The U.S online poker market has benefited from the coronavirus lockdown and even post lockdown continues to do well. Latest figures show the industry has managed to keep the momentum, generating huge revenues, with New Jersey recording its second-biggest online poker month in July.
Second-Biggest Month for NJ Online Poker Market
The current boost in online poker traffic in the Garden State is mainly due to the fact that its live poker rooms have yet to reopen, though Gov. Phil Murphy already gave the green light for casinos to resume their operations. While land-based poker venues in other states have slowly begun accepting customers, in New Jersey players don’t have much choice but to go online to continue playing.
The surge in traffic began in mid-March during the start of the quarantine period, and the NJ market has continued to show strong numbers so far, with its July 2020 revenue sitting at $4.8 million, more than double the revenue generated on the same period in 2019.
Top 3 Sites for July
WSOP.com has remained the leader in the US online poker market, recording $2.8 million in revenue in July. The site played host to the US leg of the 2020 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online Bracelet Series which ran on July 1-31. The festival attracted large pools which contributed to the site’s massive revenue for the month. It also continues to benefit from a shared liquidity agreement between Nevada, Delaware, and New Jersey.
Fresh off from the success of the Online Bracelet Series, WSOP.com is continuing the action with the Summer Series, which features 85 events running until August 23. The festival is available to players in both New Jersey and Delaware.
Just behind WSOPs.com is PokerStars NJ, which managed to pull in $1.1 million in July. The online poker operator is the go-to place for players on the lookout for new tournaments. Its Bounty Builder Series in particular, has proved popular among players. Back in February, the series awarded over $25 million in total prize money across s180 Progressive Knockout events.
Over at partypoker, the numbers have also been positive so far, and while it currently ranks third in the US online poker market, its $845,000 reported revenue in July represents massive growth, almost doubling its July 2019 figures.
Positive Trend Set to Continue 
Online gaming in general has flourished in the US since the COVID-19 lockdown. Even when land-based casinos have already reopened their doors, players have continued to flock to online gaming sites both for fun and competition. The online casino industry generated $87.5 million in July, significantly higher than the $39.3 million it recorded in the same period last year, representing a year-over-year increase of 123%.
Meanwhile in Pennsylvania, numbers have been quite on the opposite for PokerStars. The online poker operator, which has an existing partnership with PA’s Mounty Airy Casino and is currently the only online poker site catering to PA players, generated $2.9 million in revenue in July, a slight decline from its June figures. While growth has slowed down, the latest numbers still represent a positive result for the online poker market in the state.
There have been speculations that PokerStars will finally face competition in the market when WSOP.com and partypoker finally begins operating in the Keystone State, however there has been no clear timeline yet on when both sites can begin serving local players. The matter was also not part of the agenda during the August meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Live poker rooms in the state also remain closed, though casinos have continued operating.
Over in Delaware, online poker recorded a slight increase in revenue for July, generating $62,603 throughout the month, 10% up from the previous month. Like New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the live poker scene has remained empty in Delaware, with only casinos being allowed to reopen.
It remains uncertain as to when live poker can finally get back on track in these states and this will continue to boost online poker revenues.