The online poker market is slowly growing, but only a handful of poker operators are currently available to players in the states where online poker is legal, such as Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
The likes of WSOP.com, PokerStars, and BetMGM Poker remain the only real options in those markets, but one new player could end up competing with them in the future, and that is WPT Global.
The relatively new online poker site, which was first launched in 2022, has been spreading its influence over the international online poker market, and now has its eyes set on the US as well.
The Pokerfuse Podcast hosted Alex Scott, President of WPT Global, and asked him all sorts of questions including the potential for the operator to join the US markets in the future.
Alex Scott Teases WPT Global Interest in the US
WPT Global President Alex Scott joined Nick and Mike of pokerfuse and talked about a host of topics related to the exciting new online poker operator that’s been doing a lot of things right and getting plenty of players all over the world excited about online poker once again.
Among other things, Scott talked in detail about ecology management, player rewards, and other ways in which the operator seeks to create an environment in which different types of poker players can all feel appreciated and accepted.
Scott was also asked about WPT Global’s plans for new markets such as the UK and the US, and he explained that while the operator definitely seeks to join those markets, there are a lot of obstacles in that process.
The US markets are notoriously difficult to get licensed in, as they require more documentation and due diligence than most other markets anywhere in the world.
Scott said: “The US is a little bit different because the US is the home of poker. There is no market like the US when it comes to poker. People grow up playing it. It’s really part of the national culture. Really, if you want to maximize the value of anything poker, the US has to play a part in that.”
Yet, he also expressed some disappointment with how slow the regulation processes in the US have been, saying: “Almost the entire time I’ve been in this industry, we’ve been waiting for positive regulation of online poker in the US and it’s just not arrived.”
While the US lawmakers have been slow to grow online poker, there are some good things on the horizon, and further expansion of MSIGA is one of the biggest, along with potential regulation of online poker in new US markets.
When Could WPT Global Join the US Market?
World Poker Tour (WPT) is a massive brand for all US poker player, and the arrival of WPT Global to the US, where they could qualify for WPT event online, would be great news.
However, according to Scott’s own admission, the operator is still probably at least a year away from joining the UK market, and probably even more than that when it comes to the US.
What is most likely is that WPT Global will wait some time before looking to get licensed in the various US markets, at least until the MSIGA includes more states and allows for a creation of more meaningful inter-state player pools.
Yet, the arrival of WPT Global and other big poker brands to the US is likely only a matter of time, as wheels are now in motion that could eventually lead to the vast majority of Americans once again having a chance to play online poker with their peers across the country without many restrictions.
