GGPoker Receives License in Pennsylvania as Supplier

GGPoker is easily one of the top international online poker sites. However, it’s had difficulty gaining a foothold in the budding US online poker market.

This situation has changed to some degree, though, with GG recently receiving licensing in Pennsylvania. The only catch is that the license is for supplying poker products—not actually running a fully branded GGPoker site.

What Does the “Supplier” Designation Mean?

While GGPoker has been approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), they don’t have a fully functioning license. Again, they’ll be acting as a supplier instead of providing their own PA poker site.

The supplier destination means that GGPoker can consult, offer technical assistance, and help another party launch an online poker room. For example, they can help a Pennsylvania land-based casino develop a poker site. GG just can’t be in charge of actually running the poker room once it’s ready.

Plenty of Competition

GGPoker will see some familiar competitors now that they’re officially licensed in the US market. PokerStars is the first operator to launch and take advantage of the PA market. They’ll likely remain the leader in the Quaker State into the foreseeable future.

888poker, WSOP, BetMGM, and partypoker are all licensed in this state. None, however, are close to launching their sites. Once they do go live, though, the competition will heat up.

What Does the PA Online Poker Market have to Offer?

Online poker isn’t exactly booming in the US right now. Most states haven’t regulated the activity, meaning there isn’t a large enough interstate player pool.

Pennsylvania has yet to link up with any other states. It’s currently a standalone market that’s only generating around $3 million in poker revenue per month. Compare this to sports betting and online casinos, which each generate hundreds of millions of dollars.

PokerStars did make $35 million throughout 2020 in PA. They show that there’s some potential for this market—especially if Pennsylvania joins an interstate pool.

Will GGPoker Generate Demand?

Given the nature of its licensing agreement, GGpoker can’t just launch a legal online poker room. Instead, it can only help out a partner.

That said, GG must attract an operator that needs assistance in launching. They shouldn’t have too much trouble doing exactly this, though.

GGPoker mainly focuses on online poker, which is a rarity in today’s gambling industry. According to PokerScout’s rankings, they operate the world’s third-largest poker site by traffic.

GG stands out from the crowd thanks to their promotions, large tournaments, and cash games. They know how to run an internet poker room successfully and would bring a lot to the table.

Will GGPoker Ever Get a Regular US Online Poker License?

While the supplier license is nice, GG likely has their eyes set on a standalone license. This way, they can launch a fully branded poker room like PokerStars and truly use their expertise.

Several other states besides PA currently have legal iPoker markets, including Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada.

Delaware allows 888 and its three racinos to have a monopoly over online gaming. Meanwhile, Nevada only offers one successful online poker operator in 888.

Therefore, Michigan and New Jersey are the two most-logical places where GGPoker could seek additional licensing. Both states are somewhat liberal with their licenses and might considering approving GG.