It looks as if 2024 will finally be the year Rush Street Interactive (RSI) joins the online poker scene. Nothing is confirmed at this point, but it looks like RSI is targeting two states for launch, and work behind the scenes is taking place.
This was all made possible due to a March 2022 purchase of Run it Once Poker by RSI, a move many thought would get them into the industry immediately. Initial projections had RSI launching online poker at the end of 2023 or in early 2024 at the latest.
RSI announces no specific launch date, but it would make sense to happen over the summer. Once this new app launches, it is expected to be called BetRivers Poker, although that hasn’t been confirmed either.
Using the BetRivers name should allow RSI to have a grand entrance into a crowded industry, but it is one that other companies dominate. BetMGM Poker, PokerStars, and WSOP are the biggest names in the industry, and BetRivers will not be able to compete immediately.
The BetRivers Casino is currently live in five states, and the BetRivers Sportsbook is live in 15 states. While it’s not a leader in any of those markets, it has found a way to be competitive.
A Look at Run It Once
Run It Once Poker never became a household name, even though it became a unique project from Phil Galfond. He is a big name in the online poker scene, and he sold his project to Rush Street Interactive for $5.8 million.
Galfond has not given up on creating a unique online experience. He is still offering online poker training on a new version of the site. Many believe this new online poker site was initially going to be called “Run it Once Poker, Powered by BetRivers,” but that will no longer be the case.
Rush Street Interactive also made another big purchase in May 2022 when it bought Poker Night in America. That is a CBS Sports Network show, where there have been leaks about a potential BetRivers Poker site coming.
Possible Markets
Only a handful of states currently allow online poker, and Rush Street Interactive has access to some of those markets. When BetRivers Poker is ready to go live, it would make sense that Michigan and New Jersey would be the two markets to target.
The Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement should come into play when choosing markets, and both states are a part of this plan. If RSI decides to target these states, then that would allow the site to share the same pool of players.
These two states have done extremely well regarding iGaming and would be open to having more online poker sites. Pennsylvania would also be a target, but it’s not currently a part of the MSIGA.