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Summary
- Michigan’s MSIGA request yet to be approved by participating states
- Interstate play unlikely to happen in MI in 2021
- No exact date set for WSOP.com’s launch in MI
Michigan’s poker players may have to wait a little longer before they could compete with other players beyond state borders.
Michigan is one of the more recent states to have launched online poker along with West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Wolverine State approved the game back in 2019, but it was only able to launch its regulated online gaming market in January this year.
In December 2020, Michigan was officially allowed to participate in interstate deals through legislation signed into law by state Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Michigan already asked to join the MSIGA, but the three other states – New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware, have yet to give their approval, according to David Murley, the Deputy Director of Online Gaming & Legal Affairs with the MGCB. The board was hoping to allow residents to compete with players in other states by the end of 2021, but with how things are developing, poker players in Michigan might have to wait until next year for that to happen.
Murley also refused to provide an exact timeline, saying they would have to move at the timetable of the three states.
While the approval process for Michigan’s request to participate in the deal is currently experiencing delays, the gaming board is confident the green light will be granted in due time and what poker players in Michigan need to do is continue to wait.
Will WSOP.com Go Live in MI This Year?
There are two online poker sites currently operating in Michigan – PokerStars and BetMGM Poker. The WSOP.com is also set to launch in the state, though officials have yet to give an exact date for when it would happen. WSOP.com is currently involved in MSIGA and is the only operator to participate in the deal, enjoying shared player pools in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware.
WSOP.com gives online players the chance to take a shot at the highly coveted gold bracelet. This year, the site hosted 33 online bracelet events for players in New Jersey and Nevada, and also hosted a separate bracelet series in Pennsylvania. At this point, it’s unlikely that players in Michigan would be able to participate in the online bracelet events this year as it remains unclear whether or not the site will go live in the state by December.
