SugarHouse and Penn National Gaming were on Wednesday granted licenses to offer interactive gaming in Pennsylvania, which brings the total number of casinos that have been approved for online gaming by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to five. The other three casinos that have previously been approved are Parx, Mount Airy and Harrah’s.
First up at the podium was SugarHouse which is located close to Philadelphia and is owned by Rush Street Gaming. The casino’s officials highlighted the property’s experience in the online gaming space citing its online sportsbook and casino offerings in New Jersey – this is offered under Golden Nugget’s licenses. The PGCB unanimously approved SugarHouse’s petition to offer the full suite of interactive games that will include poker, table games, and slots.
Penn National Partners with IGT
Next on the podium was the Penn National Gaming-owned Hollywood Casino which is operated by the Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association. The casino’s operator also petitioned for a license to offer the full suite of interactive games at Hollywood Casino and this too was unanimously approved by the gaming control board.
During the hearing, Penn National Gaming went further to reveal that it would be partnering with IGT Global Solution, Aristotle, and GeoComply. According to the release, IGT will be providing the operator with a vast range of security features.
“IGT has implemented both technical and organizational security measures to ensure the protection of personal data,” read Penn National Gaming’s presentation.
Licensing Process Opened to Out-of-State Casinos
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is now preparing to offer the remaining few interactive gaming licenses to out-of-state and even international operators. 11 of the Keystone State’s licensed casino operators have applied for the online gambling licenses and out of the 11, only Presque Isle Downs applied for only two of three interactive gaming verticals – the operator chose not to go with poker. As such, there are three online poker, two slots, and two table games licenses left but this is probably not going to be the case for long.
“The seven interactive gaming certificates that remain available may now be awarded to qualified gaming entities or QGEs. A QGE is defined in the expanded gaming act as a gaming entity licensed in any jurisdiction which has satisfied the requirements set forth in the act and any other criteria established by the board…,” reads a motion made by Kevin O’Toole, the gaming board’s Executive Director, during the September 12 meeting.
O’Toole’s motion was approved by the board and thus its updated guidelines will be used to oversee the application and approval process for qualified out-of-state gaming entities going forward. These qualified gaming entities will be allowed to submit petitions for interactive gaming licenses as from October 15 to October 30 with all approved applications going into a box. If any permits remain after that, the PGCB will award them randomly through a random drawing – any of the qualified operators that will be selected will be given 60 days from the drawing to submit their petitions for the iGaming licenses.