While players in Pennsylvania await for online poker to go live in the state, Hollywood Casino who was the first to launch an online casino in the Keystone State on July 15, has stated that it plans to launch an online poker product by the end of this year.
In a response to a player’s query ahead of the July 15 launch, the casino did admit that online poker “will not be initially available” but also said it is “hoping to have poker integrated by the end of 2019.”
Hollywood Casino, run by Penn National Gaming, is among one of seven PA casino license holders that have been approved for an online gambling license in all three of the categories of interactive games—slots, table games, and online poker.
Other live poker rooms at PA casinos Rivers Casino. Rivers has the advantage of boasting the only large poker room in western PA. And while the 30-table room has yet to fully realize its potential, the inclusion of the Pittsburgh Poker Open should solidify its place among Pennsylvania’s poker heavyweights. For now, Rivers is the best of the rest. Hollywood Casino features over 2,377 reel, video slot and video poker machines ranging from one penny to $100, with all the hottest games currently available. And with over 50 table games and 17 poker tables, Hollywood Casino has a game for everyone. Play with your mychoice® card and earn tier points and mycash® to be redeemed throughout the casino. Hollywood Casino's Live Poker Room is the only one of its kind in the Hershey and Harrisburg area! Bring your poker face and get ready for all of the excitement a live tournament brings!
The casino applied for an interactive gaming license back in July 2018 for a discounted fee of $10 million. Two months later, the casino got the green light from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer online gambling within the state.
What Online Poker Software will Hollywood Use?
Shortly after receiving PGCB approval, Penn National struck a five-year deal with IGT, a major online and land-based gaming supplier. IGT offers a full portfolio of internet-based gambling products including slots, bingo, online casino games as well as online poker.
In 2016, IGT overhauled its online poker platform which has been under development since 2012, perhaps in prepration for the burgeoning US online gambling market. IGT currently powers three different online poker networks: Sweden’s online gaming provider, Svenska Spel; Lottomatica in Italy; and the Canadian Poker Network.
It is expected that Hollywood Casino’s online poker offering will also utilize the IGT online poker platform. It rolled out its online casino in Pennsylvania on July 15 through its association with IGT and NetEnt.
However, in a major development that took place on July 31, Hollywood Casino owner, Penn National Gaming inked a multi-year agreement with four leading online gaming operators including The Stars Group.
As per the agreement, Penn’s partners “will have the option to own, operate, and brand real-money online sports betting, poker, and casino offerings in each of the states” where the casino operates and where such activities are legal.
The agreement with TSG allows market access to nine US states but not Pennsylvania. Therefore, it is expected that Hollywood Casino’s online poker product will compete against PokerStars in the Keystone State.
What Other Online Poker Operators can be Expected in Pennsylvania?
Besides Hollywood Casino, PokerStars has shown the most interest in launching online poker in Pennsylvania.
PokerStars was approved by the PGCB in late November 2018 after sealing its partnership with Mount Airy Casino and is expected to be one of the first online poker rooms to launch its poker operations in the state.
“We’re working with our partners and the authorities to finalize plans and bring our leading brands to PA’s players as soon as possible,” a representative of The Stars Group told pokerfuse ahead of July 15. “There’s a lot to look forward to, so rest assured we’ll be in touch with more details as soon as they’re available.”
Another major online poker platform, partypoker, may also appear in Pennsylvania, but as of now, its status is unclear. From a review of PGCB official documents, partypoker’s parent company GVC Holdings has applied for interactive gaming, but it still awaits approval from the regulator as of today.
But that hasn’t stopped the company from responding to user’s query on Pennsylvania. Like PokerStars, partypoker “doesn’t have an exact date yet.”
@beav1982 Hi, unfortunately we don’t have an exact date yet— partypoker (@partypoker) July 20, 2019
888 on the other hand, which already has a presence in three US states, surprisingly has not shown much keenness to enter the Pennsylvania market.
“We continue to monitor the developments in Pennsylvania however our focus remains with New Jersey and other markets in which we operate at this time,” said 888 representative in response to our query on the Pennsylvania market.
However, both partypoker and 888 could appear in Pennsylvania as B2B providers that power other brands.
MGM in conjunction with Borgata, it’s New Jersey casino property, are likely to offer online poker in the state under the Qualified Gaming Entities provision and utilize the partypoker software.
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WSOP.com is also expected to have a presence in Pennsylvania and to utilize the 888 software as it already does in New Jersey and Nevada as part of the All American Poker Network.
Parx and SugarHouse Casino also have plans to offer online poker, but so far, no further details have been released.
But Why is Online Poker Not Offered in Pennsylvania Yet?
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It seems that the state regulators have given first preference to online slots and table games, presumably because they generate more tax revenue and are less complicated to regulate and test than online poker, which is a multi-player game where players compete against each other, unlike table games and slots which are played against the house.
Pokerfuse reached out to the PGCB and asked if we are likely to see online poker in Pennsylvania in July or if the timeline is longer for the first online poker rooms to go live in the state. PGCB Communications Director Doug Harbach commented, “we cannot predict a timeline on that right now.”
Furthermore, Harbach told pokerfuse, “poker will be rolled out when operators are prepared to do so.”
Table Of Contents
- Pennsylvania is the fourth state in the United States to legalize online Gambling
- Online Gambling in PA is regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), a public body created in 2004
- The overall PA Casino Gaming Revenue hit an all-time high in 20181
In 2019, the state of Pennsylvania (PA) became the fourth in the United States to legalize online Casinos and online Poker games and to offer legal Internet gambling games to US players.
On this page, you find everything there is to know about online Casinos in Pennsylvania.
From the operators who obtained the license to offer real-money gambling in PA to the companies that run their software and those who operate brick-and-mortar Casinos - everything is right here.
Do keep in mind that the process of establishing a proper legalised online gambling market in PA has just started.
Most gambling operators have yet to launch their PA online Casino platforms or to apply for a Pennsylvania online gambling license.
We update this page weekly to give you all the latest online gambling news and information about online Casinos in Pennsylvania.
Whether you are looking to play the first real money online Casino games in PA or you are simply interested in industry news about the development of the fourth legalised gambling market within the US, bookmark this page to make sure you don't miss any of the latest updates.
PA Online Casinos: 2019 List
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Play NowAs of February 2019, at least seven online Casinos said to be ready to launch real-money gambling games in Pennsylvania within the second quarter of the year.
In the table below, you find all details about the projected launch dates for all the PA online Casinos that are expected to go live before June 2019 and offer casino and poker games to Pennsylvania residents and more.
PA Casino Site | Online Partner | Launch Dates | PGCB Application |
---|---|---|---|
Harrahs Philadelphia | 888 | Mid-2019 | Approved |
Hollywood Casino (Penn National) | IGT | Mid-2019 | Approved |
Mount Airy | 888, PokerStars | Mid-2019 | Approved |
Parx Casino | GAN | Mid-2019 | Approved |
Sugarhouse Casino | Rush Interactive, Kambi | Mid-2019 | Approved |
Valley Forge | IGT, GAN | Mid-2019 | Approved |
Presque Isle Downs | Golden Nugget | Mid-2019 | Approved |
![Hollywood casino poker calendar Hollywood casino poker calendar](/uploads/1/2/5/2/125273550/504136546.jpg)
In addition to the seven operators above, there's also a number of other online Casinos that have secured a conditional approval by the PGCB to operate in the upcoming PA regulated online gambling market. These are:
PA Casino | Online Partner | Launch | PGCB Application |
---|---|---|---|
Sands Bethlehem | Unknown | Unknown | Approved |
Stadium Park Philly Live! Casino | GAN | Unknown | Approved |
Mohegan Sun Pocono | Kindred (Unibet) | Unknown | Approved |
MGM Resorts | bwin.party | Unknown | Approved |
Golden Nugget NJ | NYX | Unknown | Approved |
What Games are Legal on PA Online Gambling Sites?
Before you open your first account to play at online gambling sites in PA, let's have a look at what is going to be available to Pennsylvania residents.
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Play NowIn October 2017, the PA Senate approved a bill (H 271) that opened the state's doors to games that used to be legal before the post-UIGEA nation-wide gambling shutdown.
Once PA Governor Tom Wolf signed the bill into law, online Poker, online Casino games, sports betting, and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) became (theoretically) possible in Pennsylvania.
Further discussions and clarifications about the taxes on online Casino winnings in PA and the games that will really be allowed on PA Casino platforms generated this list of the gambling games that are officially allowed in Pennsylvania.
- Online Table Games
- Online Slots Games
- Online Poker
- Sports Betting
- Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)
- Video Gaming Terminals
- Tablet Gaming (but only within specific authorised areas)
How the PA Gambling Licensing System Works
As it's often the case when it comes to online gambling, the legislator created a strict and rigorous system to issue licenses to operate in PA and offer gambling games to PA players.
Following the approval of the H 271 bill, there are now three distinct gambling licenses in the state of Pennsylvania.
Each license needs a separate application and allows operators to offer different games. The three PA gambling licenses cover the following areas:
- Online Slots games
- Online Poker (and other P2P online games)
- House-banked games
The three PA gambling licenses have to be purchased separately for $4m each.
The PGCB, however, allowed PA Casino operators to purchase a bundle that includes all three licenses for a fixed fee of $10 million.
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Note: This offer is no longer available as it was limited to the first 90 after the licensing process opened.
Out of the 13 Casinos that met the requirements set to apply for a PA gaming license, the following eight ponied up $10m each to secure all three licenses:
- Parx
- Stadium Casino
- Mount Airy
- Sands Bethlehem
- Hollywood Casino
- Valley Forge
- Harrah’s Philadelphia
- Sugarhouse Casino
The Presque Isle and the Mohegan Sun Pocono decided to enter the market securing only a license for Slots and table games.
All the licenses / permits to offer real-money gambling games in PA are valid for five years.
Who Will Offer Online Gambling in Pennsylvania?
Applicants for a license to launch a PA online Casino or to offer online Poker games in Pennsylvania need to be already land-based Casino licensees.
As some of the brick-and-mortar operators currently in PA decided not to enter the PA online gambling market, the PGCB chose to allow some 'Qualified Gaming Entities' to enter the application process.
As it happened during the online gambling expansion in New Jersey, many international online operators decided to ink partnership deals with PA Casinos to operate the online side of their business.
Read also: PokerStars Reaches an Agreement with Mount Airy Casino Resort to Enter PA Gambling Market Gumtree south africa kzn.
How Many PA Online Casinos There Will Be in 2019?
Despite the cap set by the PGCB on the number of licenses to offer online Gambling games in Pennsylvania, the number of PA online Casinos that will be live in 2019 remains unclear.
Right now, there are 39 licenses up for grabs. The licenses are split as follows.
- 13 licenses to offer Casino table games
- 13 licenses to offer online Slots
- 13 licenses to offer online Poker games
What is unclear, however, is how many sites the license holders will operate.
Following the NJ experience, it's reasonable to expect most license holders to launch more than one single website - resulting in a number of PA online Casino far larger than the number of licenses available today.
Who Can Play on PA Casinos?
Like it happened in New Jersey, any individual who is at least 21yo can play on PA Casinos.
Online gambling in Pennsylvania is not limited to PA citizens.
Anyone in Pennsylvania will be able to play real money games on licensed PA online Casino sites.
Will PA Be a Ring-Fenced Market or Will It Share Liquidity with Others?
As of February 2019, we are waiting to receive more information about this point.
However, many believe that PA will share liquidity with the states of New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware (to be confirmed).
PA Online Casino Bonus Offers
As we wait for the first gambling options to become available to Pennsylvania residents and other individuals in the state, we also wait to know what type of bonuses PA online gambling sites will offer at the launch.
Looking at what happened when Casino and Poker landed on NJ online Casino gambling sites, we tend to think that most of PA online gambling sites will publish promo codes to claim no deposit bonuses for video poker, Slot machine and live dealer games.
NJ Online Casino sites made a significant use of no deposit Casino bonus offers and promo codes to sign up players - oftentimes connecting online bonuses to other perks that could be collected at their brick-and-mortar establishments.
Once the legal online gambling market will start to peak up in PA, we expect to see a significant number of promotions that will combine playing at Pennsylvania online casinos and at land-based ones.
To make sure you don't miss any of the upcoming PA Casino bonus codes, follow all the related gambling news here on PokerNews.com.
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