The good news is that Delaware and Nevada are finally sharing online poker players over a year after signing an interstate compact. The bad news is that this union has done very little to increase either state’s internet poker traffic. Here’s a quick look at how the Multi-State Poker Network (MSPN) has performed, according to PokerScout’s data:
Week prior to merger: Collective Delaware/Nevada player pool was 150 cash players per hour.
Week after merger: Collective average of 165 cash players per hour.
Since this time, the MSPN has failed to generate much higher than a 7-week average of 165 hourly ring-game players. Obviously the improved liquidity has led to better numbers than the pre-merger days. However, considering that many estimates pegged the MSPN for 190-200 hourly cash players, 165 doesn’t seem like a very high number. So what’s holding the newly minted Delaware/Nevada shared-player pool back?
1. Delaware and Nevada still comprise a Small Population
The United States population is almost 319 million people; Delaware and Nevada combined only feature around 3.74 million of this figure. So even after pooling players, the MSPN has a relatively small population to pick from when looking at the bigger picture. Going further, the Blue Hen State doesn’t bring enough players to the cyber tables to make it worth some of the Nevada-based pros’ time. Maybe if the Silver State can link up with more states, then liquidity will be something to get excited about.
2. The Season is playing a Role
With years of global poker data to call on, we can be fairly certain that the spring season is negatively affecting the MSPN’s overall traffic. After all, April is typically a bad month for online poker since many states are experiencing warmer weather and engaging in outdoor activities. We may never know the true impact of the states’ player pooling until the fall and winter roll around.
3. The Merger was Lightly Advertised
If there’s little hype surrounding the Delaware/Nevada merger, much of the blame can be placed on the casinos/online poker networks themselves. For example, a mailer sent from HarringtonGamingOnline to Delaware players speaks of the “dual poker network,” with little in the way of how this merger will impact games. The fourth and final paragraph merely mentions, “A bigger and better poker experience than ever before awaits!” This is a nice little ending line, however, it does nothing to explain exactly how much bigger and better.
The marginal traffic increase at the MSPN may improve over time and with a change in weather. But right now, Delaware and Nevada’s union is doing little to create much excitement in the US iGaming market.