WiredKs
Rock Star
Silver Level
We got all sorts of hopeful for July 15 and were disappointed. Since then it's been "it's coming" with few hints at when. Deep dives into any relevant information reveal little, but here's the latest.
Reporting cited the DOJ's Wire Act position as a possible reason for the delay because of the uncertainty it creates. After all, who would launch only to be shutdown in quick order? The DOJ was challenged in the courts and lost, mostly. We're currently 34 days into the allowed 60 day appeal period, and so far the DOJ has said nothing and made no legal moves. But there's really no way to know if they've accepted the decision or if they have gone "into the tank" so to say.
Almost countering the DOJ thought process, the PGCB said a platform could launch anytime one was ready. They implied they were reviewing prospective sites, but there were still regulatory issues standing in the way. Meaning their stringent standards might be the obstacle creating the delay. However, they did state that any player pooling discussions would be off the table until the DOJ issue was throughly vetted and put to bed. It is totally possible that new states will legalize poker, launch, and then join the NJ, NV, DE player pool before PA even takes ANY action. They're just so unlikely to be the first new state to join the pool. They'll want to let states like MI, NY, CA, or IL (any other state, really) be the guinea pig and see how they are handled. That's good/bad news, mostly because if online poker fails in a small state, it's possible online poker can still expand, but if it fails in PA, it likely not going to be tried by any other state, ever.
Hollywood casino says they hope to launch by the end of the year, but didn't reveal with which partner. Their parent company, Penn National Gaming, has an agreement with pokerstars in 22 states, but not one in PA. PokerStars has been very vocal about wanting to crush the PA market because they see it as key to their planned dominance in the (projected) broader US market. But, their stated partner in PA is the Mt. Airy Casino, not Hollywood. Hollywood wants to be first in market and so does Stars and they both talk like they will be, so who knows.
There are a few rumors that there's a second, as-yet-unnamed site, that's also hoping to launch in 2019, possibly by the end of summer [09/23]. Those in-the-know point to 888.com or wsop.com as the likely 2nd candidate.
Following this has been frustrating because so many of the rumors are 2nd hand and overlap which, and that makes any actual news seem like mear conjecture at this point.
I expect things to continue like this until Halloween-ish and then we'll get some concrete information. But honestly, I'm totally guessing and hope springs eternal. The reality is, based on what's KNOWN, it could just as easily be 8 weeks or 8 months away.
Reporting cited the DOJ's Wire Act position as a possible reason for the delay because of the uncertainty it creates. After all, who would launch only to be shutdown in quick order? The DOJ was challenged in the courts and lost, mostly. We're currently 34 days into the allowed 60 day appeal period, and so far the DOJ has said nothing and made no legal moves. But there's really no way to know if they've accepted the decision or if they have gone "into the tank" so to say.
Almost countering the DOJ thought process, the PGCB said a platform could launch anytime one was ready. They implied they were reviewing prospective sites, but there were still regulatory issues standing in the way. Meaning their stringent standards might be the obstacle creating the delay. However, they did state that any player pooling discussions would be off the table until the DOJ issue was throughly vetted and put to bed. It is totally possible that new states will legalize poker, launch, and then join the NJ, NV, DE player pool before PA even takes ANY action. They're just so unlikely to be the first new state to join the pool. They'll want to let states like MI, NY, CA, or IL (any other state, really) be the guinea pig and see how they are handled. That's good/bad news, mostly because if online poker fails in a small state, it's possible online poker can still expand, but if it fails in PA, it likely not going to be tried by any other state, ever.
Hollywood casino says they hope to launch by the end of the year, but didn't reveal with which partner. Their parent company, Penn National Gaming, has an agreement with pokerstars in 22 states, but not one in PA. PokerStars has been very vocal about wanting to crush the PA market because they see it as key to their planned dominance in the (projected) broader US market. But, their stated partner in PA is the Mt. Airy Casino, not Hollywood. Hollywood wants to be first in market and so does Stars and they both talk like they will be, so who knows.
There are a few rumors that there's a second, as-yet-unnamed site, that's also hoping to launch in 2019, possibly by the end of summer [09/23]. Those in-the-know point to 888.com or wsop.com as the likely 2nd candidate.
Following this has been frustrating because so many of the rumors are 2nd hand and overlap which, and that makes any actual news seem like mear conjecture at this point.
I expect things to continue like this until Halloween-ish and then we'll get some concrete information. But honestly, I'm totally guessing and hope springs eternal. The reality is, based on what's KNOWN, it could just as easily be 8 weeks or 8 months away.
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