Harrah’s Philadelphia, Parx Casino, and Mount Airy all received initial approvals for online gaming licenses from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) on Friday, with several more casinos expecting to receive their approvals soon.
Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack and Caesars Interactive Entertainment issued a joint press release on Monday that outlined their plans for the Pennsylvania online poker and casino market, a plan that includes bringing WSOP.com to the state.
Caesars ‘Bullish’ on Pennsylvania
In the release, Caesars noted that it’s now the only operator licensed to offer online gambling in Pennsylvania, Nevada, and New Jersey, which are currently the three largest regulated markets in the United States.
“We’re very bullish on the offering online gaming provides our guests and are excited for the opportunity Pennsylvania presents,” CIE vice president of online casino Melanie Gross said in the release. “We have a wealth of knowledge and experience from our six years in the online gaming space in the US and believe we’ll be able to hit the ground running in Pennsylvania when online gaming commences in the state.”
One of the premier offerings that this partnership will bring to Pennsylvania is WSOP.com. The World Series of Poker-branded online poker room will be available online and for mobile users, with the full range of cash games and tournament offerings, with Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud available at launch. At the moment, players will only be able to compete with others in their state, as Pennsylvania has yet to enter into any agreements to share liquidity with other jurisdictions.
The partnership also plans to bring CaesarsCasino.com to the Pennsylvania, which will offer the typical array of slots and table games.
The announcement does not mean that online poker will be launching imminently in the state. There are still other regulatory hurdles to clear, and the press release didn’t mention a projected starting date for real money play, which is still likely months away from happening.
Next Up: Sports Betting
While the advancement towards online poker was widely expected in Pennsylvania, there has been more uncertainty surrounding sports betting in the state. A $10 million license fee and 34 percent tax rate led to questions about how competitive – or even profitable – sportsbooks could be in the state, though a few operators have still signaled that they plan to enter the market.
On Friday, Penn National Gaming filed the first official application for a sports betting license with the PGCB. The 107-page filing puts Penn National on the road to being able to take bets at its two casinos in the state (Hollywood Casino and Meadows Casino) in partnership with bookmaking partner William Hill, though it is unlikely that wagering will be available before October at the earliest.
According to PGCB spokesperson Doug Harbach, the board expects more sports betting applications to come in as well.
“I know that [operators] have expressed some trepidation because it’s a high tax rate and licensing fee, but I also think they are also just working on some other initiatives including iGaming first,” Harbach told the Delaware County Daily Times. “I think it’s just a matter of time until we start seeing those [applications].”
