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PokerStars will arrive in Pennsylvania as soon as card rooms are given the green light to launch in the state. According to the latest available information, this is most likely to happen in 2019.

PokerStars and its US Push

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania have been edging closer to legalizing online casino websites, which is an earth-shattering moment in the history of the state. And while legally things are closer to realization than in any other point in the history of the state, players in Pennsylvania will have to wait until next year before they can play, with PokerStars becoming one of the first companies to join the market.

PokerStars’ footprint globally is significant. From Canada to Europe, the card room is expanding into new markets. Even in the United States, PokerStars is currently operational in the State of New Jersey, but the company has said that is awaiting the Pennsylvania’s go-ahead to open in yet another state.

This is not unlikely given the vote that took place on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, with the state’s lawmakers officially granting the Canadian card room a license. The Stars Group, the parent entity of PokerStars, and the Mohegan Sun Pocono are the two companies to benefit from the ruling.

No date has been revealed as of when the card rooms will start running in the state, but most experts estimate that they won’t arrive until mid-2019. PokerStars will try to avoid the land-based restriction for its operations by partnering up with the Mount Airy Project, exempt from those drawbacks.

The Stars Group are cognizant of the difficulties that lie ahead, though. New Jersey has been a highly-competitive market with PokerStars turning only a modicum of actual profit there while keeping a high profile for their brand.

Meanwhile, The Stars Group has been continually seeking new opportunities to circumnavigate the restricted land-based gaming rules. Most recently, the company has signed up with El Dorado Resorts in a bid to use the complex’s online poker facilities.

Having a working solution in the United States has also helped PokerStars to experiment with different products and check how they would be received by local gamers, predominantly in New Jersey. The portal launched its Stars Rewards just recently, replacing a traditional VIP system.

Meanwhile, the arrival of PokerStars in Pennsylvania means that the operator will be one of the few to serve multiple states in the United States, including WSOP.com and 888 Holdings Limited. Another auspicious moment for entering the Pennsylvania market is that out of all the licenses and taxes, those pertaining to online poker are the lowest, which will give the operators a good leeway to push ahead with bolstering their offers.

Meanwhile, PokerStars have not been neglecting their overseas markets either, with the company signing up a partnership with Quickspin to put its mark on Italy. Italy is the latest country that is expected to join the shared liquidity scheme in Europe.

PokerStars is the only operator that presently pools liquidity from French, Spanish, and more importantly Portuguese customers, and it’s expecting to claim a share of the Italian market, too.