Now it’s a three-horse race with a powerful new entrant joining the market for online casino in Pennsylvania.
SugarHouse online casino jumped in two days after the legal starting day of July 15, the day when Hollywood and Parx each launched online casinos.
While all three allow betting via Android devices, PC and Mac, none of them had an iOS app ready for the many Apple users.
That means they are all missing at least half of the mobile market. Apple is not allowing online gambling apps that are not built specifically for iOS.
But SugarHouse is offering a significant advantage: its users can sign up via a browser on an iPhone/iPad. This is not possible at Parx and Hollywood.
SugarHouse, Hollywood and Parx all bring strengths and experience
Parx, Pennsylvania’s top revenue casino, competed head-to-head with Hollywood, during the opening day match-up. Hollywood has an experienced interactive partner, IGT, as its interactive partner.
Hollywood Casino, with a brick-and-mortar location in the lightly populated area north of Harrisburg, immediately expanded its reach to customers.
And Parx Casino asserted itself once again as a market leader by its early entry into online casino wagering in Pennsylvania.
SugarHouse, with an online sportsbook already launched, should make for interesting competition among the three, with more than half a dozen additional online casino options eventually joining in.
SugarHouse online casino joins sportsbook and other strengths
SugarHouse comes with several strengths, even beyond its new app.
SugarHouse Sportsbook PA was the first online sportsbook in Pennsylvania, and it experienced strong opening days. The book and the online casinos are all operated by Rush Street Gaming, which also has the BetRivers brand under its umbrella.
SugarHouse also already ready has an online casino in nearby New Jersey. And the new online casino will bear a strongly resembles its sister site, PlaySugarHouse NJ.
Rush Street owns Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, SugarHouse’s sister property. There are plans to rebrand all the elements under the name Rivers. Rush Street also operates Rivers-branded casinos in Illinois and upstate New York
To use the casino and sportsbook app, players must be within the state of Pennsylvania and be at least 21 years old. They will need to provide personal info verifying their identity. Geolocation technology will determine a player’s location.
SugarHouse online casino offerings
SugarHouse online casino will eventually feature a number of popular slots and table games, though only 22 slot games are available. In New Jersey, it offers more than 500 slots.
SugarHouse is offering a generous welcome bonus to new players of a 100% match on their first deposit, worth up to $250.
The bonus has a one-time wagering requirement. This feature is a huge win for players, as most online casinos have wagering requirements of 10 to 20 times.
This is the same offer the PlaySugarHouse Sportsbook is offering, but they cannot be combined.
Rewards and banking options for SugarHouse online casino players
Players at SugarHouse are eligible for the iRush Rewards program. Players earn loyalty points based on their play online and at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia. They can use those points in the bonus store and access exclusive promotions and benefits.
SugarHouse’s online casino offers its players an extensive library of games from top providers. Slots are easy to navigate via a search bar, allowing players to filter by game type, game provider, popular games and featured games.
While SugarHouse has a license to offer online peer-to-peer poker products, there are no immediate plans to begin those games, which are less lucrative than slot offerings. But video poker should be available.
SugarHouse Casino offers a wide variety of banking options, making it easy to deposit and withdraw.
Players can use the following options:
- ACH or e-check
- SugarHouse Prepaid Card
- Visa or Mastercard
- PayNearMe (7-Eleven convenience stores)
- Cash at the SugarHouse Casino cage in Philadelphia.
A check in the mail is a withdrawal option.