Party, Borgata Up to 50% Market Share in New Jersey
Although the “soft launch” of New Jersey‘s regulated online gaming industry began on November 21, it was not until November 26 that the virtual doors were flung wide open to the public. It was a day that had been eagerly anticipated for the better part of a year. With almost 9 million residents, New Jersey is one of the largest states by population in the US, one which most feel could support an online poker ecosystem on its own.
Now, a week into the New Jersey online poker era, the results have been positive. According to the tracking site PokerScoutand its weekly Scouting Report, cash game traffic in New Jersey has already overtaken that of Nevada.
There are currently four poker sites up and running in New Jersey compared to two in Nevada. The seven-day average figures for cash game traffic on PokerScout show New Jersey with 348 players and Nevada with 195.
Two of the New Jersey sites – the Party/BorgataNetwork and WSOP.com – have dominated the East Coast landscape thus far, comprising almost the state’s entire market share. The Party/Borgata Network, which consists of PartyPoker and Borgata Poker, owns almost 50% of the state’s traffic right now, averaging 170 cash game players over the last seven days. WSOP.com, a site created by Caesars Interactive Entertainment and 888 Holdings, has averaged 130 cash game players over the last week.
888 Poker, currently the sole member of the All American Poker Network, is fielding 28 cash game players on average over the past week, while Ultimate Poker, the first legal and regulated online poker site to launch in Nevada, has an average of 20 cash game players.
It is still very early, but the signs of internet poker growth in New Jersey are positive to this point. Rather than a big pop at launch and then a decline, traffic has increased gradually during the first week. For example, on November 26, the Party/Borgata Network saw 295 players at its peak. This number has increased every day except November 29 and, as of Monday, sat at 501. Traffic for the network is pictured.
WSOP.com has been more up and down, but its peak numbers are higher now than on launch day. Average traffic on both sites has followed a similar pattern, although WSOP.com’s average traffic graph as shown in PokerScout’s weekly Scouting Report is smoother than its peak traffic graph.
Visit PocketFives’ New Jersey poker community for the latest from players in the Garden State.
PokerScout’s Scouting Report is a daily newsletter for the online poker industry, with in-depth data and analysis of the market. More information can be found by clicking here or contacting support@pokerscout.com.
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