Clicky

A Forecast of Pennsylvania's Gambling Expansion in 2019 - PennsylvaniaCasinos.com News : PennsylvaniaCasinos.com News
pennsylvania-gaming
Published on
Update on

Gambling expansion in the Keystone State has been moving at a pretty steady ever since the bill that facilitates it was passed in October 2017. Needless to say, the gambling expansion plans has seen several different projects through since the beginning of 2018 and this is set to continue in 2019. As it stands, the state authorities and its gaming regulator are preparing to add sports betting operations to the already vibrant gambling sector.

Sports betting has always been in the state’s agenda as proven by its inclusion in the gambling expansion bill in October 2017 – the May 2018 Supreme Court ruling was just a confirmation of the inevitable and since was made, the state’s lawmakers and gambling regulator have worked extensively to add the sports wagering option. In fact, a couple of sports betting operations have already been launched in the Commonwealth since early December 2018. Furthermore, there are still extensive plans to further expand the gaming sector by allowing more online gambling options as well as more satellite casinos.

Pennsylvania found a gap in its budget in 2018 and it tried to compensate for this deficit using proceeds from gaming revenue and it turned out quite well. The overall gaming revenues were higher than expected but this was easily attributed to the fact that it was a year when there was a lot of money coming in in the form of licensing fees and auction fees for mini-casinos. However, industry experts are confident that the revenue figures are certainly bound to go up especially considering the huge gaming market or population that the state boasts of.

Gaming activities in Pennsylvania brought in a whopping $385 million to state coffers, which as mentioned above, was way higher than what analysts expected. A major portion of this money was contributed this was from taxes – this is just a glimpse of the potential of the state’s gambling industry.

Busy 2019

In early 2019, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board authorized online casinos games, online slots and online pokers – operators who were interested in offering these were required to pay a $4 million license fee for each of the gaming products or discounted $10 million fee for a license that included all three. Several casinos applied for the licenses and they will be going live sometime this year.

Sports betting, even though it is already live, is expected to keep growing this year. It is projected that the market may become a little crowded especially because there are several operators working on their sports betting venues ahead of their launch dates within this quarter of the year. Still, it is great to see that after more than a year since the gambling expansion bill was passed, the residents are already enjoying some of the perks that it promised.

Latest Headlines

Will Pennsylvania Be the Next Esports Betting Hotspot?

Pennsylvania could soon become the latest U.S. state to embrace esports betting, thanks to a newly proposed bill aimed at expanding the state’s regulated wagering market. State Representative Ed Neilson has introduced House Bill 1636, a legislative push that seeks to amend Pennsylvania’s 2017 Gaming Expansion Act to include esports betting. This is Neilson’s second […]

Pennsylvania Casinos Set for Modernization as Slot Machine Requirements Face Major Overhaul

Pennsylvania’s gaming industry is on the verge of a significant shift as Senate Bill 840 moves closer to becoming law. The bill, which recently passed in the state Senate, proposes reducing the mandatory minimum number of slot machines at Category 1 and 2 casinos from 1,500 to 1,000, offering operators much-needed flexibility to stay competitive […]

PA’s Skill Game Controversy Heats Up with Hundreds of Machines Removed

As it turns out, March was a big month for Pennsylvania’s gambling scene, but not for the usual reasons. Instead of new online casino launches or sportsbook promotions, the spotlight turned to a statewide crackdown on illegal gambling devices. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police, spearheaded a coordinated sweep […]

New Fanatics Casino App Now Live in Pennsylvania

Fanatics, best known for its sports merchandise empire, has officially launched its standalone online casino app for Pennsylvania players. The new platform allows direct access to casino games without needing to go through the Fanatics Sportsbook, marking a significant step in the company’s expansion into the Keystone State’s growing iGaming market. While the web version […]

WSOP Online Breaks New Ground with Four-State Network

The WSOP Online platform, operated by Caesars Entertainment, Inc., has broken new ground in the regulated US poker business by bringing together players from four different states. Now that Pennsylvania has joined Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan in providing a common player pool across all four states, Caesars has positioned WSOP Online as the only site […]

Similar Stories in Gambling

Will Pennsylvania Be the Next Esports Betting Hotspot?

Pennsylvania could soon become the latest U.S. state to embrace esports betting, thanks to a newly proposed bill aimed at expanding the state’s regulated wagering market. State Representative Ed Neilson has introduced House Bill 1636, a legislative push that seeks to amend Pennsylvania’s 2017 Gaming Expansion Act to include esports betting. This is Neilson’s second […]

Pennsylvania Casinos Set for Modernization as Slot Machine Requirements Face Major Overhaul

Pennsylvania’s gaming industry is on the verge of a significant shift as Senate Bill 840 moves closer to becoming law. The bill, which recently passed in the state Senate, proposes reducing the mandatory minimum number of slot machines at Category 1 and 2 casinos from 1,500 to 1,000, offering operators much-needed flexibility to stay competitive […]

PA’s Skill Game Controversy Heats Up with Hundreds of Machines Removed

As it turns out, March was a big month for Pennsylvania’s gambling scene, but not for the usual reasons. Instead of new online casino launches or sportsbook promotions, the spotlight turned to a statewide crackdown on illegal gambling devices. Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, in partnership with the Pennsylvania State Police, spearheaded a coordinated sweep […]

New Fanatics Casino App Now Live in Pennsylvania

Fanatics, best known for its sports merchandise empire, has officially launched its standalone online casino app for Pennsylvania players. The new platform allows direct access to casino games without needing to go through the Fanatics Sportsbook, marking a significant step in the company’s expansion into the Keystone State’s growing iGaming market. While the web version […]