DraftKings has expanded its Electric Poker game to Pennsylvania, two months after the product first launched in Michigan. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

DraftKings expands poker

DraftKings has expanded its player-vs-player poker offering to Pennsylvania, two months after its initial test launch.

Electric Poker, a real money, player-vs-player game, first appeared in the DraftKings app for users in Michigan in August, causing speculation that the company would gauge the reaction before potentially expanding to other states.

That has now proven to be the case, as Pennsylvania residents can now access the game from the app after a successful trial.

we are thrilled to expand our Electric Poker offerings to our customers in Pennsylvania”

“After positive feedback from our players in Michigan, we are thrilled to expand our Electric Poker offerings to our customers in Pennsylvania, delivering them a best-in-class online poker experience,” said Jason March, Vice President of iGaming Marketing and Operations at DraftKings.

Electric Three

Electric Poker is DraftKings’ take on the popular Jackpot Sit & Go format, which has now proliferated to become one of the most popular forms of online poker. Three players play at a table where the prize is randomized, with the potential to hit major jackpots of thousands of times the buy-in.

The game offers four buy-in levels from $1 to $25, and has jackpots of up to 10,000x the buy-in.

The action tends to be fast-paced with short blind structures, although the levels last longer if higher prizes are spun. In DraftKings’ version, players are also forced all-in after a certain period of time has elapsed. The game offers four buy-in levels from $1 to $25 and has jackpots of up to 10,000x the buy-in.

In order to play, players will need to have the latest version of the DraftKings sportsbook or casino app, be registered in Pennsylvania, and also be physically present in the state when joining a game.

Pennsylvania pooling

One of the advantages of the Jackpot Sit & Go format is that it can function even with low liquidity – only three players are needed to get a game going.

Despite the format working well with smaller player pools, DraftKings’ timing on joining the online poker market in Pennsylvania is nonetheless interesting with the state now set to pool its online poker rooms with others around the US.

Michigan has recently overtaken Pennsylvania as having the largest market share of online poker, which is likely because of its membership of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA). Under the agreement, Michigan can pool its players with others in states like New Jersey and Nevada.

Now, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro has told lawmakers to lay the groundwork for the state to also join the group. Pennsylvania would be the largest state in the agreement, and the move would likely return it to the number one spot for online poker market share.