As the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board held a meeting last week, it was expected that partypoker would be approved for online poker gaming in the state. However, that did not come to pass. Two online gaming companies did receive permanent licensing, but party was not included in the mix.
No Go For MGM
During a meeting July, a small legal problem involving Roar Digital was settled. This brand is what MGM Resorts International uses to offer online gaming operations. It was expected at the time, that the company would have a licensing hearing during the next meeting, which was set for early August.
However, that did not happen. BetMGM and other brands that share a license via Roar, including partypoker, will now have to wait until at least next month to be able to launch online gaming services in Pennsylvania.
The meeting was conducted online last week due to Covid-19 restrictions. Licensing was the first order of business and this included reviewing Evolution Gaming and Unibet. Each company already had provisional licensing in the state and was waiting for investigations to be completed to receive permanent approval.
Both were quickly approved and ensure that Pennsylvania’s online gambling industry is only going to continue to grow.
Qualified Gaming Entities
For Roar Digital, it has a disadvantage as it is considered a qualified gaming entity due to being located out of state. Roar along with Golden Nugget are two companies that fall into this category. They both offer quality services in New Jersey and want to launch in Pennsylvania as well.
Roar chose to apply for an online poker license, which the Golden Nugget did not. Roar already offers poker in New Jersey, with party and BetMGM brands. In Pennsylvania, it is unclear as to if Roar will be launching an online poker skin for BetMGM and party, or just one.
Poker players were excited at the possibility for a new online poker brand in the state. Currently, fans of poker only have access to PokerStars. While this is a great option, players want to see something new when it comes to iPoker.
In the beginning, online casino sites and the one poker site launched quickly, but only offered a small selection of games. PokerStars has done well in Pennsylvania, hitting high earnings month after month since launching. They have actually done better in the Keystone State than in New Jersey.
For now, players will have to be happy with the one online poker operator. It may still be some time before party or BetMGM is able to launch services in the state. Once they do go live, we expect the online poker industry in Pennsylvania to reach new heights, as players have more cash games and tournament options to take part in.
Partypoker has been busy internationally as well as in New Jersey, offering quality promotions and special events as the coronavirus remains an issue. Because players are stuck at home, the brand has upped their game and offers even more now by way of online poker content.
