- Pennsylvania Online Casino Launch Date Online
- Pennsylvania Online Casino Launch Date 2020
- Pennsylvania Online Casino Launch Dates
Launch Date In the first month of 2020, FanDuel Casino, BetAmerica, and BetRivers Casino launched just before the Super Bowl. The long-awaited Caesars Online. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Wednesday gave the nod to DraftKings to begin a two-day soft launch process for its casino product in the state. The company scheduled the soft launch to take place between 2-10 pm local time on Wednesday and between 1-11 pm local time today. Nine of the 13 PA casinos will offer some form of online casino gaming. The week of July 15, the first three sites launched. By Super Bowl, there were eight online casinos live, with more on the way.
There is a mystery in Pennsylvania.
On Monday, July 15, regulated online gaming launched in the state by way of a law that was passed in October 2017. And though online poker was a part of that gaming expansion and is now legal in Pennsylvania, no online poker sites were a part of that launch.
According to state officials, poker operators were not ready for the launch.
However, several of said operators have launched online poker in at least one other state – and have done so successfully with much less time to prepare – and have offered ring-fenced online poker in other parts of the world.
The mystery surrounding online poker in Pennsylvania continues.
It's encouraging to see all the interest in online poker, but we're still a few months away from that launch in Pennsylvania. Sorry. pic.twitter.com/roOPzQjpdr
— OnlinePokerReport (@OPRupdate) July 17, 2019
Online Casino Games Available
Two online casino sites went live on Monday, July 15. Online Poker Report monitored the launches and reported on what Pennsylvania players could see and do on the first days of action.
The first site to launch was Hollywood Casino. Within the first hour of availability, players could sign up for new accounts via all desktops and Android devices, though there were initial problems with iPhone and iPad offerings.
Hollywood Casino offered 40 online slot games, video poker, and baccarat, though it is likely that more games will soon be added as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approves individual games.
Hours later, Parx Casino launched its online casino, and it was also available to players on desktops and Android devices but no iOS operations yet.
Parx showed up with 191 online slot games, video poker, a poker variation called PokerBet, and some slot tournaments. There were also a number of table games, such as blackjack and roulette.
Two days later, SugarHouse Casino made its online casino available to the public with 22 slot games online but no video poker or table games.
Where is Online Poker?
There are no direct answers.
Before the July 15 launch, when it remained unclear as to whether online poker would be available with casino games online, Pokerfuse obtained a vague answer. “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,” said a Stars Group representative. “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.”
Hi Keith — We are not live in PA yet as we are still working with our partners and the authorities to finalize plans to bring our leading brands to PA’s players and will do so as soon as possible. We will be in touch with more details as soon as they’re available.
— PokerStars (@PokerStars) July 20, 2019
When it was clear that poker was not part of the Monday launches, Pokerfuse reached out to the PGCB for answers. As it turns out, they had none.
PGCB Communications Director Doug Harbach was asked about online poker availability and commented, “We cannot predict a timeline on that right now.”
Harbach added, “Poker will be rolled out when operators are prepared to do so.” He also said that online poker sites will be able to launch individually when ready instead of waiting for any type of coordinated launch date.
Hi, unfortunately we don't have an exact date yet
— partypoker (@partypoker) July 20, 2019
Online Casinos in Court
An interesting side note to the online casino part of the new Pennsylvania market is that several sites were available to launch despite being engaged in a legal battle with the state’s lottery operator.
In May 2018, the Pennsylvania Lottery launched scratch-off lottery games available for purchase on the internet. The iLottery was immediately met with anger from casinos, though.
In August 2018, a group of seven Pennsylvania casinos headed to court to stop the iLottery program in its entirety, alleging that casinos have exclusive rights to offer any type of slot machine-style games of chance. The list of casinos included Parx, Hollywood, Harrah’s, Stadium, Valley Forge, and Mohegan Sun, all of which have been approved for online gambling.
A coalition of Pennsylvania casinos has filed suit in Commonwealth Court, seeking to stop the Pa. Lottery from offering casino-style online games. The casinos had warned in late June that they would take action if the games weren't stopped https://t.co/ZQkQL5bgvL
— Jon Harris (@ByJonHarris) August 22, 2018
Less than one week before the online casino launch date of July 15, Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer ruled against those casinos, denying their preliminary injunction request to shut down the iLottery. In essence, online lottery games and online casinos are now competing for gambling dollars.
The lawsuit continues despite the lack of an injunction, as the group of casinos continue to pursue remedies in the court system.
'Friday's decision in Commonwealth Court is a victory for the state lottery, although the casino owners' 9-month-old lawsuit will continue.' https://t.co/bKaU9h42vK
— Ashley Cafaro (@WENYAshleyC) July 13, 2019
Related Articles
On Oct. 30, 2017, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law a gambling expansion package that legalized and regulated online casino games, plus daily fantasy sports and sports betting.
The first online casinos in Pennsylvania launched on July 15, 2019, and many more are expected in the coming years. Multiple online sportsbooks and sports betting apps are also already live with more to come.
Online poker in Pennsylvania arrived with the launch of PokerStars PA in 2019.
Pennsylvania online casinos
Casinos first became legal in Pennsylvania in 2004. Today, Pennsylvania boasts the sixth largest population in the U.S., and it generates more gaming tax revenue for the state than Nevada.
The gambling industry is heavily taxed in Pennsylvania which means a casino must consider its impact before it enters the online casino market. Even so, most, if not all of the land-based casinos are expected to join the online gaming market.
Pennsylvania online casinos were estimated to earn approximately $154 million in revenue during Year 1. The projection is consistent with the New Jersey online casino market.
Evidence suggests the revenue will come from new customers, not necessarily existing ones, as online casinos have a far greater reach.
Pennsylvania Casinos Online Poker
At least seven Pennsylvania online casinos have applied for licenses with partners to provide online poker along with their casino games. They are:
- Harrah’s (888/WSOP)
- Valley Forge (partypoker)
- SugarHouse
- Hollywood Casino
- Parx
- Wind Creek
Pennsylvania Online Casino Launch Date Online
Pennsylvania casino partnerships
In anticipation of legalized real money online casino and poker sites, retail casinos several years ago began forging partnerships with software platforms and online casinos operating in New Jersey. As mentioned seven are licensed for online poker so far; here’s a look at a few of the partnerships.
Mount Airy Casino (PokerStars)
Mount Airy Casino surprised many in Pennsylvania when it signed a deal with PokerStars in August 2018. It launched the first online poker site in Pennsylvania in the Fall of 2019.
Harrah’s
As part of Caesars Entertainment, Harrah’s operates as WSOP.com in a partnership with 888. It is the only company currently offering online gambling products in both Nevada and New Jersey.
Valley Forge (partypoker)
Once the most trafficked poker site in the world, partypoker has surged back into international prominence in recent years. Massive online tournament guarantees, drastically improved software and a burgeoning partypoker Live tour have also had a big impact. It’s expected Valley Forge and partypoker will launch their co-branded online poker site in 2020.
Mohegan Sun Pocono
The tribal operator manages the operations of Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. Resorts online casino teamed up with software provider NYX to offer a suite of online casino games. Additionally, PokerStars operates under Resorts’ license in New Jersey. Of note: Scientific Games acquired NYX in January 2018.
Parx
Even though Parx had some reservations about online gaming, they signed a multi-year agreement with software provider GAN back in 2014. Parx is already building a potential customer base with a social casino using GAN’s software.
Rivers and Sugarhouse
Rivers in Pittsburgh and SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia are both owned by Rush Street Gaming. PlaySugarHouse.com operates under Golden Nugget’s online casino license in New Jersey. There is some speculation that Rush Street is eyeing NYX/Scientific Games for its Pennsylvania online casino.
Pennsylvania online casino FAQ
How old do you need to be to gamble online in Pennsylvania?
Players must be 21 years of age or older to play online casino games or online poker in Pennsylvania. Fantasy sports enthusiasts must be 18 to participate in daily fantasy sports contests.
Do players need to live in Pennsylvania to play online casino games?
Players do not need to be a resident of Pennsylvania to play online casino games or online poker. However, players must physically be located in the state to participate.
What is the minimum deposit at an online casino in Pennsylvania?
Minimum deposit amounts are set by each different casino and can be as little as $5. In Pennsylvania the lowest minimum deposit amount is $5 at DraftKings Casino. Unibet Casino and Hollywood Casino have minimum deposits of $10.
How does an online casino know if a player is in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania Online Casino Launch Date 2020
Regulated online casino sites use geolocation services to determine a player’s location. A player whose location cannot be verified will not be able to access online casino games.
Latest Pennsylvania online gambling updates
Pennsylvania Online Casino Launch Dates
- by StaffDecember 1, 2020
- by StaffNovember 2, 2020