Published on
Update on

The likeliness of seeing online casinos and more specifically, online poker make it big in Pennsylvania is quite significant at this point. The man, or rather facility of the hour, is Parx Casino a staunch opponent that recently converted to an ardent supporter. The casino has already lodged its application for obtaining the necessary license to branch out online and introduce a number of activities, including the venerated online poker.

Pennsylvania’s Online Gambling is Promising

The competition has not been idly twiddling their fingers through, and before long we saw Mount Airy throw their weight in the ring. Meanwhile, Stadium Casino has also decided that it could benefit from expanding on the digital frontier.

Seeing how the deadline extended by Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) closed on July 15, applying for a license is not yet impossible. It would cost more to apply and obtain the needed clearance to conduct any sort of online business, though.

Both Parx and Mount Airy have paid the full $10 million of the license, allowing them to dabble in all online activities, including table games and video slots. However, any future operators that want to join the online gambling fray will have to pay $4 million per all of the available packages out there.

A Fighting Chance for Poker?

In the casinos’ choices, there could be identified some underlying trends. For instance, Parx is teaming up with GAN, a software developer known for its casino games, but not necessarily for its poker. With GAN, online poker is something of a laggard. Stadium Casino seems to be in a similar situation that makes it difficult to tell whether they are serious about bringing poker on a larger scale.

Meanwhile, Mount Airy seems to have decided to go the full monty. The operator is pushing in all directions adding 888 Poker and now pursuing a courtship with PokerStars. It makes sense to be adding these operators, as in the case of 888, Pennsylvania can benefit from the brand’s shared-liquidity and the state’s own interstate regulations, which allow players to play against peers from other states.

More subtly, another competition is afoot. PokerStars and 888 are in a neck-and-neck battle to attract the most people over and secure themselves a top spot and a top dollar. And while these behemoths spar, it’s not difficult to imagine that some of the smaller competitors may be left out of the final picture.

Well, this is not necessarily true as the majority of operators in Pennsylvania are actually quite well-heeled and can afford to easily transition into the online poker and gambling sector so long as there is a real promise for a potential profit.

The Look from the Rear View

No operator is currently so far ahead as to be uncatchable. 888 is definitely breaking away and Pennsylvania’s tentative attempts to introduce online gambling are finally bearing fruit, even if operators had chosen to play demure for a long good while. With the latest developments, we are soon likely to see Pennsylvania added to the shared-liquidity enjoyed in certain parts of the U.S.