The slow march to Ontario’s April 4 shift to regulated online gaming is over, and options abound for the savvy Canada online poker player. This is particularly true in the online poker space, where several respected names are prepared to offer their platforms when geographical ring-fencing goes into effect.
BetMGM Poker was among the first ones live though and is one of the most compelling names in the market. The platform announced its arrival on Wednesday, two days after Ontario’s launch.
With a wide variety of stakes and games, BetMGM has everything a discerning online poker player can want. If the Michigan experience holds true for Ontario players, you can expect games from as low as 5c/10c if you’re a beginner all the way up to $10/$20 if you’re a high-stakes player. The higher stakes games may depend upon liquidity as more players join the site over time.
BetMGM Poker will offer huge range of tournaments
It’s also likely that the typical wide range of BetMGM Poker tournaments will be featured as well. Using Michigan as a comparison, the weekly schedule of events includes six tournaments with guaranteed prize pools over $10,000. That includes two with buy-ins as low as $50.
The platform is an experienced presence in Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in the United States. While BetMGM has been around in NJ and PA for some time now, they were a recent addition in Michigan when it began to offer regulated games in early 2021.
So, BetMGM Michigan has had some time to become an established presence with a year’s worth of experience. It took a while to get to this point.
Ontario’s version of the platform will likely take some time to get on its feet as well. But that can benefit players looking out for favourable situations in the first few weeks.
Keep an eye out for tournaments that don’t hit their guarantee, providing Ontario online poker players with potentially massive overlays.
BetMGM Poker a proven brand for Ontario players
BetMGM Poker’s software is solid and intuitive enough to allow experienced grinders to play multiple tables at the same time. Plus, they have rewards that make it worth the effort.
Whether you want to convert your rewards into casino play, poker bonuses for your bankroll, cash or comps at MGM properties, all options are on the table. In addition, your rewards on BetMGM can elevate your BetMGM Rewards status, making your trips to Las Vegas (or other MGM regions) that much more enjoyable.
The change from a globally accessible online gaming region to a geographically ring-fenced region is a daunting one for Ontario’s gamblers. But BetMGM’s entry into the market could make it a beneficial one for players looking for added value and opportunity at the tables.
Some other poker operators still operating on grey market
BetMGM Poker was joined at launch on the regulated market only by 888Poker.
PokerStars and WSOP, some other of BetMGM’s expected rivals on the poker scene, are still temporarily serving Ontario players on the unregulated side.
The operators have applied for registration with the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, meaning they can operate in the grey market for now.
That could be a while too. We’ll keep you posted at PlayCanada.
