In a recently released research note on the US online gaming industry, financial services giant Morgan Stanley has forecast that California will legalise intrastate online poker in 2015, with the market expected to go live in 2016.
The note also estimates that the US i-gaming industry will be worth $1.7bn in 2017 “with seven states live” and as much as $5.3bn a year by 2020, when it is estimated 20 states will have regulated real-money online gaming.
Morgan Stanley recommends 888 for those “wanting exposure” in fledgling US markets and confirms PokerStars has been included as an accepted entrant into the New Jersey market, a move it says will accelerate growth.
The note suggests only California will legalise any form of i-gaming in 2015, with the states of Illinois, New York and Pennsylvania likely to follow suit in 2016. Longer term predictions include regulated real-money markets in Massachusetts, Iowa and Colorado.
