Expected launch of PA online poker games is Q4-2018 to Q1-2019. Nine land-based casinos have submitted applications to operate internet poker/slots/casino table games.
There's a PA Gaming Control Board meeting tomorrow morning (10:00 Eastern) that will include iGaming licensing + geolocation discussion. The meeting minutes are below.
No word on when/if PA will link-up with NJ/NV/DE. It's widely speculated PA will eventually join, which would be huge for existing U.S. tri-state regulated market.
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EDIT: Last month's 57-minute meeting didn't include much discussion about iGaming, but I put together the Timestamps in case there is interest in following along and learning more about online gambling regulatory hearings/meetings.
TIMESTAMPS
(0:00) Intro, Pledge of Allegiance
(1:18) Board held quasi-judicial deliberations 24 hours earlier in preparation for meeting
(1:32) Minutes of past PA Gaming Control Board meetings approved
(1:53) Kevin O’Toole – PGCB Executive Director
(2:01) PA casino tax revenue projections for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 (ended June 30th)
(3:05) Update on interactive gaming license petitions, 9 land-based casinos have applied
(4:16) Other four land-based license holders have until Aug 14th to apply for iGaming license
(4:32) O’Toole says 9 iGaming petitioners is an “impressive” number considering start-up costs
(5:12) Danette Bixler-George, Director of PGCB Office of Human Resources
(5:30) Hiring recommendation (Approved)
(6:15) Doug Sherman, PGCB Office of Chief Counsel
(6:22) New table game under “blackjack” to be added (Approved)
(7:00) Authorization of new blackjack side bets: TriLux Deluxe™ & Axman (Approved)
(7:32) Mount Airy petitions for two-month extension on filing Category 4 casino application (Approved)
(9:17) Deputy Chief Counsel Steve Cook, PGCB Office of Chief Counsel
(9:24) Withdrawals and surrenders (Approved)
(11:01) Various Office of Hearings & Appeals recommendations (Approved)
(18:32) Recommendations related to PGCB’s Involuntary Exclusion List (Approved)
(22:29) Susan Hensel, Director of Licensing – PGCG Bureau of Licensing
(22:55) Recommended revised fee schedule for sports betting interests (Approved)
(23:46) Recommendation to grant iGaming “manufacturer” license to IGT (Approved)
(24:49) Order to grant conditional VGT “establishment” license to Fegley Oil Company (Approved)
(25:40) “Principal” and “Key Employee” licenses (Approved)
(26:07) Temporary “Principal” and “Key Employee” licenses (Approved)
(26:36) Gaming Employee Occupation permits and non-gaming registrations (Approved)
(27:15) Recommendation of denial for 5 Gaming Employee applicants (Approved)
(27:53) Withdrawal requests for key gaming and non-gaming employees (Approved)
(28:29) Recommendation to certify Petraglia Electric as a “Gaming Service Provider” (Approved)
(28:55) “Gaming Service Provider” registrations (Approved)
(29:25) Cyrus Pitre, PGCB Office of Enforcement Counsel
(29:30) Gaming Employee license and permit revocations/suspensions summary
(30:26) Sarah Kolesar – Assistant Enforcement Counsel – PGCB OEC
(30:33) Non-gaming employee registration license revocation – Meadows (Approved)
(32:16) Michael Roland – PA Office of Enforcement Counsel
(32:23) Non-gaming employee registration license revocation – Sands (Approved)
(33:26) Tamara Haken, PA Office of Enforcement Counsel
(33:32) Gaming Employee Occupation permit suspension – Parx (Approved)
(34:19) Cyrus Pitre, Sarah Kolesar, Michael Roland
(34:20) Placement of individuals on PGCB’s Involuntary Exclusion list (Approved)
(38:22) Dustin Miller, PA Office of Enforcement Counsel
(38:28) Placement of individuals on PGCB’s Involuntary Exclusion list (Approved)
(43:58) Conclusion, Announcement of August 15th meeting
(44:09) Motion to adjourn July 18th PGCB meeting (Approved)
except wont include NV (or DE) so no wsop satellites for you or online bracelet events. PS isn't in NV.... Also expect the 6 table cash game limit to hit soon.
except wont include NV (or DE) so no wsop satellites for you or online bracelet events. PS isn't in NV.... Also expect the 6 table cash game limit to hit soon.
Yes, but we get better software, better MTT structures, and all the COOP events.
except wont include NV (or DE) so no wsop satellites for you or online bracelet events. PS isn't in NV.... Also expect the 6 table cash game limit to hit soon.
Harrahs PA is expected to run poker via WSOP.com, which should be capable of joining the existing multi-state online gaming pact.
Chester Downs (Harrah's Philadelphia -- WSOP/888), Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment (Parx Casino -- GAN), and Mount Airy (PokerStars/888) have all had their petitions to operate online poker/casino/slots in Pennsylvania approved by the PGCB. These three entities now possess formal licensure in PA, in the form of an Interactive Gaming certificate.
State officials and operators will work together in upcoming months for purposes of testing and establishing regulations. PA online poker games should be available in Q4-2018 or Q1-2019 (going by timelines for these processes in other states).
Executive Director Kevin O'Toole will provide more PA iGaming news and updates at next month's PGCB meeting. There are still another 8 petitions before the Board, most of which include online poker.
Consult the official presentations linked below for relevant information submitted by each PA iGaming certificate holder.
Harrah's Philadelphia iGaming Presentation to PGCB (10 slides)
30:14 -- Churchill Downs reprimanded for lack of diversity at PGCB public hearing 54:22 to 1:11:57 -- Harrah's Philadelphia (888/WSOP) public iGaming hearing 1:12:10 to 1:21:19 -- Parx Casino (GAN) public iGaming hearing 1:21:40 to 1:35:07 -- Mount Airy (PokerStars/888) public iGaming hearing 1:51:56 to 1:55:34 -- PGCB Exec. Dir. Kevin O'Toole discusses pending iGaming regulations
NOTE: The PGCB YT channel typically rolls-back "dead-air" time leading up to the actual meeting and re-uploads the video, so the Timestamps will be roughly 9 minutes earlier once that happens.
everyone is on wsop in nj since we can play with nv. id think pa will do the same. #s. maybe im wrong but dont think stars will be the big choice. but... online sports betting on there? um yes.. do that in NJ please
Does that mean poker will be possible online in Penn or just sports betting? couldn't tell from the article
Hi Chicagodude,
Harrah's (WSOP/888), Mount Airy (Stars/888), and Parx (GAN) have already received Board approval to operate online poker, slots & casino in Pennsylvania, with more license applications to be considered at next month's meeting.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board must still formulate regulations for these licenses, product testing must be done.
Going by pre-launch timelines in other states, PA online poker games should be available in Q4-2018 or Q1-2019.
A heads-up that PokerStars may also decide to petition the Commonwealth to become eligible for a "main" iGaming certificate, which they currently do not have as they will be operating under the branding of Mount Airy in that role.
There's some irony to this, because there are only a few licenses remaining and the process will involve a "random drawing." TSG's fate as a major influencer in the Pennsylvania iGaming market might be decided by what amounts to the spin of a roulette wheel.
and they will not be in NV, or DE, do you would only be playing with 2 states not 4. WSOP will have a larger player pool. Not to mention WSOp has higher rakeback for players. WSOP software not as good, but for most it comes down to money, so larger player pool and larger rakeback at wsop....
This opens up three more licenses since the Rush Street property originally petitioned for all 3 types (poker, slots, table games). If there are no more changes, the random drawing will eventually award the following iGaming certificates to Qualified Gaming Entities (QGEs), which could include PokerStars.
- 4 online poker
- 3 online slots
- 3 online table games
when does PS launch for PA? do we have a soft date? im assumign Q1 2019?
No soft launch date has been established yet, but Q1 2019 sounds about right. Here are some things to keep in mind that are related to the soon-to-launch Pennsylvania regulated online poker market.
1. PokerStars and other iGaming brands must operate under the primary branding of the land-based license holders in PA. There may be some initial confusion over this because customers will be directed to Mount Airy portals (in PokerStars' case) and websites branded under other casinos such as Harrah's (WSOP).
"What the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board did at its public meeting of April 4, 2018 was to approve temporary regulations that enable a very open and competitive market for internet gaming while at the same time assuring transparency and accountability for the consumers. Under these temporary regulations there is no limitation on the number of skins that a slot machine licensee may employ to deliver games, but every 'skin' that a casino offers must be branded in a manner that makes it clear that it is offered on behalf of the slot machine licensee consistent with language of the act."
2. Pennsylvania residents and tourists age 21 and over will NOT be able to participate in real money online games while in gaming areas of land-based casinos. Access will be blocked via geolocation technology, per PA gambling law. This will be very different from neighboring New Jersey or even Nevada, where customers are able to sign-up on property and participate in real money online games while at a b&m casino licensed within the state.
3. There is NOT any confirmation that Pennsylvania will join the existing tri-state compact (MSIGA). Therefore, WSOP will still be the only poker site to enjoy shared liquidity via NJ/NV/DE (PokerStars only operates in New Jersey currently). So Pennsylvania will be a lone U.S. market at least in the short term or until statewide officials strike a deal.
For more information on this, see this August 31st writeup by Nicholaus Garcia via OPR.
4. Deposit and withdrawal options for regulated Pennsylvania online poker and casino games are NOT known at this time. This information will be relayed to customers once real money games have launched.
For statewide regulated U.S. online poker players who may only be familiar with TSG/Party/888/WSOP brands, IGT will be entering the real money Pennsylvania online poker/casino market via partnerships with Hollywood Casino (Grantville) and Valley Forge (King of Prussia). IGT's poker software is an overhaul of the BOSS Media poker client.