Tag: Pennsylvania

FanDuel Adds Branded Live-Dealer Games to Its PA Online Casino

Posted on by Grant Mahon

From now on, FanDuel live casino games are available in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The story goes that the New York City-based gambling company has decided to expand its game portfolio in online casinos available in those states, the reason being the popularity of live-dealer games in those parts of the US.

FanDuel PA Gets 9 New Live-Dealer Casino Games

In Pennsylvania, FanDuel added online casino games to its sportsbook in 2020. The company started with 21 slots and just a couple of virtual table games. The users fell in love with those games straight away, which prompted FanDuel PA to expand its offering.

As of July 2022, FanDuel Pennsylvania has over 150 slot titles in its online casino, together with many other games. Further, just a few days ago, the company unveiled live-dealer games, which enable the users to play against real people via live stream.

A total of nine live casino games were added to the collection, namely:

  • Blackjack – seven different tables
  • Infinite Blackjack – one table
  • Roulette – one table

All of these games use FanDuel-branded software, with the dealers working directly for the company rather than being employed by a third party.

FanDuel to Focus on Pennsylvania Even More

Pennsylvania is one of the top states when it comes to FanDuel’s revenue. That’s where the company holds a 40% share of the sports betting market. The next step in FanDuel’s PA agenda is to present its casino offerings to the sports bettors.

As per Kevin Hennessy, FanDuel’s publicity director, online casino games are getting a lot of traction among users from Pennsylvania.

“Live Dealer games are important in building out the casino experience for FanDuel players. We set up the studio in a way that brings the FanDuel brand to life.”

In addition to expanding its game portfolio in Philadelphia, the company has done the same in Michigan and is reportedly planning to do the same in all of the states where its gambling platform is live.

At the moment, there are five states where it’s possible to play FanDuel online casino games. In addition to the two aforementioned states (PA and MI), the FanDuel internet casino is also live in New Jersey, West Virginia, and Connecticut.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

PA Reaps 33% Increase in Sports Betting Revenue in November

Posted on by Grant Mahon

Pennsylvania has managed to amass strong gains from the launch of mobile gaming and sports betting, with the amount wagered in November increasing 33% from a month before in October.

PGCB Posts November Results

With Pennsylvania launching online sports betting, the state posted one-third better results in November, amassing over $300 million in total sports betting handle. Mobile betting has helped the Keystone State and specifically business in the state collect unprecedent overall handle.

Specifically, the bets went up to $316.5 million, marking a 31.2% increase from October, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported. Online betting soared to the whopping $266.7 million over the period, marking a nearly 85% increase.

The retail market also grew a little, probably riding on the popularity of the online segment with the month-over-month results rising to $49.7 million in total handle. The retail segment managed to generated bigger gross gaming revenue (GGR) at around $20.6 million, but about $5.9 million was spent on advertising, tipping the taxable GGR to $14.7 million – down from the October’s results.

How Did Operators Perform in November?

Operators posted positive developments in November, including the duo between Valley Forge Casino and FanDuel, one of the leading sportsbooks in the U.S., which pulled ahead with total handle worth $153 million. This was 29.6% higher than the previous month, PGCB data showed. Estimated $5.8 million was taxable account income.

FanDuel and Valley Forge were largely unchallenged. Rivers Philadelphia, the freshly rebranded SugarHouse Casino, amassed $41.3 million, a far cry from FanDuel’s results over the month. The next property on the list in November was $30.5 million with $2 million spent on promotional credits.

DraftKings, FanDuel’s main rival, made its first step into the market, owing to a partnership with Meadows Casino. DraftKings only amassed $18.1 million in GGR over the period.

Online Casino Market Remains Strong in Pennsylvania

Mobile gaming and sports betting have been a major boost for the Keystone State. Online slots revenue grew to $140.3 million up to 19.4% and revenue soaring to $5.1 million, or 28.1% more than a month before.

Table games notched up $176.5 million, proving a segment even more lucrative than the bulwark of all online gaming – slots. Revenue for operators from table games soared to $2.6 million. Another interesting development was poker with Mount Airy and the The Stars Group.

Mount Airy is presently the only operator have spearheaded poker, one of the weakest segments in the United States, but very popular in the offshore online gaming business. The Rivers Philadelphia may have come second in terms of sports betting, but the property definitely turned out to be the busiest venue among online gaming players.

The amount wagered in November reached $64.2 million from slots alone. The second biggest in terms of slots revenue was Penn National Gaming. Interestingly, the state’s video gaming terminals (VGTs) also managed to amass a fair chunk of the revenue, estimated $659,288.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

NetEnt Consolidates Pennsylvania Footprint with Parx PA

Posted on by Carmen Thompson
  • NetEnt partners up with Parx Casino ahead of PA iGaming launch
  • Wire Act may cause trouble for online gaming sector
  • NetEnt and Parx execs confident about the partnership

NetEnt continues to strengthen its positions in Pennsylvania ahead of the official launch of the iGaming industry in the state.

Parx Casino and NetEnt Prepare for Pennsylvania Launch

NetEnt has partnered with one of the most prominent casino brands in Pennsylvania, Parx Casino. The software developer is looking to consolidate its position in PA ahead of anticipated launch of the state’s iGaming industry.

IGT and NetEnt to Provide Online Casino Games in PA

As per the agreement, NetEnt will provide Parx Casino’s online platform with a number of select high-end titles, including video & 3D slots and table games. The partnership can potentially bring NetEnt stronger ties with Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Parx’s parent entity, which controls other property as well.

While there have been some delays in the official launch of the iGaming sector in Pennsylvania, NetEnt has chosen to pursue a pre-emptive course and strike a partnership sooner. There have been some qualms over the latest changes to the Wire Act, putting online gaming at risk.

In fact, Josh Shapiro, PA’s Attorney General has joined his colleague and NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal in demanding a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request looking into the involvement of casino mogul Sheldon Adelson in swaying the stance on the Wire Act.

A Steady Build-Up

NetEnt first entered the state in October, obtaining a license to be part of casino giant Penn’s offer. With a partnership from Penn secured, NetEnt managed to work its way with other existing partners, including Churchill Downs which agreed to extend a running partnership with the company.

NetEnt will use the so-called GAN platform to ensure the quality and flexibility of its offer, which enables customers to benefit from various additions, such as widgets and extra free spins. Parx Casino’s SVP iGaming & Sports Matthew Cullen had the following to say:

We are looking forward to expanding the Parx Casino offerings into the online world. As part of this, we’re excited to be able to offer NetEnt’s outstanding suite of game content as part of our online casino launch in Pennsylvania

Meanwhile, NetEnt Americas Managing Director Erik Nyman has commended Parx’s expertise and track record in offering top-shelf gaming products to its customers. Mr. Nyman said that he was confident that customers would enjoy the offer introduced by NetEnt.

This year, NetEnt plans on releasing at least 35 new titles, or roughly 2 per months. The company laid off 55 people last years to re-focus on its gaming sector in 2019. Despite a looming Wire Act impediment, NetEnt and Pennsylvania feel determined to continue expanding and supporting the iGaming sector.

Carmen Thompson

Carmen is our residential reporter always on the move and hunting down the latest scoops and rumours to explore. Nothing gets past her keen nose, especially when it comes to some serious Jelly Bean poker tournaments.

Parx’s Casino Goes Ahead with Soft Launch on Tuesday

Posted on by Aran Malik
  • Pennsylvania’s Parx casino goes ahead with a soft-launch on Tuesday
  • The Turf Club property should be next
  • Greenwood Gaming is planning to release its mobile app very soon while still anticipating license to conduct online betting

Pennsylvania’s Parx casino is launching sports betting operations this week, January 7. The casino is introducing its land-based sports betting facilities, bringing the state’s total such venues to four for the time being. More licenses are being processed.

Parx Casino Arrives in Pennsylvania

Parx Casino is all geared-up to take off its sports betting operations to the next level. The Greenwood Gaming & Entertainment-owned property located in Bensalem revealed last week that it was starting a two-day soft launch of its betting facilities.

The platform chosen for the property is the work of Kambi, one of the best-known companies on the market for sports betting software solutions. The upcoming test is slated for Tuesday January 8, at 2 PM and the event will run through Thursday, January 10.

Pennsylvania Rakes in More Revenue from Slots in December

Parx is not yet to release its entire sports book, launching a demo version of its offer to-be first. If the soft launch goes well, Parx will hopefully see its sports betting property open fully by summer, featuring NFL competitions and in time for the upcoming new football season.

Greenwood Gaming is not restricted to just Parx, though, with South Philadelphia Turf Club also preparing to roll out its own gaming activities. However, the company hasn’t yet revealed any information about when the other property will start operating.

It’s possible for that to happen within the same framework, with Greenwood re-focusing its efforts on the Turf Club once the Parx’s casino launch has been logged in the books as a success. It would certainly make sense to have the property up and running ahead of the NFL season.

Clearing the PGCB License Process

Parx is also preparing to launch its mobile betting application while still anticipating to get the go-ahead from the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board (PGCB) to release its offer online. A shift towards the online market could bring in significant benefits for the casino, possibly biting into the revenue of offshore bookmakers who are still doing rather well even in the newly-legalized sports betting climate in the country.

Meanwhile, several gaming venues have launched their operations so far, including Hollywood Casino, part of the Penn National Race Course and the SugarHouse Casino and River Casino. All of this has been made possible by the repeal of PASPA.

In related news, last Friday, the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) was launched in New Orleans. The event was attended by many high-profile personalities from the gaming world, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie who was one of the staunchest supporters of the legalization of sports betting.

During his speech, Christie noted that integrity fees would be a bad idea and would “reward bad behavior”, although there is little evidence to suggest that, so Christie was simply defending a popular thesis.

Aran Malik

“Magic Malik”—as we like to call him—is not only a tech whiz but a wizard when it comes to getting obscure news hot off the press so we know exactly what’s happening and can explore and report it back to our growing and loyal readerbase.

Pennsylvania Rakes in More Revenue from Slots in December

Posted on by George Hansen
  • Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board releases stronger December 2018 slot revenue numbers
  • Slots bring $2.3bn in 2018 for Pennsylvania
  • 2019 will be a test whether the market has been saturated

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has issued a report outlining a very successful season for the state’s slot operators. Revenue from slot machines jumped by 8% in December 2018.

Slots Revenue Goes up in Pennsylvania in December, 2018

Pennsylvania’s slots profits have increased substantially in December, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has revealed. According to the report, the state has generated 8% more year-on-year revenue from slots.

All 13 properties featured in the report have notched up better results than in 2018, occasioned by the push for legalizing all sectors of the iGaming industry and sports betting across the United States.

The property to benefit the most by the increase was Parx Casino, which grew only 8.25% in terms of revenue, but the total handle hit $35,450,000. The Rivers Casino noted an impressive amount, adding extra $2.76 million on top of what it had earned in December 2017.

Orrin Hatch and Chuck Schumer Deliver the Integrity Act

Valley Forge Casino managed the highest increase compared to the profits it achieved in 2017, adding 18.2% more revenue in 2018. The cumulative amount generated from casinos in December 2018 hit $15 million more than the same month a year before. The strongest results came amid a slight dip in the number of slot machines available, 400-odd fewer than in 2017.

The five properties to rake in the biggest handle posted the following results:

  • Parx Casino – $35,450,000
  • Rivers Casino – $25,830,298
  • Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem – $25,814,799.42
  • Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course – $18,391,456.46
  • The Meadows Racetrack and Casino – $18,087,428.74

The report also summed up the accomplishments of the iGaming sector in 2018. Slots brought in $2.3 billion in revenue, or 1.4% higher than the results in 2017. The good results come after a slow-down in November when the performance fell 3.5% year-on-year. With the renewed uptick in operations, 2019 may start on a strong note if the market has not already reached its maturity, meaning that the sums will not vary much in the months, and possibly years, to come.

Casinos in Pennsylvania earn $2.3bn in 2018 from slot revenues, the PGCB has revealed.

Pennsylvania’s gambling industry has been developing at a steadfast pace well before PASPA was defeated in May, 2018. The slots have been one of the preferred pieces of entertainment for locals who have been contributing generously to the gaming budget of the state.

The state is also pushing ahead with significant expansion with new casinos obtaining their licenses and preparing to launch in 2019. Overall, Pennsylvania managed to add $385 million to its coffers in 2018 from issuing licenses alone.

The expansion meant a lot for the state’s finances, completely beating the original expectation which put the revenue from legalizing the industry at $100 million. The revenue did continue to grow, though. Each applicant had to pay $10 million to obtain the full-package of gambling products.

In the meanwhile, companies started focusing on Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS), which will see the light of day in Pennsylvania in 2019.

George Hansen

Taking a liking to the occasional bout of slots, George used to moonlight as a roulette dealer, giving him a unique perspective into the casino world. From there he continued his journalist education and has been with us ever since a star-aligned graduation brought him and our team together.

IGT and NetEnt to Provide Online Casino Games in PA

Posted on by Grant Mahon

Things are developing very quickly in Pennsylvania’s online gambling market. The state has only just started awarding licenses to local casinos, who are already teaming up with some of the biggest names in online gaming. This week, Penn National Gaming has signed deals with two leading online games providers, which are sure to put its new digital casino ahead of the competition when it goes live in a few months.

NetEnt Working with Penn National Gaming

Penn National Gaming was one of the first casinos to receive a license to operate online gambling activities in Pennsylvania, and things are off to a great start. This week, the company has signed a deal with NetEnt, one of the leading online casino games providers in Europe, to provide games at HollywoodCasino.com.  

It certainly goes to show that NetEnt’s hard work always pays off. Back in September, the games developer applied for a supplier license in Pennsylvania. The company had the foresight to anticipate that local PA casinos would be eager to partner with experienced online games providers, and made the right decision to file an application.

It was a wise move for NetEnt to throw its hat in the ring early. Even though NetEnt and the other online games developers that are now working with Pennsylvania casinos are already licensed in gaming hubs like Malta and Isle of Man, they have to go through the same process in every state where they hope to offer casino games. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will have to vet these companies to ensure that they are reputable games providers and will be able to provide safe gaming experiences to players across the state.

IGT Enters the Pennsylvania Online Casino Market

The next international games developer to enter the Pennsylvania online casino market is IGT. This week, the company also signed a deal with Penn National Gaming to provide games on HollywoodCasino.com.

The great thing about this partnership is that it will provide fans of land-based casino games with access to their favourite titles online. IGT is known for manufacturing some of the most popular brick-and-mortar slots games like Cleopatra, Wheel of Fortune and Siberian Storm, and players will be thrilled that they can now play these games without having to leave home.

While NetEnt is very popular in the European online gambling market, the company’s games won’t be well-known yet among Pennsylvania players. As such, Penn National Gaming has made a very smart move by getting two developers on board who are from two different backgrounds. Surely, while players are first drawn in to Hollywood Casino by the games they already know and love, they will want to stay to experience the new and innovative titles from NetEnt’s online gaming collection.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Pennsylvania Grants First Sports Betting Licenses

Posted on by Grant Mahon

The first two sports betting licenses have been handed out in Pennsylvania. Parx Casino in Bensalem and the Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County are now permitted to offer local punters the ability to wager on sports.

Huge Land-Based Betting Plans

Both casinos have big plans for the introduction of sports betting in the state. Parx Casino is currently preparing to transform its 360 Lounge into a temporary sportsbook which will feature a dozen self-service kiosks and seven sports betting windows. It will also have two 9-foot tall televisions displaying odds, along with a 75-inch TV showing games.

The casino operator will also be renovating the South Philadelphia Turf Club into a sports book. It will cost $1 million to complete, and the venue will feature 150 HD televisions that will allow visitors to “watch pretty much any game that’s on in the country,” according to John Dixon, the Chief Technology Officer at Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment.

The Hollywood Casino’s sportsbook will be located in the venue’s existing horseracing simulcast theatre. It will have 60 televisions, and players will be able to watch almost any game.

Both casinos  want to get their sportsbooks up and running shortly. Parx has stated that their sportsbetting offerings should be available by November while Hollywood Casino hopes to start things offer within the “next few months”.

What About Online?

The online market is a completely different beast, so Parx and Hollywood Casino are proceeding with caution. While their land-based sportsbooks should be available in the autumn or winter, it will be a little while longer before players are able to place bets online.

Executives at Parx Casino would like to have online sportsbetting up and running by January 2019. They have stated that it would take them a little while long to feature online gambling, as there are more regulatory approvals that need to be made. All of the vendors that contribute to the online sportsbook have to licensed and tested, which tends to be quite a long process.

One of the main reasons the operators want to get online sports betting live as soon as possible because it allows for in-play betting – a very lucrative market. According to Dixon, it’s “just not fast enough” to run in-game betting using tellers and kiosks. Punters need to be able to access an online betting system using their own devices in order to place wagers on games that are in progress.

So, it is hoped that the whole shebang – both online and land-based betting – will be available to Pennsylvania players by the start of 2019. It will be a hugely exciting development in the American online gambling market, and we can’t wait to see just how popular sports betting becomes in Pennsylvania and other regulated states.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Three Online Casino Licenses Awarded in Pennsylvania

Posted on by Grant Mahon

In Pennsylvania, things are quickly moving along when it comes to online gaming legislation. Last month was the deadline for operators to submit their online casino applications, and three have already been approved. Mount Airy, Parx and Harrah’s are now the first three venues that have earned approval to operate online gaming activities for players across the state.

Teaming Up With Big Online Gaming Brands

Since none of the Pennsylvania casinos have experience with operating online casinos, they have partnered with other companies to ensure that they can provide local players with quality products. The casino partners will also have to be vetted by Pennsylvania’s gaming authorities to ensure that they are trustworthy and reputable companies.

Parx Casino is working with GAN, a UK-based casino operator that is known for its gaming sites across Europe. The company has plenty of experience in creating online casino games and slots, but has yet to make a big name for itself in the poker world. Consider that Parx is the biggest poker room in Pennsylvania, this will be a great opportunity for GAN to work on its online poker products.

Mount Airy will be teaming up with The Stars Group, which is a full-service online gaming operator. The Stars Group runs online poker, online casino games and online sports betting activities. Together, Mount Airy and The Stars Group will launch PokerStars PA, a gaming site that offers a wide range of gaming products to players across the state.

While Harrah’s has yet to announce its online gaming partner, it is likely that its online poker room will be run by the World Series of Poker. This has been speculated by gaming industry experts, as Harrah’s is associated with Caesars, which runs the WSOP.

With so many big brands entering Pennsylvania’s online gaming market, there is surely going to be some steep competition – and, there are still six more licenses to be granted! Players across the state will definitely be spoiled for choice when it comes to deciding where to play online casino games.

A Boon to the Local Economy

The opening up to Pennsylvania’s online casino market will be a huge benefit to the local economy. Not only will it create jobs but it will also generate valuable tax revenue for the state. In fact, it even has the potential to boost the existing land based market, as evidenced by Atlantic City.

Online gaming in Pennsylvania is sure to be a success, and it will be interesting to see how the remaining six operators decide to partner up. There will certainly be several more international online gaming operators dipping their toes into the American market.

 

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.

Pennsylvania Online Gambling Applications Under Review

Posted on by Grant Mahon

The laws have been made, the applications have been submitted and online gambling is finally coming to Pennsylvania. The recent move to permit local casinos to offer games online to state residents will be a huge boon to Pennsylvania, generating more taxes and even helping to bring more business to land-based casinos.

Nine Applications Submitted

Of the 13 casino licensees in Pennsylvania, nine have submitted applications for licenses that will allow them to offer online gambling activities to players. After being reviewed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), they will have to pay a $10 million fee to receive their licenses. The casinos that have submitted applications are:

  • Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack
  • Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
  • Mount Airy
  • Parx in Bensalem
  • Rivers Casino
  • Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
  • Stadium Casino
  • SugarHouse Casino
  • Valley Forge Casino Resort

The deadline for applications closed on Monday, so there are four casinos that will not be able to apply for full online gambling licenses. They can still apply under individual gaming categories for a fee of $4 million each until August 16.

If any online gambling licenses remain unsold by that date, the PGCB will open up applications to international operators. This means that the state could see large companies like Amaya or Rank Group entering the local online gambling market.

Huge Tax Potential

Online gambling in Pennsylvania will be subject to some fairly high tax rates. Once operators have paid their $10 million license fee, they will also be responsible for paying taxes based on the type of games they offer:

  • 15% for daily fantasy sports
  • 16% for table games and poker
  • 36% for sports betting
  • 54% for slots

The Pennsylvanian government will benefit significantly from the taxes generated by online gambling. New Jersey has already set a great example, having generated over $120 million in tax revenue since online casino games were made legal in 2014.

This makes for some very optimistic predictions for the type of tax revenue that the state of Pennsylvania can expect to generate over the course of the next few years. However, industry experts have expressed concerns about the steep tax rates, stating that it could result in higher operating costs and less money spent on innovation.

Still, all of this remains to be seen. There is no telling how residents in PA will react to online gambling and if Pennsylvania casinos will see similar success to those in New Jersey. We will simply have to wait a few months and see how it all plays out in America’s newest regulated online gambling market.

Grant Mahon

Grant is the self-professed casino madman and reporter that brought this eclectic team of dedicated and talented writers together from around the world to proudly build an humble empire of authentic casino news.