The neighbouring state of Delaware has just legalized online Poker sites and as such the popularity of playing Poker online is spreading across the State Borders into Pennsylvania, and we are happy to let you know there are plenty of Poker sites that will allow you to sign up and play if you are living anywhere in Pennsylvania. PA Online Poker – News, Updates, and Poker Site Info Pennsylvania is the fourth state to offer regulated online poker. Players in the Keystone State are currently only able to play on PokerStars PA but more operators are expected to launch by early 2020.
The long-awaited launch of online poker in Pennsylvania made headlines on Monday. However, it might be New Jersey poker players who are celebrating the most.
PlayPennsylvania broke the news that PokerStars would soft-launch its global poker site in PA on Nov. 4. That launch happened as planned.
Rebecca McAdam Willetts, a spokeswoman for PokerStars, told USPoker last week:
“We are very excited to be bringing our most popular brands to Pennsylvania next week, subject to regulatory approval.”
Obviously, the successful completion of the testing phase is required before PokerStars receives the green light. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Pennsylvania poker players aren’t the only ones interested in this development.
The fledgling NJ online poker market has been waiting for more than three years for this news. The hope is PA online poker will eventually join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).
The MSIGA combines player pools between states. Currently, only three states are part of the agreement:
Gambling Sites In Pa
- New Jersey
- Nevada
- Delaware
Let’s be honest; while we’re excited for our neighbors to be able to play online poker at home, the reality is New Jersey needs PA poker players to help grow its struggling industry.
Will PA and NJ online poker markets pool players?
It is a possibility that PA and NJ online poker players will one day take a seat in the same virtual poker room. That day is likely far from reality, though.
Doug Harbach, director of communications for the PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB), spoke to Online Poker Report in August 2018 about the possibility of PA joining the MSIGA.
“While an interstate compact could certainly occur, at this junction I can’t predict or comment on the likelihood.”
It is fair to say that PA has not been the speediest when it comes to movement in the online gambling world. The Gambling Expansion Act became law in the Keystone State in October 2017.
Even so, it was December 2018 before the state accepted its first sports bet. Then, it was another five months before online sports betting launched. Once sports betting was online, online casino gambling in PA joined the party one month later.
As it stands, it took more than two years for the first online poker room to go into a testing phase. That doesn’t bode well for a speedy entry into the MSIGA.
What NJ online poker wants and needs PA
Over the last six years, real money online poker in New Jersey has been treading water. PA was the state closest to a potential online poker launch.
As such, NJ has been waiting patiently for poker in PA to come online and join the compact to boost the player pool.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand that more players in the pool are a good thing. More players mean larger prize pools and larger prize pools mean more players.
New Jersey did combine player pools with Delaware and Nevada in the spring of 2018. Unfortunately, New Jersey didn’t benefit as much as some hoped, mainly because the population of the two states is only around half of NJ.
PA’s population, on the other hand, is nearly 50% bigger. If PA joins the compact, the player pool in NJ could more than double practically overnight.
It’s no secret; online poker rooms are not the segment of the NJ online casino games that are bringing home the bacon.
Looking back at yearly revenue further, it shows a clear declining trend.
While 2019 isn’t over it, it doesn’t appear the trend will change. Over the last 12 months, online poker in NJ has seen a decline in revenue of 4.74%.
A combined player pool could be the catalyst to change the course finally.
Lessons PA could learn from six years of NJ online poker
Over the last six years of NJ online poker, only one year (2016) resulted in a year-over-year increase.
As mentioned throughout this article, what we’ve learned from watching online poker over the last few years is that poker thrives when the pool of poker players grows.
It’s evident when online poker rooms run big online tournament series with big guarantees. NJ online poker revenue usually gets a bump from tournaments such as:
- Fall Online Championships on WSOP.com
- NJCOOP on PokerStars NJ
During these big tournaments, poker players in the region, including PA, travel to New Jersey to play online. Cash games are usually better and tournaments often smash the guarantees.
For a few short weeks, it seems as if online poker is finally gaining momentum. Then the tournament ends, and it is more of the same lackluster and uninspiring results.
There was a period on the 2018 calendar when one big tournament came after another. The numbers reflected what might be the result of player fatigue.
What makes a big tournament series great is its uniqueness. The World Series of Poker, which is held every summer in Nevada, is a perfect example.
When another tournament is scheduled for the following week, the fear of missing out is lost, and it soon becomes just another game. From a business perspective, it is not a sustainable model.
What PA could learn from NJ is:
- Build a viable player pool and invest in growing it.
- Create a calendar of events that complements competing poker rooms.
- Join the MSIGA.
Why NJ players should hold off celebrating PA’s online poker news
Most NJ poker players have focused their attention on Pennsylvania joining the MSIGA. The potential for new players is huge.
If, however, PA doesn’t join the MSIGA right away, the NJ poker pool might suffer.
While there isn’t any concrete data, players from PA are thought to be driving across the border to play online poker in NJ. Certainly, this is true during big tournament weekends.
Some of the traffic may diminish as PokerStars PA and other online poker rooms offer games and tournaments closer to home.
Currently, PokerStars NJ offers NJCOOP during the middle of October. It is fair to say that it is one of the biggest online tournaments in the Garden State.
More than likely, PokerStars PA will eventually offer a PACOOP. If it does, it would be good business to do so before or after New Jersey’s event. That way, both states could benefit from cross-border traffic.
There is no doubt that PokerStars launching in Pennsylvania is great news for online poker. But it becomes better news when it joins the MSIGA.
Until then, we’ll be watching to see how online poker in PA impacts the NJ online poker market.
It took until the end of November 2019 for online poker in PA to get formally legalized. This made the Keystone State the fourth US state where players can play poker games online legally. More importantly, it marked the start of an era of safe and regulated PA poker sites.
In this article, we will take a look at the present landscape of Pennsylvania online poker. We will also see which poker websites have set up shop since the bill was introduced and what they have to offer.
Poker Sites Accepting Paypal
Is Online Poker Legal in PA?
As we’ve said in the beginning, online poker in PA has been legal since late 2019. This means that poker pundits who reside within the state can play real-money poker at licensed online poker sites. Since the launch, the number of sites and tournaments has steadily been increasing.
However, the road to this point hit its fair share of bumps. The move to regulate online gambling began back in 2013. This is when the gaming regulatory officials first started to look into legal and regulatory requirements. Following years of discussions, studies, and delays, it took until 2017 for the legislation to move forward.
Finally, after another two-year delay, the governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Wolf, signed the Bill H 271 on November 4, 2019. Apart from PA online poker, the bill also legalized interactive casino games, daily fantasy sports, and sports betting, making history in the process.
How Legal Online Poker Sites Work in Pennsylvania
In order to start offering online poker in PA, software providers must enter a partnership with an established land-based casino. At this time, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved seven land-based casinos to begin offering online poker in PA. In order to apply for a license to offer casino and poker games online, casino operators must pay $10 million.
When it comes to accessing poker games online, players usually have to download a desktop client in or a mobile app. This provides a more stable playing experience and also gives players the possibility to play at more than one table at the same time. There are four main poker formats you will find at the best online poker sites:
- Poker tournaments – Although they often come with variations, in general, poker tournaments have a knockout format. Each player starts off with their own stack of chips and the gameplay continues until there is only one player left. Naturally, the winner takes the entire pot.
- Cash games – These types of games usually have two, six, or nine players. The chips have a monetary value and can be refilled up to a predetermined maximum, throughout the game.
- Sit & Go tournaments – They come with a predetermined number of players which can go up to 120. Participants buy their way in and sometimes also pay the tournament fee. The tournament is played at multiple tables and the prizes are handed out according to the tournament’s prize pool structure.
PA Online Poker: Welcome Offers and Promotions
It did not take long since the launch for Pennsylvania online poker market to become extremely competitive. But, as it often does, the competition brought players a number of benefits. Operators consistently try to one-up each other and reel in new users with promotional offers, bigger tournaments and a better choice of poker games online. Some of the promotional offers you will commonly see are the following:
- Matched welcome bonuses – This is the most commonly offered type of a welcome bonus. The operator matches your first deposit, usually 100%, essentially doubling your initial playing credit.
- No-deposit bonuses – Sometimes, poker sites offer free chips or buy-ins, without the need for a deposit. However, these types of bonuses usually come with heavy wagering requirements, before any winnings can be withdrawn.
- Reload bonuses – Operators might also offer bonuses for reloading your account down the line. However, as these bonuses are meant for existing customers, they are usually lower than welcome bonuses.
- Loyalty programs – Some operators have loyalty programs that offer tiered bonuses players unlock by being active on the website.
Depositing and Withdrawal at PA Online Poker Sites
Making online poker in PA legal made it much less risky for players to deposit and withdraw funds. Generally, the exact list of payment options varies with operators. However, these are the most common payment options you will have in the best online poker sites:
Credit / Debit cards – Making deposits with Visa and MasterCard is supported by all PA poker sites. Some also accept Discover cards.</li>
Prepaid Play+ cards – Some operators offer branded prepaid cards, which you can use to deposit and withdraw funds.
PayPal – It’s the most popular online wallet in the US. It acts as an intermediary between your bank account and the online casino, keeping your sensitive information hidden. For many PA poker players, it is the most convenient option for deposits and withdrawals.
Neteller / Skrill – Both of the services work in a similar way to PayPal and have been popular payment options in iGaming for years. Like PayPal, they have quick processing times but come with hefty fees.
eChecks – eChecks or ACH transfers are a way to transfer money directly to and from your bank account. Online operators usually allow you to pre-verify your banking information which significantly speeds up the process.
Bank Wire – Although slower than eChecks, Bank Wires are another way to transfer money directly from your bank. It’s mostly used to transfer larger amounts.
Money order / Paper Check – Although it comes with the longest processing times, most operators allow you to withdraw funds via paper checks.
Casino cage – Each Pennsylvania online poker operator gives you the option to make deposits and withdraw funds at their partnered land-based casino.
PayNearMe – Some operators allow you to make a deposit to your account through 7-Eleven and CVS stores.
PA Online Poker Partnerships
As we’ve said, online poker in PA is offered through partnerships between brick and mortar casinos and iGaming software providers. It’s important to emphasize that, for the time being, PA poker sites are ring-fenced. This means that PA players can only play with other players within the state.
In the next section, we will take a closer look at some of the best online poker sites currently active in the US.
Mount Airy Casino & PokerStars
PokerStars officially became the first one PA poker provider to launch, having entered a partnership with Mount Airy Casino Resort, back in August 2018. The casino launched as soon as Pennsylvania online poker became legal, on November 4, 2019.
PokerStars is known for its well-designed platform with many considering it to be one of the best online poker sites. It is also the largest operator in the world, offering weekly tournaments, frequent promotions, and plenty of game variations.
Valley Forge Casino and GVC / PartyPoker
Owned by GVC holdings, PartyPoker is one of the oldest poker-related brands in the US. The operator has been a hugely popular option with poker players New Jersey. The operator offers an excellent mobile platform that allows players to participate in up to 4 games. It is likely we will see it operating in Pennsylvania in the coming months.
Harrah’s Casino and 888 / WSOP.com
Through its partnership with Harrah’s Casino and 888, WSOP.com currently has the largest player base in the business. Recent WSOP.com tournaments have generated massive attention, drawing crowds of new users. The website offers six-hand and nine-hand cash games, and Sit & Go tournaments. There are also games like Pot Limit Omaha, Omaha 8 or Better, and No Limit Holden tables.
Live Poker in PA
In total, there are currently ten live poker rooms in PA. Here is the full list:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia
- The Meadows Casino
- Wind Creek Casino
- Presque Isle Casino