For some time now, GGPoker has been at the very top of the international online poker industry, and the sheer size of its player pool has made most other operators fade in comparison.
Yet, despite its incredible success, GGPoker has not taken an active role in any of the legal US markets up until this point. That all could change soon, as GGPoker Global Managing Director Sarne Lightman revealed for Poker Industry PRO.
In an exclusive interview, Lightman revealed that GGPoker is now taking a serious approach to US markets entry and that the operator plans to take a very active role in future development of US poker markets.
Currently, GGPoker already operates in North America through its GGPoker Ontario platform, while its parent company NSUS Labs has manufacturer licenses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan, which makes it possible for regulated operators to use its software.
Yet, GGPoker has not yet taken any public steps towards securing a gaming license in any of these markets, which could change rather soon.
GGPoker Continues Global Expansion
Over the last couple of years, GGPoker has made tremendous strides in growing online poker on a global level, both with its international presence and that in many regulated markets of the world.
Among other jurisdictions, GGPoker now holds gaming licenses in Ontario, Germany, Belgium, UK, Netherlands, and Romania, making it one of the most widespread online poker sites in the world.
For years, the operator has been working on growing the game of poker on a global level, with Lightman claiming the other operators don’t have what it takes to take poker to the next level.
“Unfortunately, with the current operators in the market, we don’t believe anything will likely change in the US, so we know we need to step in and take an active leadership role in the market to help guide its future,” said Lightman.
Should GGPoker enter the US markets, it would likely look to take full advantage of the MSIGA and quickly merge the traffic across states like Michigan, New Jersey, and hopefully Pennsylvania in order to bring exciting concepts such as mystery bounty poker on a scale unseen in the legal US poker history.
Expect News from GGPoker Soon
Speaking about the future of GGPoker, Lightman stated that the operator will be looking at future expansion, including various US markets.
“As you know, the US is the biggest poker market in the world, but due to the current legal landscape we are taking a long-term and careful approach,” Lightman said in his interview. “While we are less obviously active in the US as we are in other markets, we are certainly working on it and you can expect us to share some news on this front soon.”
Clearly, GGPoker has not rushed into the US markets due to their ring-fenced nature, which prohibits large-scale games and tournaments the kind of which the operator is famous for worldwide.
Yet, as more states legalize online poker and allow for traffic merging through MSIGA, the US market will continue to grow in its appeal to big operators like GGPoker.
Should GGPoker finally launch in the US over the next couple of years, it is likely the operator would quickly enter the battle for number one spot in each state, as its international popularity, qualify of its software, and the ability to attract players through various promotions almost guarantee its success in the highly competitive US markets.
