by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Jul 12, 2019 | Updated on Jul 12, 2019
Three days from now, US online gambling will finally be up and running in the state of Pennsylvania.
iGaming operators will begin offering their services on July 15, as part of a coordinated launch of the regulated online gambling market in the Keystone state.
The scheduled coordinated soft launch on July 15 will run for two to three days.
During this test period, the processing of payments, geo-location features, as well as responsible gambling measures will be checked and assessed to see if they are in compliance with state gaming regulations law. The same method was adopted by New Jersey when it launched its online gambling market.
The Stars Group Enters Pennsylvania
Among those iGaming operators looking to launch their online poker rooms on the first day of the testing period is PokerStars. In August 2018, PokerStars’ parent company The Stars Group (TSG) secured a partnership deal with the land-based Mount Airy Casino, giving them access to the largest US state so far to have regulated online poker.
Three months after the partnership was announced, the TSG was granted approval by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), allowing them to be among the first online poker rooms to serve the Pennsylvanian player base.
While the PGCB has remained silent on the specific online poker rooms going live on the launch date, it’s been confirmed that at least two land-based casinos are set to offer online games from 15 July.
Huge Market for PokerStars
After eight years, Americans located in Pennsylvania will finally be able to play on PokerStars, and will get to enjoy a full slate of online gaming products from TSG. The operator is primed to capitalize on the state’s huge online gaming market, as it tries to expand its reach in the United States.
PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, is expected to become a key player in Pennsylvania’s online gaming market. The online poker giant is currently unparalleled in terms of game offerings, and also hosts some of the biggest poker tournaments around the world. Its parent company TSG operates other numerous leading brands like BetStars, Sky Poker and Sky Bet. Pennsylvania is only the second US state to be served by PokerStars, the first being New Jersey.
The Keystone State is expected to soon become part of the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, joining existing members which include New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware. Given its sheer size, Pennsylvania is set to become the biggest online poker market in the United States in the coming months.
