A new online poker operator is heading to the United States.
Run It Once Poker was acquired by Rush Street Interactive recently, paving the way for the international brand to come to the US.
That could include Michigan, as BetRivers, which is already operating an online sportsbook and casino in Michigan, is the flagship brand of Rush Street Interactive.
Could Run It Once Poker come to Michigan?
Michigan currently has two online poker operators in PokerStars MI and BetMGM Poker Michigan. A third option has long been expected, and World Series of Poker was thought to take that spot.
That hasn’t happened, though. While it’s still expected to eventually, Run It Once Poker could now be in a race to jump into the Michigan online poker market first.
Alex Weldon wrote the chances of Run It Once Poker coming to Michigan were “very likely.”
“… BetRivers has Michigan online poker market access in place through its partnership with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. It has been offering online casino and sports betting there since the market opened.
“Michigan therefore seems like another obvious place for RIO to launch, and may even be a higher priority than New Jersey. That’s because WSOP hasn’t yet launched there, so if RIO could beat it out of the gates, it would only have two competitors to contend with at first.”
Gaining a foothold in a market first can be incredibly important. PokerStars was first to launch in Michigan and remains the bigger of the two currently operating. With the name recognition World Series of Poker has, Run It Once Poker could certainly benefit from a head start.
When will Run It Once Poker launch in the US?
Run It Once Poker was launched by poker professional Phil Galfond in 2019, and operated overseas until Jan. 3 of this year. It was shut down to focus on entering the regulated market in the US.
While Galfond announced the acquisition on Twitter Wednesday, no official launch date has been announced.
According to Online Poker Report, though, the deal with Rush Street Interactive should speed up the process.
“The product itself will still need testing and certification. However, RSI already has market access in most states where online poker is legal. That will save RIO some bureaucratic steps in terms of licensing, and also avoid the need to find its own land-based partners.”
