DraftKings “Electric Poker” Launches in Michigan

DraftKings, one of our best real-money online casinos and best sports betting sites, has added a real-money peer-to-peer online poker game — “Electric Poker” — to its menu of iGaming products in the Michigan market. 

DraftKings is the first major American-based gaming company in almost 10 years to launch a proprietary online poker option with Electric Poker. It's part of an online poker market in the Wolverine State that has been legal since 2019. It brings the first-ever three-handed poker gaming option to a Michigan market full of Michigan online casino bonuses.

The Wolverine State becomes the sixth state to welcome online poker opportunities to its citizens.

Drafting's new online poker product will be integrated into a multi-state internet gaming agreement (MSIGA), which allows tournaments to be set up across state lines. When Electric Poker is launched in those jurisdictions, players from Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia will now be able to add Michigan poker players to their games, growing player pools and winning pots for those using the poker platform.

Electric Poker is expected to immediately provide stiff online competition to PokerStars, BetMGM Poker, and the World Series of Poker (WSOP) as mobile poker sites compete for market share in Michigan.

What is Electric Poker?

Electric Poker is a three-handed Sit & Go game created for DraftKings online casinos. It is a peer-to-peer option rather than the traditional mobile casino-style gaming in which users play against the House. It brings a quick-paced, no-limit Hold’em poker option to DraftKings casino.

Electric poker is a lottery-style game with variable prize pools that are randomly determined at the beginning of each tournament. Its random number generator features a jackpot reel that sets up the overall prize pool for each game.

Buy-in levels are $1, $5, $10 and $25. Prize pools can range from 2X to as high as 10,000X players’ origins buy-in based on what the number generator says.

It ensures a rapid betting format, in which hands, games, and tournaments are conducted quickly, sometimes in a matter of minutes. Blinds will increase every two minutes until “Electric Mode” goes into effect. Electric Mode forces players to go all-in on every hand.

What makes the DraftKings Electric Poker option somewhat unique is that it is embedded inside the company's extensive DraftKinks Michigan sports betting app. A separate download is not necessary.

Expansion imminent?

DraftKings' announcement of Electric Poker's launch in Michigan did not mention any further expansion into other markets in America. That doesn’t mean the product is not on the radar for other jurisdictions.

DraftKings's fantasy gaming platform is available in 44 states, online sports betting is available in 25 states and the DC sports betting market, and its online casino is available in five states.

The Michigan market was chosen as it is one of the top iGaming markets in the country. July was an excellent month for DraftKings in the Wolverine State online casino market, with revenues of $37 million as people flocked to use DraftKings casino promo codes. 

Michigan providers reported $191.4 million in online casino revenues in July, its fourth-best month ever.