The “stars” have aligned for PlayStar online casino to make its way to Pennsylvania. It means that there’s no more question about whether Pennsylvania online casino players ever have an 18th option. It’s now just a matter of when. PlayStar online casino Pennsylvania has a path into the market and is now working on getting regulatory approval.
Assuming that licensure comes through, PA will be the second US jurisdiction to welcome PlayStar within its borders. The casino’s operator is confident that it brings something unique despite the number of competitors that have preceded it.
Details on PlayStar online casino Pennsylvania
Caesars is providing market access in this case. PlayStar recently announced that deal and the expansion of its collaboration with the Gaming Innovation Group.
“We are delighted to be partnering with GiG to power PlayStar’s expansion into Pennsylvania,” stated PlayStar CEO Per Hellberg. “With our preparations firmly underway for our New Jersey launch with GiG, it was a natural progression to leverage that work and replicate our casino offering over the border in Pennsylvania. This will mark the second market entrance for PlayStar in the USA with GiG and we’re looking forward to launching a casino experience like no other.”
Both GiG and PlayStar already have licenses for online casino operations in New Jersey. Ocean Casino in Atlantic City is providing a path into NJ for PlayStar. The company hopes to launch its product in NJ later this year. Currently, PlayStart is targeting the first half of 2022 for going live in PA.
GiG’s online casino platform touts itself as employing mobile-first technology. Thus, it seems safe to assume that the PA PlayStar product will offer both Android and iOS apps. Of course, PlayStar is sure to accommodate players who prefer to use a desktop computer as well.
When the NJ product goes live, PA players will have a better idea of what’s coming to their side of the border. That launch will provide answers to several questions.
What NJ products can tell us about the future
It’s still too early to make any definitive calls on several elements of PlayStar in PA. Those include:
- Does PlayStar offer craps and live dealer games?
- How many slot titles does the menu contain?
- Terms of welcome bonuses and other offers
- What kind of loyalty/rewards program will the casino include?
- Which deposit and withdrawal methods does PlayStar offer?
Naturally, these facets of the product will differ somewhat based on regulatory differences between NJ and PA. Bet365 Casino also operates on the GiG platform in NJ, so that can afford some clues as to what PlayStar might look like.
Bet365 in NJ accepts a wide variety of payment forms, like ACH payments, debit cards, and PayPal. It has a competitive introductory offer for new customers of a 100% deposit match up to $500. Perhaps most notably, Bet365 does not offer any kind of loyalty or rewards program for its NJ online casino players.
Another way in which Bet365 may pale in comparison to its NJ competitors is the sheer volume of game titles. For example, it only offers one progressive jackpot slot game, Divine Fortune.
That doesn’t mean PlayStar won’t boast a robust selection in PA when it goes live, though. GiG says its platform is capable of handling a bigger load and is highly customizable for operators, including the capability for a rewards program. There’s no doubt that GiG and PlayStar are excited about getting into PA thanks to Caesars, too.
Another European company getting into PA
GiG, which operates out of Malta and is listed by two separate European stock exchanges, looks forward to expanding its business in the US. On top of NJ and PA, the company also has certification in Iowa.
“We are very excited to continue our expansion into the third US state, in particular Pennsylvania that has shown a tremendous amount of growth in the iGaming market in a relatively short time period,” said GiG CEO Richard Brown. “We also believe the plans that PlayStar have with the customer-centric and product-driven approach connect very well with GiG’s B2B offering and strategy and we look forward to helping them achieve their ambitions.”
In this way, GiG follows other European companies like IGT, which provides games for several PA casino operators, and Unibet. While they’re certainly not the first European gambling entity to enter PA, they are aiming to be the best.
Lead image via Dreamstime.