Phil Galfond is mainly known as a professional Poker player. But he is also the owner and driving force behind the site Run It Once Poker (RIO.) It was his insight, combined with a professional team of software developers, that made the popular site the phenomenon that it is today. However, it seems that RIO in its entirety being passed on to Rush Street Interactive (RSI.) Galfond took to Twitter to make the announcement, declaring that the acquisition is part of a bigger plan to enter the United States iGaming market.
Interestingly enough, it isn’t just the Run It Once Poker site and its software that was purchased. It seems that Galfond and his entire team were part of the deal, meaning that everything about RIO will remain exactly as it is. Except, of course, that it will be fully integrated into the RSI platform. It seems as if Galfond is still 100% dedicated to the venture, even if it means being pulled under the umbrella of a much larger corporation.
Late Announcement
On the other end side of the equation, RSI was more subdued about announcing the purchase. The company used its financial report to confirm the deal, declaring that the Poker site had been purchased, and that the software team had already been onboarded.
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Interestingly enough, this means that the purchase actually occurred towards the end of 2021. It isn’t clear why either company took so to acknowledge the purchase publicly, but either way this is big news for RSI. The corporation already has a major presence in the US, but with this acquisition now officially has a bigger slice of the pie than ever.
Moving To America
In the US, players will be familiar with PlaySugarHouse.com and BetRivers.com, brands owned by RSI. A vast selection of gambling software is offered via these sites, including slots, sports betting, and more. Something that is notably missing from the existing brands is a solid Poker playing platform. Thus, it starts to make much more sense why Galfond’s popular platform was snatched up.
As far as where Run It Once Poker will be launched in the US is concerned, it isn’t clear at this time. But, according to poker.org, chances are high that Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania will be the primary targets. This given how popular Poker is in these areas.
How well Galfond’s platform will do in the States remains to be seen, but it certainly is a big step forward into a massive new iGaming market.
