After months of waiting, online poker has finally arrived in Pennsylvania by way of PokerStars.
- Pennsylvania Online Poker Launcher
- Pennsylvania Online Poker Launch Date
- Pennsylvania Online Poker Launch
4 is the date that has been scheduled for PokerStars to launch online poker in Pennsylvania. After many months of waiting, residents of The Keystone State will get to indulge their online poker needs in just a few days. It has been a long time coming, but Pennsylvania has never been more ready for the introduction of regulated internet poker than it is now. The new opinion caused a delay in the launch of online poker in Pennsylvania. The PGCB allowed operators time to digest the opinion and examine their plan moving forward. Online sports betting in Pennsylvania was first offered in June 2019 with online casinos coming online beginning on July 15, 2019. Not bad considering that same platform that was launched in November 2019 remains the sole online poker operator in the state. A spokesperson for the PGCB confirmed that online poker in Pennsylvania has “operated smoothly” during this inaugural year, particularly as consumers’ interest in gaming as a whole surged considerably throughout 2020. PlayPennsylvania reported Wednesday afternoon that PokerStars Pennsylvania will be first to market with a Nov. 'We have staff prepared to initiate and oversee a test launch this Monday of. Pennsylvania was the fourth US state to officially legalize online poker. Real money online poker arrived in 2019 when PokerStars officially soft launched its PA online poker site on Nov. Since that launch, poker players in PA have seen the lineup of tournaments and cash games expand, traffic grow and prize pools increase.
Though it’s technically still in the testing phase, the arrival brings a renewed excitement and energy for gamblers in the Keystone State.
In addition to online poker, PA residents can welcome the arrival of the new DraftKings sports betting app, which made its debut on Monday as well.
What we know about Pennsylvania online poker, so far
On Nov. 4, Fox Bet announced the launch of PokerStars and PokerStars Casino, making the company the first operator to go live in the state.
“We’re excited to launch PokerStars as the first and currently the only online poker option available to players in Pennsylvania,” said Matt Primeaux, president of Fox Bet. “Including today’s launch of our highly rated casino product, which is now available in the Fox Bet and PokerStars apps, we’re proud to say we’re currently the only online provider offering all three forms of regulated gaming in the Commonwealth.”
Pennsylvania online poker was speculated to arrive in early September, but delays and extensive testing slowed initial implementation.
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB)spokesperson Douglas Harbach announced last week, Mount Airy Casino would be testing a “casino-type game,” and it appears that game is online poker.
Here is Harbach’s full statement:
“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.”
For now, this can be considered a soft launch, supervised by the PGCB. Testing hours are Monday 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Tuesday 2 p.m. to midnight.
Should everything go smoothly, the PGCB is expected to approve a full launch on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Quick facts of PA online poker’s launch with PokerStars
With today’s launch comes a number of questions the staff here at Play USA will attempt to answer.
Here are a few basic answers regarding online poker:
- Must be 21 or older
- Physically located within the borders of PA
- No residency required (Social Security number is required for real money play)
- PokerStars NJ account not accepted (must create new PA account)
- Only low-stakes games and test tournaments are available for now.
Fox Bet CEO Robin Chhabra had this to say regarding what customers can expect in the months to come.
“We’ll be bringing some of our most popular games and tournaments enjoyed by players around the world and tailoring them for the Pennsylvania market. It’s a fresh start, so we’ll have a new tournament schedule designed specifically for the market and we’ll aim to be flexible with that in response to player demand. Anyone who has made the trip to play on PokerStars in New Jersey will see a lot of similarities — and some key differences — in our PA offering.”
PokerStars’ promotional options at launch
To celebrate the launch of PokerStars in Pennsylvania, players can enjoy some promotional option, including the following:
- Daily $1,000 welcome freerolls* from Nov. 7-16
- $20,000 welcome freeroll on Nov. 17
- First deposit bonus offer of $30 free play by using code FREE30
- 100% deposit bonus, up to $600
A few last details on DraftKings mobile betting app
The sports betting juggernaut becomes the sixth online sportsbook to launch in PA. This will be DraftKings’ fourth state as an app. It is already up and running in New Jersey, West Virginia and most recently, Indiana.
In July, Penn National Gaming announced a 10-year partnership with DraftKings giving the sports betting operator access to Pennsylvania through Hollywood and Meadows casinos.
DraftKings’ competition will most certainly be FanDuel, which launched in July and accounted for half of the $158.2 million in online handle generated in September.
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It’s happening.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and PokerStars both confirmed to different sources this week that the latter will be launching its online poker and casino games products for players in Pennsylvania next week. The testing phase will begin on Monday, November 4.
PokerStars’ land-based casino partner in Pennsylvania is Mount Airy Casino.
The testing phase does not necessarily indicate that a launch date is imminent or when it will happen.
However, PokerStars did this in New Jersey and has experience in various markets around the world, launching under a variety of circumstances, restrictions, and regulatory environments. Suffice it to say that PokerStars won’t likely require a long testing period or encounter many bugs.
Pennsylvania online poker players could be able to log in and play real-money poker very soon.
PGCB Confirmed
The first encouraging piece of news this week came from Play Pennsylvania.
During the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) meeting on Wednesday, PGCB Communications Director Doug Harbach said, “We have staff prepared to initiate and oversee a test launch this Monday (November 4) 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.”
Out of pure caution, Harbach issued a stipulation: “The caveat is always that if issues come up, then the beginning of the testing could slide.”
BREAKING/EXCLUSIVE: If all goes according to plan, PokerStars soft launches online poker in Pennsylvania on Monday, PA regulators confirm to PlayPA. Story by @kkohler1129 –> https://t.co/iBpHxeuZvb
— PlayPennsylvania (@PlayPANews) October 30, 2019
PokerStars Confirmed
Since Pokerfuse always has an inside source at PokerStars, it made sense that Pokerfuse obtained confirmation about the Pennsylvania launch.
Pennsylvania Online Poker Launcher
A PokerStars spokesperson said, “We are very excited to be bringing our most popular brands to Pennsylvania in the next week, subject to regulatory approval. Stay tuned for more details!”
Launch Speculations
As mentioned, PokerStars has launched in numerous markets around the world, but gives information that should indicate how the Pennsylvania action will move along.
On Wednesday, March 16, 2016, PokerStars began its soft launch in New Jersey, the testing period for the site and regulator – along with the help of some players – to ensure everything worked properly. Up to 500 players could log on and play, understanding that there might be bugs and glitches to be worked out.
Problems were detected and fixed. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement then approved PokerStars New Jersey for full operation.
And on Monday, March 21, 2016, the site launched for real-money poker to any players located within the borders of New Jersey. It was PokerStars first entry back into the United States after Black Friday in 2011, and it marked a historic day for US online poker.
The Pennsylvania process is likely to similarly take several days in soft launch mode to eradicate bugs and allow the PGCB to conduct all pertinent tests.
It is highly unlikely that the process will take more than a week.
Pokerfuse speculates that low-stakes games – cash games, SNGs, and tournaments – will be available during the test period. As bugs are fixed and games are approved, more will be added until the PGCB is satisfied and tests all necessary games.
Just some of the Qs we answer in the latest PA article.
How Long Will The Testing Period Last?
What Games Will Be Available During The Soft-launch?
Are Online Casino Games Also Legal in PA?
Which Other Online Poker Rooms Are Expected To Launch In PA?https://t.co/7vxj5PUXqR
— pokerfuse (@pokerfuse) October 31, 2019
Cautious Players
Poker fans in Pennsylvania have endured their share of heartache along the way to this legalized poker market. It’s only fair that many of them are waiting to see it before they believe it.
Exactly two years ago on October 30, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed the gambling expansion bill that included legalized online poker and casino games. That came after years of wrangling bills and proposals through offices and committees and both houses of the legislature.
Within a year, the PGCB opened the licensing application process. PokerStars announced its partnership with Mount Airy in August 2018, and the application was approved three months later.
It wasn’t until April 2019 that a launch date was provided for Pennsylvania’s online poker and casino sites. The PGCB said a coordinated launch would take place on July 15.
As it turned out, only a few online casino sites launched on that date, but poker sites were left out in the cold with no more information provided. Even in September of this year, there were hints that PokerStars was preparing for its launch, but no confirmation was available. Even as Pokerfuse began to find evidence of PokerStars site-building in Pennsylvania, there were no answers.
Even as the latest information this week seems rock-solid, it is understandable that many players are still cautious with their excitement. After two years of waiting, they reserve and deserve the right to see it to believe it.