The World Series of Poker may have ended but its real-money online platform, which operates through a shared liquidity network spanning both New Jersey and Nevada, is still reaping benefits of the triumphant live series.
The shared WSOP US Network is currently clocking 472 concurrent cash seats, based on the seven-day moving average, tracked by GameIntel and available exclusively on the Poker Industry PRO platform.
Although the exact contribution from Nevada players remains unknown, it is estimated that roughly half of the traffic can be attributed to them. During the live series, the WSOP NV network witnessed significant growth due to a massive influx of players participating in the live events.
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During the same period last year, the network reported approximately 300 seats and reached a peak of 305 right after the conclusion of the WSOP 2022 series. So it marks an increase of more than 60% in cash game traffic year-over-year.
As the 2023 WSOP got underway in late May, traffic increased from around 200 cash game seats to double that figure in the first week of July. The boost in traffic coincided with the US Independence Day holiday period and the WSOP Main Event opening week.
At its peak, traffic hit an all-time high of 506 concurrent cash seats on July 14 before settling back down below 500. Although the surge was anticipated to subside and things would return to normal, the network has defied expectations by maintaining the heightened levels achieved during the live series. This unexpected outcome suggests that the network has effectively retained the customers it attracted during the series.
This is only the second time in the network’s history that it has surpassed the 500-player mark. The previous record was set during the height of the Covid-induced online poker boom in 2020 when the network reported 501 seats in a single day. It shows the power of both the WSOP brand and the efforts made to promote its online poker room alongside the live events seems to have paid off.
Although the live series takes place in Nevada, not New Jersey, the WSOP sites benefit from a shared liquidity arrangement between the two states (in addition to sharing its player pool with three 888-powered racinos in Delaware). This interconnectedness means that increased activity in one state positively impacts the other, and the online bracelet events also played a crucial role in driving more traffic to the network.
The online bracelet series proved to be exceptionally successful, generating over $20 million in total across 20 bracelet events on WSOP NJ & WSOP NV. The average prize pool per event exceeded $1 million, making it one of the most successful online bracelet series to date.
WSOP Moves to First Place from Bottom in NJ
The impact of the WSOP live series propelled the network to the top spot in cash game traffic and revenues generated.
In New Jersey, WSOP, operating under the Caesars license, reclaimed its position at the top of the online poker revenues chart after six months of trailing behind PokerStars’ shared liquidity network in the US.
It marks the first time that PokerStars has been surpassed in New Jersey since the launch of its shared liquidity network, encompassing its MI & NJ platforms, in January 2023.
June revenue figures show that WSOP reported $919k in revenue, a notable 41% increase from the previous month, though down 4% compared to the same month the previous year.
Meanwhile, PokerStars NJ reported $846k in revenue, maintaining steady growth for the sixth consecutive month. BetMGM and its sister skins, with $783k in revenue, occupied the last position, but their year-over-year growth of 23% was the best they had achieved in nearly two years.
The three networks in the NJ online poker market generated $2.55 million in revenue, marking just the fourth time in the last 24 months that the market has exceeded $2.5 million in revenue.
It is expected that WSOP will maintain its lead in July, but the crown may shift back to PokerStars from August as the impact of the WSOP live series gradually diminishes. The impressive performance of WSOP’s shared liquidity network underscores the brand’s strength and the appeal of its online poker offerings, which bode well for its future in the competitive online poker market.
