Latest Pennsylvania online gambling news
The Lowdown On PA’s First Sportsbook: The Sportsbook At Hollywood Casino
While Penn Launches Sports Betting In PA, It Expands Into Michigan
MGM Has Grand Plans For PA Online Casino Business
PA Lottery’s Millionaire Raffle Back In Time For The Holiday Season
Penn National Announces Mini-Casino Project Hollywood Casino Morgantown
Looks Like Hollywood Casino Will Edge Out Parx As PA’s First Sportsbook
On Oct. 26, 2017, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed H 271, legalizing online casinos, sports betting, and the online lottery, amongst other things.
Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law on Oct. 30, making Pennsylvania the fourth state in the nation to authorize some form of online gambling.
In the case of PA, the law authorizes pretty much all forms of online gambling, including poker, table games, slots, online lottery, fantasy sports, and sports betting, now that the federal ban is overturned.
The two questions that come up most often in regards to PA online gambling are:
When will it happen?
What will the market look like?
When will online casinos and spots betting happen?
Online casinos coming Q1 of 2019
When it comes to online casinos, nailing down an exact launch date is tough, but it will be sometime in the first quarter of 2019. So far, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has approved nine PA casinos for their interactive gaming licenses.
Expect Harrah’s and SugarHouse to be at the forefront of online casino launch, hopefully as early as January 2019.
PA sports betting launched in November 2018
When it comes to sports betting, the news is much brighter. Perhaps seeing how much New Jersey, Mississippi, and other new markets with sports betting are raking in, sports betting is on track to beat online casinos to the Keystone State.
It initially looked as though Parx Casino would be the first to market, but Hollywood Casino at Penn National beat everyone to market. Its sportsbook, run by William Hill, officially launched on Saturday, Nov. 17.
What does the PA online casino market look like?
While sports betting is still something only six of the 13 licensed casinos are taking part in, most everyone is getting involved in the PA online casino industry in one way or another. In fact, there are also several outside companies taking part.
Here is a look at all the companies involved in online casinos, who their partners are, and where they are in the process:
| Casino | Existing online partners | Potential or speculated partner | Sports betting partners | Interactive application status | Sports betting application status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harrah's | 888 | N/A | Scientific Games | Conditionally approved | Conditionally approved |
| Hollywood (Penn National) | N/A | IGT | William Hill | Conditionally approved | Conditionally approved |
| Meadows | N/A | IGT | William Hill | Did not apply | Has not applied |
| Mount Airy | 888 / PokerStars | N/A | BetStars | Conditionally approved | Has not applied |
| Parx | GAN | N/A | Kambi | Conditionally approved | Conditionally approved |
| Rivers | SugarHouse / Rush Street Interactive | N/A | Kambi | Did not apply | Conditionally approved |
| Sands Bethlehem | N/A | N/A | N/A | Conditionally approved | Have not applied |
| SugarHouse | Rush Street Interactive / Kambi | N/A | Kambi | Conditionally approved | Conditionally approved |
| Valley Forge | IGT / GAN | partypoker / GVC | FanDuel | Conditionally approved | Have not applied |
| Stadium Park Philly Live! Casino | N/A | GAN | N/A | Conditionally approved | Have not applied |
| Presque Isle Downs | Golden Nugget | NetEnt | SBTech, IGT | Conditionally approved | Have not applied |
| Lady Luck Nemacolin | N/A | N/A | N/A | Did not apply | Have not applied |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | N/A | PokerStars | N/A | Application pending | Have not applied |
| MGM Resorts | bwin.party | partypoker / GVC | N/A | Application pending | Not eligible |
| Golden Nugget NJ | NYX | N/A | N/A | Application pending | Not eligible |
10 of 13 PA casinos taking part
PGCB has conditionally approved the following casinos for online slots, online table games, and online poker:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia
- Hollywood Casino
- Mount Airy Casino
- Parx Casino
- Sands Bethlehem
- SugarHouse Casino
- Valley Forge Casino
Mohegan Sun Pocono is the last casino with an application for all three online gambling categories still pending.
Two other casinos opted for online table games and slots licenses, but will not offer online poker. Those properties are Presque Isle Downs and the forthcoming Stadium Casino project.
That leaves three casinos sitting out for now. Rivers Casino initially applied, but rescinded its application. Lady Luck Nemacolin and The Meadows are not taking part, likely deferring to their sister properties of Presque Isle and Hollywood Casino respectively.
MGM and Golden Nugget hoping to get in the game too
With 11 leftover interactive licenses, PGCB opened up the application to qualified gaming entities (QGE) from outside of Pennsylvania.
Rather than partner with an in-state casino, MGM Resorts and Golden Nugget Atlantic City opted to apply. MGM is seeking all three categories of license. Golden Nugget, on the other hand, will not seek an online poker license.
It makes sense Golden Nugget skips poker. It is the top NJ online casino operator and holds that status without offering any poker.
Don’t expect to see playMGM or Golden Nugget online casino live and online in January. Their application process only just closed on Oct. 31. That means the PGCB will approve their applications no earlier than at its Nov. 28 meeting.
PA online lottery is already an online gambling option
While casino lovers of PA count the days until launch, there is one way to pass the time. As part of the gambling expansion law, the state legalized the online lottery. Pennsylvania’s iLottery launched in May of 2017 with a dozen or so online instant games.
These online instant games are like a scratch-off ticket you would buy at the store, but more interactive. Online instants often include bonus games in addition to the scratch-off component, allowing you to multiply your winnings on each ticket.
As part of the rollout, the PA Lottery also introduced a revamped PA Lottery mobile app. While you cannot purchase lottery draw tickets online just yet, you can use the app to play instant games, check winning numbers, and scan your draw tickets to find out if you have a winner.
You can check out the PA Lottery app today!