Two more applications for online gambling licences have been approved in Pennsylvania, United States, while regulators of the state are preparing to issue the few remaining licences to out-of-state or even international gambling companies.
In the meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) held on Wednesday, two more casinos in Pennsylvania, Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino and Rush Street Gaming’s SugarHouse, were revealed to have won the right to operate in the state’s long-anticipated online gaming market.
The two operators will be allowed to offer online slots, table games and poker, joining the Parx, Harrah’s and Mount Airy to become two of the five approved online licensees.
Eleven of Pennsylvania’s thirteen licensed casino operators have applied for online betting licences. All of them, except Presque Isle Downs, have put forward applications to offer all three verticals. That means three online poker, two slots and two table game licences are still available.
According to regulations approved last year, the remaining licences will be issued to other “qualified gaming entities” (QGEs) that wish to enter Pennsylvania’s online betting market. Interested QGEs, including those based outside of America, are required to submit their petitions between 15 to 31 October. The PGCB will then examine all petitions and those who have passed will gain an entry to a “blind random drawing”. Finally, the selected QGEs will be given 45 days to submit an online application.
The PGCB has not announced the official launch day of Pennsylvania’s online gaming market but it probably won’t be this year due to the timeline for the unallocated licences.
