WSOP.ca Overtakes PokerStars To Become Top Online Poker Room in Ontario

Summary

• WSOP Ontario has climbed to the top spot less than a month after its launch
• The room recorded 335 concurrent cash game seats, compared to PokerStars Ontario’s 230
• WSOP Ontario’s aggressive marketing campaign worked well for the site

WSOP Ontario has taken less than a month after entering Canada’s largest province to grab the market lead from PokerStars.

The latest data on cash game traffic from GameIntel.com show WSOP Ontario at the top with 335 concurrent seats, while PokerStars Ontario has dropped to second place with 230. BetMGM and 888poker attracted 135 and 80 concurrent cash game players respectively.

WSOP Ontario Now the Biggest Online Poker Room in North America

Upon WSOP’s debut, the online poker market in Ontario has grown to 750 concurrent seats, more than double the number prior to its launch, effectively surpassing any regulated market in the US.

Based on cash game figures recorded over a seven day period, WSOP Ontario is attracting more cash game players than the WSOP/888 US network in the US which covers three states. As a result, WSOP Ontario has now become the largest online poker room not only in Ontario but the whole of North America.

Ontario is now home to a total of four online poker networks and six rooms (BetMGM runs on the same network as partypoker and bwin), but it is expected to attract more operators, given its huge and still growing market size. The Canadian province is bigger than any US state that has an active online poker market. It has a population of 14.6 million, slightly higher than Pennsylvania’s 12.8 million. Michigan has 10 million residents, while New Jersey has 9 million.

At the moment, the entire US regulated market, comprising at least four states, is only ahead of Ontario by just 150 seats.

Aggressive Marketing Strategy Works for WSOP Ontario

WSOP Ontario launched on September 30, with its rivals already in operation for five months. Despite its late entrance, the operator managed to obtain the biggest share of the market mainly because of its aggressive marketing campaign.

Just a day after going live, WSOP Ontario hosted its first online series, the Ontario Circuit Series which featured an ambitious $2.5 million guarantee, and a $250K GTD Main Event, so far the biggest tournament guarantee in the province. The festival had multiple overlays but that did not stop the site from running more major tournaments, including three online bracelet events.

WSOP’s partnership with GGPoker also contributed to the online poker room’s strong appeal among Canadians. It is currently powered by GGPoker’s world-class software, with the same features and functionalities as the global GGPoker site.