Penn State to Get Its Own Online Poker

By Jerry Smith Staff Writer Updated: 09/25/2019

Jerry Smith Staff Writer See Full Bio

Jerry’s greatest advantage is his extensive experience on the casino floor. His time as a casino manager taught him everything about what makes a player tick. Besides being a skilled poker player, he has deep knowledge of all live table games and gambling regulations in the US.

Online poker to be legalized in Pennsylvania, Photo by www.shutterstock.com

Pennsylvania is abuzz with chatter regarding an impending launching of online poker. There is no official countdown to this happening as yet, but if we are to go by rumors, PokerStars could be up and alive any time soon.

By when PokerStars will be up is not the only uncertainty just now; there is also a lot of guesswork around how successful Pennsylvania online poker will be, and if an online poker industry can flourish here.

There is a boost in online poker across the United States, and some say that the opening of online poker is set to represent the spark that is much needed to set a new boom. On the other hand, there are those who believe that Poker itself is on its way out and that it is nothing but a rounding error for online gambling.

Here are the merits that support online poker in Pennsylvania:

1. The population

Pennsylvania is a large state, no doubt; but what is really important is not its size but its population. With 13 million residents (nothing compared to states like California or New York), it is the largest state with legal online gambling. Its population is that of New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada all put together. This means that it has the potential to double the reach of the US online poker market (regulated).

The population factor is also important because of the fact that liquidity begets liquidity. More players on-site leads to more tables running. These tables are run at greater stakes, making it easy for online players to find an open seat for themselves. This, in turn, attracts more players, and the cycle repeats.

2. Temporary monopoly for Penn State’s PokerStars

PokerStars will be the first online poker site to go live in Pennsylvania. They will have a head-start, as it will be some time before competitors enter the market. A monopoly might be bad for consumers, though. PokerStars PA is all set to make it big before the competitors rush in, and we can expect big marketing from them in terms of promotions, attractive bonuses, and the likes.

Eventually, multiple sites will split the traffic between them; however, in the beginning, having all the players on one site will mean more games, more seats, and therefore, more business. So, PokerStars PA will have a great start.

3. The live poker scene in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia cannot be compared to Las Vegas when it comes to gaming and poker; however, it is the largest city in Pennsylvania and has a very active live poker scene.

Parx Casino, Sugar House, Harrah’s Philadelphia are all extremely popular stops, with Parx Casino even having hosted World Poker Tour stops. The presence of several live card rooms in the city means that Philadelphia is home to several professional and recreational poker players. Most of them have been waiting for the game to get legalized for online playing.

4. New Jersey next door

The Delaware River separates Philadelphia from New Jersey – a place where online poker has been legalized and flourishing for several years now. Any Phillie who has been eager enough to cross over to the other side has been able to access the game since 2013 in New Jersey. Now, with the availability of online poker on their shore, Phillies will definitely prefer to access their own online poker sites than delving into the New Jersey online poker sites.