By
Mike J. Davies
Editor in Chief at Casinos.US Updated: 05/07/2020
Mike is our Senior Editor and experienced gambling strategist. A former hockey player, he transitioned to the casino industry after finishing his B.A. in English. Blackjack systems, online casino guides, gambling terms, and more – Mike is familiar with all fine points of gambling.
Caesars Palace Las Vegas, Photo by www.123rf.com
Following the launch of its online sportsbook in March, Caesars Entertainment has now officially launched its online casino platform in Pennsylvania. The launch of the online casino comes amid revenue losses across the gaming and sports betting industries resulting from the closure of physical casino locations due to the global coronavirus pandemic.
Caesars has partnered with Harrah’s Philadelphia in order to launch the new casino platform. The launch means that there are now nine online casinos operational in the state, giving casino gamers plenty of options.
Prior to being permitted to launch, the online casino was put through two days of testing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. There was also a soft launch prior to the official one. This enabled casino gamers to get a sneak peek at the games and online slots that would be offered by the online casino gaming platform.
Caesars officially launched its sportsbook in the state last month. However, due to sports events being shut down during the same month because of the global pandemic, the sportsbook did not get off to a good start. With the launch of the Caesars online casino in Pennsylvania, the entertainment group is hoping to enjoy better luck.
After launching the sportsbook last month, Caesars was said to be confident about its success. This is particularly due to the popularity of sports across a state that has embraced sports betting since it was first introduced.
At the time, Christian Stuart, the Executive VP of Gaming for the group, said:
Caesars Entertainment is the leader in legalized and regulated gaming in the US, and this online sports betting launch in Pennsylvania is an exciting expansion given the incredible number of sports fans across the state.
However, during the same month, the continued spread of COVID-19 led to sports events being canceled or postponed, leaving sports fans with nothing to bet on. Sports in the United States ground to a halt just as the sportsbook was completing its testing period. This resulted in the Caesars online sportsbook having a total handle of just $139,790 for the month.
The lockdown resulting from the pandemic has seen more people turning to online casinos for entertainment. With the launch of the online casino platform in Pennsylvania, Caesars now hopes to cash in on the rising popularity of online gaming.
In mid-March, brick-and-mortar casinos were forced to close their doors due to the social distancing measures that were put into place because of COVID-19. As a result, the losses for casino gaming giants have been huge. However, some have been able to claw back some of that lost revenue through online casino gaming facilities, which is what Caesars hopes to do.
There are 12 land-based casinos in the state, all of which are currently closed. As a result, online casino revenues increased by nearly 25% in March compared to the previous month. Ongoing use of online casinos means that revenues could continue to rise for the foreseeable future.
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