Pennsylvania Set to Become Fourth State to Legalize Online Betting in America

By Mike J. Davies Editor in Chief at Casinos.US Updated: 08/06/2019

Mike J. Davies Editor in Chief at Casinos.US See Full Bio

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.

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Gambling aficionados in the Quaker State can heave a sigh of relief as Pennsylvania gets ready to formally introduce online gambling in various casinos. With this move, Pennsylvania will become the fourth state in the United States to have legal online betting operators.

The move comes almost a year and a half after Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf signed the Bill which legalized online gambling in the state. According to the Bill, online gambling can be offered at mini-casinos, video game terminals, truck stops, airports, and licensed large-scale casinos.

Currently, Pennsylvania has 13 major licensed casinos which offer a variety of games and other gambling-related services. This includes land-based sports betting, which was legalized in May 2019.

Two casinos get ready to start the show

Of the 13 operators in Pennsylvania, two have already started preparations to get online gambling underway. One is the Parx Casino in Bensalem, and the other is Penn National Race Course (which owns Hollywood Casino) in Grantville.

Parx Casino, one of Pennsylvania’s leading operators, is introducing an extensive list of games in its online gambling wing. Table games, keno, slots, and poker are some of the things that players can expect. Parx Casino has teamed up with online gambling software provider GAN to offer its services. The operator is planning to begin testing soon – on an 8-hour schedule for 2-3 days. As part of the Parx-GAN partnership, the casino will be introducing a specialized Rewards Program where players can earn points for the games they play.

Similarly, Penn National Race Course too is planning to introduce a variety of games on its online platform. The operator has in place games that range from a few pennies to a hundred dollars. The casino has confirmed that globally-favorite video games like Monopoly, Dancing Foo, Crazy Monkey, Tarzan, Lunar Festival, Star Watch Crescent, Lightning Cash, and Money Rain are making their way to the platform. Similarly, famous slot games like Monopoly Wheel, Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania, Poseidon, The Price is Right Plinko Jackpots, Penny Barn, Gold Rush, Goldfish, Leprechaun’s Gold, The Walking Dead, and Stinkin’ Rich too will be available on the casino’s website. Penn National Race Course’s Hollywood Casino will also have a live poker room, where players can take part in tournaments. In order to offer these games, Hollywood Casino will be partnering with International Game Technology PLC (IGT). While some games will be available immediately after the launch, others are expected to make their entry after a few months.

A third on the way?

Overall, 12 of Pennsylvania’s casino operators have filed for an online gambling license in the state. Apart from Parx and Penn National, a third casino too has received its license.

The newly re-branded Rivers Casino (formerly known as SugarHouse Casino) in Philadelphia is also making preparations to launch its digital gambling platform. According to reports by Mattias Stetz, COO of Rush Street Interactive, the Rivers Casino will conduct its 2-day testing on BetRivers.com. He stated that Rivers plans to match players’ initial deposit up to $250, on the online gambling platform.

Once testing is completed, all three operators – Parx, Penn National & Rivers – plan to offer their platform to all Android phone users. However, due to technical issues, the online gambling platform will not be immediately available to Apple phone users.