months are usually when the international market experiences a dip. The secret to Delaware’s recent success seems to be their interstate compact, which we’ll discuss along with online poker numbers from the last three months.
Latest iPoker Numbers for 2015
January: $27,695
February: $32,626 – Up 25%
March: $43,636 – Up 26%
April: $48,552 – Up 11%
Delaware Park continues to lead this online poker market, as they netted over $30k in revenue, while Dover Downs made just over $10k revenue and had 36% growth in April. Harrington Raceway & Casino was the only loser from this past month, dropping 22% to $3,286.
Delaware iPoker can thank their Interstate Compact
A couple months ago, Nevada and the Blue Hen State finally started sharing a poker player pool after signing an interstate compact in February 2014. The Multi-State Poker Network (MSPN) has been huge for Delaware because it bumped liquidity up. Nevada’s 2.76 million population combining with Delaware’s 936k residents has helped create more cash-game tables and larger tournaments.
What’s more is that the three-hour time difference between Nevada and Delaware has helped with liquidity too. Somebody from Delaware can log on at midnight and find plenty of games because it’s only 9pm in the Sliver State. Likewise, Nevada players can find more tables running at 6-7am because it’s already 9-10am in Delaware at this point.
What to expect from Delaware Online Poker moving forward
The Blue Hen State is never going to be the driving force behind the US iPoker market. But their recent span of success does show what could be for other states if they are to regulate the game and sign interstate compacts.
As for what to expect from Delaware iPoker in the immediate future, the 2015 WSOP may help May and June be big months too. After all, the WSOP is great for igniting some poker interest among casual crowds. Looking beyond this, what would really help both Delaware and Nevada is if a bigger state legalizes the game and links up with them. Pennsylvania is very serious about the matter, while New York and California continue discussing iPoker. However, even if one of these states does regulate it, they still have to get their operation(s) off the ground and agree to an interstate compact.