Starting on January 1, online poker players in New Jersey and Michigan will be able to compete against each other, as the gambling industry and regulators work to expand interstate play.
PokerStars will merge the player pools of the two states in an effort to increase prize pools and promote growth in the industry.
The U.S. managing director of PokerStars, Severin Rasset, stated that this move will provide a better experience for players and more opportunities for them to win bigger prizes.
Rasset also mentioned that PokerStars has been working closely with regulators in both states and hopes that other states will adopt similar agreements. BetMGM and PokerStars, which operate in both New Jersey and Michigan, stand to benefit from this development.
In 2018, New Jersey entered into an interstate compact via the MSIGA with Nevada and Delaware for online poker through Caesars Interactive Entertainment.
According to the latest USA poker statistics, there are 60 million online poker players in the USA.