Play Online Poker in PA Pennsylvania legalized online poker (along with online casino games, sports betting, lottery and others) in October 2017. After PA online casinos and sports betting launched in July 2019, the only remaining gaming option yet to launch was poker. That changed on Nov. Online Casinos and Poker sites hadn't been available to Pennsylvania residents, but that's going to change on July 15. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has announced that the poker sites and online casinos can operate in the state from 15 July. Apr 17, 2019 Online Casinos and Poker sites hadn't been available to Pennsylvania residents, but that's going to change on July 15. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has announced that the poker sites and online casinos can operate in the state from 15 July. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved all PA casinos that applied for licenses with online sportsbooks betting going live in early 2019, followed by casinos in the summer of 2019 and the launch of PokerStars in November 2019, the first online poker room in the state. Pennsylvania is now home to online casinos, online sports betting, and online poker. Online casinos first launched in Pennsylvania in July 2019. Since then, the industry has quickly grown into a staple of the gambling community in the Keystone State. At this point, there are more than half a dozen PA online casinos open for business.
While players in Pennsylvania await for online poker to go live in the state, Hollywood Casino who was the first to launch an online casino in the Keystone State on July 15, has stated that it plans to launch an online poker product by the end of this year.
In a response to a player's query ahead of the July 15 launch, the casino did admit that online poker 'will not be initially available' but also said it is 'hoping to have poker integrated by the end of 2019.'
Hollywood Casino, run by Penn National Gaming, is among one of seven PA casino license holders that have been approved for an online gambling license in all three of the categories of interactive games—slots, table games, and online poker.
The casino applied for an interactive gaming license back in July 2018 for a discounted fee of $10 million. Two months later, the casino got the green light from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer online gambling within the state.
What Online Poker Software will Hollywood Use?
Shortly after receiving PGCB approval, Penn National struck a five-year deal with IGT, a major online and land-based gaming supplier. IGT offers a full portfolio of internet-based gambling products including slots, bingo, online casino games as well as online poker.
In 2016, IGT overhauled its online poker platform which has been under development since 2012, perhaps in prepration for the burgeoning US online gambling market. IGT currently powers three different online poker networks: Sweden's online gaming provider, Svenska Spel; Lottomatica in Italy; and the Canadian Poker Network.
It is expected that Hollywood Casino's online poker offering will also utilize the IGT online poker platform. It rolled out its online casino in Pennsylvania on July 15 through its association with IGT and NetEnt.
However, in a major development that took place on July 31, Hollywood Casino owner, Penn National Gaming inked a multi-year agreement with four leading online gaming operators including The Stars Group.
As per the agreement, Penn's partners 'will have the option to own, operate, and brand real-money online sports betting, poker, and casino offerings in each of the states' where the casino operates and where such activities are legal.
The agreement with TSG allows market access to nine US states but not Pennsylvania. Therefore, it is expected that Hollywood Casino's online poker product will compete against PokerStars in the Keystone State.
What Other Online Poker Operators can be Expected in Pennsylvania?
Besides Hollywood Casino, PokerStars has shown the most interest in launching online poker in Pennsylvania.
PokerStars was approved by the PGCB in late November 2018 after sealing its partnership with Mount Airy Casino and is expected to be one of the first online poker rooms to launch its poker operations in the state.
'We're working with our partners and the authorities to finalize plans and bring our leading brands to PA's players as soon as possible,' a representative of The Stars Group told pokerfuse ahead of July 15. 'There's a lot to look forward to, so rest assured we'll be in touch with more details as soon as they're available.'
Another major online poker platform, partypoker, may also appear in Pennsylvania, but as of now, its status is unclear. From a review of PGCB official documents, partypoker's parent company GVC Holdings has applied for interactive gaming, but it still awaits approval from the regulator as of today.
But that hasn't stopped the company from responding to user's query on Pennsylvania. Like PokerStars, partypoker 'doesn't have an exact date yet.'
@beav1982 Hi, unfortunately we don't have an exact date yet— partypoker (@partypoker) July 20, 2019
888 on the other hand, which already has a presence in three US states, surprisingly has not shown much keenness to enter the Pennsylvania market.
'We continue to monitor the developments in Pennsylvania however our focus remains with New Jersey and other markets in which we operate at this time,' said 888 representative in response to our query on the Pennsylvania market.
However, both partypoker and 888 could appear in Pennsylvania as B2B providers that power other brands.
MGM in conjunction with Borgata, it's New Jersey casino property, are likely to offer online poker in the state under the Qualified Gaming Entities provision and utilize the partypoker software.
WSOP.com is also expected to have a presence in Pennsylvania and to utilize the 888 software as it already does in New Jersey and Nevada as part of the All American Poker Network.
Parx and SugarHouse Casino also have plans to offer online poker, but so far, no further details have been released.
When Does Online Poker Start In Past
But Why is Online Poker Not Offered in Pennsylvania Yet?
It seems that the state regulators have given first preference to online slots and table games, presumably because they generate more tax revenue and are less complicated to regulate and test than online poker, which is a multi-player game where players compete against each other, unlike table games and slots which are played against the house.
Pokerfuse reached out to the PGCB and asked if we are likely to see online poker in Pennsylvania in July or if the timeline is longer for the first online poker rooms to go live in the state. PGCB Communications Director Doug Harbach commented, 'we cannot predict a timeline on that right now.'
Furthermore, Harbach told pokerfuse, 'poker will be rolled out when operators are prepared to do so.'
Online poker is finally coming to Pennsylvania. And the first online poker room to launch will be PokerStars on Monday, Nov. 4, PlayPennsylvania has confirmed.
During the Wednesday's Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) meeting, when asked about online poker coming to PA, (PGCB) spokesperson Douglas Harbach told PlayPennsylvania:
'We have staff prepared to initiate and oversee a test launch this Monday of another online casino gaming site, this one licensed under Mount Airy Casino and their suite of casino-type games. At this juncture, it would include the testing of a poker game. The caveat is always that if issues come up, then the beginning of the testing could slide.'
What does this mean for PA online poker players?
Before you get too excited, this does not mean there is suddenly an online poker free-for-all in the Keystone State. Since this is the start of a new industry for Pennsylvania, here are the answers to some important questions.
Who will I be playing against? New Jersey players? The other countries with PokerStars?
Online poker in Pennsylvania is only legal on the intrastate level. That means you will only be playing against other players within Pennsylvania.
You will not be able to take part in the big multi-table tournaments PokerStars hosts like the Sunday Million. However, you can expect a nice slate of Sunday tournaments specifically for PA players similar to what is available in New Jersey.
How old do I have to be to play online poker?
In order to play in Pennsylvania, you need to be at least 21 years old. When you sign up for an account, the sites will ask you for pieces of personal information, like the last four digits of your Social Security number. This is used to verify both your age and your identity.
What do I need to start an online poker account?
Most sites ask for a few pieces of personal information, including:
- Name
- Email address
- Address
- Phone number
- Date of birth
- Last four digits of your Social Security Number
Do I have to live in PA to play online poker?
No, you do not have to be a Pennsylvania resident in order to play online. So long as you are physically located within the state and can properly geolocate with the online poker site, you are able to play.
How can I get money on an online poker site?
Before you pull out your credit card, be aware that it is not the easiest way to get money on an online poker or casino site. There are some Visas and Mastercards that allow these transactions, but there is a relatively high decline rate.
Thankfully, there are several other options you can likely choose from, including:
- Instant e-checks
- Skrill
- StarsTransfer
- PayNearMe
- PokerStars Play+ Card
- Cash at the cage
Play Online Poker in PA Pennsylvania legalized online poker (along with online casino games, sports betting, lottery and others) in October 2017. After PA online casinos and sports betting launched in July 2019, the only remaining gaming option yet to launch was poker. That changed on Nov. Online Casinos and Poker sites hadn't been available to Pennsylvania residents, but that's going to change on July 15. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has announced that the poker sites and online casinos can operate in the state from 15 July. Apr 17, 2019 Online Casinos and Poker sites hadn't been available to Pennsylvania residents, but that's going to change on July 15. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has announced that the poker sites and online casinos can operate in the state from 15 July. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved all PA casinos that applied for licenses with online sportsbooks betting going live in early 2019, followed by casinos in the summer of 2019 and the launch of PokerStars in November 2019, the first online poker room in the state. Pennsylvania is now home to online casinos, online sports betting, and online poker. Online casinos first launched in Pennsylvania in July 2019. Since then, the industry has quickly grown into a staple of the gambling community in the Keystone State. At this point, there are more than half a dozen PA online casinos open for business.
While players in Pennsylvania await for online poker to go live in the state, Hollywood Casino who was the first to launch an online casino in the Keystone State on July 15, has stated that it plans to launch an online poker product by the end of this year.
In a response to a player's query ahead of the July 15 launch, the casino did admit that online poker 'will not be initially available' but also said it is 'hoping to have poker integrated by the end of 2019.'
Hollywood Casino, run by Penn National Gaming, is among one of seven PA casino license holders that have been approved for an online gambling license in all three of the categories of interactive games—slots, table games, and online poker.
The casino applied for an interactive gaming license back in July 2018 for a discounted fee of $10 million. Two months later, the casino got the green light from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer online gambling within the state.
What Online Poker Software will Hollywood Use?
Shortly after receiving PGCB approval, Penn National struck a five-year deal with IGT, a major online and land-based gaming supplier. IGT offers a full portfolio of internet-based gambling products including slots, bingo, online casino games as well as online poker.
In 2016, IGT overhauled its online poker platform which has been under development since 2012, perhaps in prepration for the burgeoning US online gambling market. IGT currently powers three different online poker networks: Sweden's online gaming provider, Svenska Spel; Lottomatica in Italy; and the Canadian Poker Network.
It is expected that Hollywood Casino's online poker offering will also utilize the IGT online poker platform. It rolled out its online casino in Pennsylvania on July 15 through its association with IGT and NetEnt.
However, in a major development that took place on July 31, Hollywood Casino owner, Penn National Gaming inked a multi-year agreement with four leading online gaming operators including The Stars Group.
As per the agreement, Penn's partners 'will have the option to own, operate, and brand real-money online sports betting, poker, and casino offerings in each of the states' where the casino operates and where such activities are legal.
The agreement with TSG allows market access to nine US states but not Pennsylvania. Therefore, it is expected that Hollywood Casino's online poker product will compete against PokerStars in the Keystone State.
What Other Online Poker Operators can be Expected in Pennsylvania?
Besides Hollywood Casino, PokerStars has shown the most interest in launching online poker in Pennsylvania.
PokerStars was approved by the PGCB in late November 2018 after sealing its partnership with Mount Airy Casino and is expected to be one of the first online poker rooms to launch its poker operations in the state.
'We're working with our partners and the authorities to finalize plans and bring our leading brands to PA's players as soon as possible,' a representative of The Stars Group told pokerfuse ahead of July 15. 'There's a lot to look forward to, so rest assured we'll be in touch with more details as soon as they're available.'
Another major online poker platform, partypoker, may also appear in Pennsylvania, but as of now, its status is unclear. From a review of PGCB official documents, partypoker's parent company GVC Holdings has applied for interactive gaming, but it still awaits approval from the regulator as of today.
But that hasn't stopped the company from responding to user's query on Pennsylvania. Like PokerStars, partypoker 'doesn't have an exact date yet.'
@beav1982 Hi, unfortunately we don't have an exact date yet— partypoker (@partypoker) July 20, 2019
888 on the other hand, which already has a presence in three US states, surprisingly has not shown much keenness to enter the Pennsylvania market.
'We continue to monitor the developments in Pennsylvania however our focus remains with New Jersey and other markets in which we operate at this time,' said 888 representative in response to our query on the Pennsylvania market.
However, both partypoker and 888 could appear in Pennsylvania as B2B providers that power other brands.
MGM in conjunction with Borgata, it's New Jersey casino property, are likely to offer online poker in the state under the Qualified Gaming Entities provision and utilize the partypoker software.
WSOP.com is also expected to have a presence in Pennsylvania and to utilize the 888 software as it already does in New Jersey and Nevada as part of the All American Poker Network.
Parx and SugarHouse Casino also have plans to offer online poker, but so far, no further details have been released.
When Does Online Poker Start In Past
But Why is Online Poker Not Offered in Pennsylvania Yet?
It seems that the state regulators have given first preference to online slots and table games, presumably because they generate more tax revenue and are less complicated to regulate and test than online poker, which is a multi-player game where players compete against each other, unlike table games and slots which are played against the house.
Pokerfuse reached out to the PGCB and asked if we are likely to see online poker in Pennsylvania in July or if the timeline is longer for the first online poker rooms to go live in the state. PGCB Communications Director Doug Harbach commented, 'we cannot predict a timeline on that right now.'
Furthermore, Harbach told pokerfuse, 'poker will be rolled out when operators are prepared to do so.'
Online poker is finally coming to Pennsylvania. And the first online poker room to launch will be PokerStars on Monday, Nov. 4, PlayPennsylvania has confirmed.
During the Wednesday's Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) meeting, when asked about online poker coming to PA, (PGCB) spokesperson Douglas Harbach told PlayPennsylvania:
'We have staff prepared to initiate and oversee a test launch this Monday of another online casino gaming site, this one licensed under Mount Airy Casino and their suite of casino-type games. At this juncture, it would include the testing of a poker game. The caveat is always that if issues come up, then the beginning of the testing could slide.'
What does this mean for PA online poker players?
Before you get too excited, this does not mean there is suddenly an online poker free-for-all in the Keystone State. Since this is the start of a new industry for Pennsylvania, here are the answers to some important questions.
Who will I be playing against? New Jersey players? The other countries with PokerStars?
Online poker in Pennsylvania is only legal on the intrastate level. That means you will only be playing against other players within Pennsylvania.
You will not be able to take part in the big multi-table tournaments PokerStars hosts like the Sunday Million. However, you can expect a nice slate of Sunday tournaments specifically for PA players similar to what is available in New Jersey.
How old do I have to be to play online poker?
In order to play in Pennsylvania, you need to be at least 21 years old. When you sign up for an account, the sites will ask you for pieces of personal information, like the last four digits of your Social Security number. This is used to verify both your age and your identity.
What do I need to start an online poker account?
Most sites ask for a few pieces of personal information, including:
- Name
- Email address
- Address
- Phone number
- Date of birth
- Last four digits of your Social Security Number
Do I have to live in PA to play online poker?
No, you do not have to be a Pennsylvania resident in order to play online. So long as you are physically located within the state and can properly geolocate with the online poker site, you are able to play.
How can I get money on an online poker site?
Before you pull out your credit card, be aware that it is not the easiest way to get money on an online poker or casino site. There are some Visas and Mastercards that allow these transactions, but there is a relatively high decline rate.
Thankfully, there are several other options you can likely choose from, including:
- Instant e-checks
- Skrill
- StarsTransfer
- PayNearMe
- PokerStars Play+ Card
- Cash at the cage
Does this mean I can legally play on America's Cardroom or Bovada now?
No. Both of those sites are illegal offshore poker sites. They may say they take American customers, but they are not regulated within the United State and players have little to no recourse if they encounter problems on the site.
Only sites vetted and approved by the PGCB are allowed to legally offer online poker in the state.
How do I know PA online poker sites are safe?
There is a reason it took months and months for online poker to get going in Pennsylvania. The PGCB rigorously tests all elements of an online poker site before it is even allowed to begin testing. The regulators take extreme measures to ensure things like the random number generator that deals the cards is in order and that there are measures in place to detect collusion.
Nevada and New Jersey players can play together on WSOP.com. Why can't we?
At some point, Pennsylvania might be able to play against players in other states. For now though, it is only Pennsylvania players.
The gambling expansion law of 2017 allows for online poker compacting with other states, so there is a legal option for players from PA to pool with NJ or NV in the future.
Based on how skittish the PGCB is about potential violations of the Wire Act opinion issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) earlier this year, compacting likely won't be broached until there is a clear ruling one way or another on the validity of the new opinion.
The case the New Hampshire Lottery brought against the Department of Justice is currently on appeal. It will be well into 2020 before the court hears arguments in that appeal. There is always the possibility the DOJ drops its appeal, but that seems unlikely.
In the meantime, Pennsylvania is taking one of the most conservative approaches to the new opinion, which would suggest compacting with other states is not on the table at the moment.
About PokerStars
PokerStars is the biggest online operator in the world and comes with a solid reputation among players. The company boasts a stable of team pros, the most advanced poker software in the industry, and one of the best rewards programs for regular players.
PokerStars spokesperson Rebecca McAdam Willetts told USPoker:
'We are very excited to be bringing our most popular brands to Pennsylvania next week, subject to regulatory approval. Stay tuned for details.'
Online gambling becomes bigger with addition of poker
July 15 was the official start date for Pennsylvania online casinos. Three online casinos launched within a couple of days of that date:
- PlaySugarHouse
- Hollywood Casino
- Parx
The online casinos debuted with a limited library of games and no poker. Three poker networks/companies have partnerships with PA casinos. They are:
- PokerStars and Mount Airy Casino
- PartyPoker and Valley Forge Casino Resort
- 888/WSOP.com and Caesars
Over the course of the summer and early fall, PlayPennsylvania was continuously told that online poker is 'coming soon.'
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Online Poker Reportspeculated that September might be poker's magic month. The rumor mill said it 'won't be long before PokerStars unveils the state's first online poker site.'
PA poker players are eager tweeters
When Does Online Poker Start In Pa Today
The PGCB says they also receive many questions from eager PA online poker players via social media.
'There is no doubt there is a market out there for Pennsylvania poker players,' said Harbach. 'There is an excitement about it getting unveiled but, at this point, we are still waiting for the operators to be in a position to launch the poker games.'
Projecting online poker in PA
Pennsylvania poker players are eagerly sitting at the keyboard, waiting for online poker to launch.
But the launch may not make a big impact on the bottom line for PA. Take a look at New Jersey's August online gambling revenue numbers:
- Casinos: $39.4 million
- Sports betting: $19.2million
- Poker sites: $1.7million
Not only do online poker's revenue pale in comparison, but it's also suffering from a slow decline since launch in New Jersey.
When Does Online Poker Start In Pa State
Still, Pennsylvania has a larger population and potential pool of poker players, so many are hopeful that PA online poker will shine.
