The online poker market in Pennsylvania should be growing soon. The 888poker brand was recently approved as an Interactive Gaming Manufacturer by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, helping to pave the way for the operator to get started in the state. The brand already offers services in the United States, providing services via its signature brand as well as the WSOP.com sites. In Pennsylvania, there will be an 888 PA option as well as WSOP PA. 888 works with Caesars Interactive Entertainment to provide online poker gaming options for the WSOP brand.
A Second Option
With 888 going live in Pennsylvania, it will offer players in the state with a second operator. For over a year now, players have been stuck with PokerStars and only PokerStars. While this is not necessarily a bad thing as PokerStars is a top brand, it does provide more variety for players to have a second operator providing services.
While 888 is good to go, they have not announced a launch for online poker services in the state. We imagine it will not take long for the brand to start offering services, but we will still have to wait and see when they go live.
The brand has made the United States a top priority and feels that the nation provides the biggest opportunity over the next five years. Online gaming is growing in the states and launching in another region besides New Jersey allows 888 to build its presence in the country. According to the results from the first half of 2020, the company has seen continued progress and revenues in the US have increased by 90% YoY.
On top of 888 launching in Pennsylvania, partypoker is supposed to as well. Earlier this year, United States based online gaming and sports betting company ROAR, a brand operated by MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings, announced that they expect to launch in the state in the near future.
GVC Holdings owns the partypoker brand, so this would bring the option to the state. Applications for the companies involved are pending.
A Rise in iPoker Gaming
This year has seen a rise in online poker gaming, partly due to the coronavirus outbreak. As players were unable to visit casinos and restricted to their homes, they took to online gambling where the option is available. New Jersey and Pennsylvania both saw record highs when it came to online poker revenues.
888 CEO Itai Pazner commented recently on the company’s performance, stating that the lockdown certainly helped to drive revenues from online poker gaming. The company is now at a higher new normal level of business and he expects that continued growth will take place.
According to Pazner, the company looks to launch in three or four new markets next year. They hope to offer services in even more states by 2022.
888 might get the chance to do so if more states start to offer online poker gaming. Lawmakers are looking at alternatives for revenues, especially after the hit from the coronavirus lockdown. This was something we have not experienced in modern times and it shows how important alternative streams of revenues, like those from online poker, can be to help keep operations a float while land-based businesses are shut down.
