The potential launch of partypoker in Pennsylvania has been postponed to September in the very least after the latest meeting of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
Partypoker on the Backburner for Pennsylvanian Launch
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has put a damper on state poker players’ hopes to see one more card room open doors in the Keystone State. During a meeting held on Wednesday, two companies received a go-ahead to start running in the state, but partypoker wasn’t one of those.
BetMGM and partypoker aren’t part of the equation and they will have to wait until September in the very least to get a formal go-ahead for launch. On the plus side, Evolution Gaming and Unibet were both approved to launch in Pennsylvania in a more permanent quality.
Evolution is currently the de facto monopolist in New Jersey, holding very strong positions in the Garden State and providing some of the best live dealer software known to online gamers.
Now, Evolution is pushing into the Keystone State by already signing Parx and Penn National as customers. And, Evolution seems to be appreciative enough of the opportunity, as the company will be developing a dedicated studio in Pennsylvania. It must be noted that Evolution Gaming received a preliminary license back in 2019.
The move could be necessary as the Wire Act could soon suspend the cross-state transfer of data, suspending live dealer games for the Keystone lest there is a dedicated studio physically present in the state to stream games live from there.
What about Poker in the Keystone State?
The big question is of course what would be next for Pennsylvania’s poker players. PokerStars PA has been leading the way in terms of traffic and interest. Yet, this is understandable as PokerStars is the only branded, originally launched in November 2019.
Online poker was one of the least prepared for segments by most companies opting for the iGaming market in Pennsylvania. While sports betting and online casino licenses were snapped up straight away, many hesitate to purchase or even launch a poker client in the state.
For quite some time now, partypoker has been rumored to be launching soon but this undefined soon has now been pushed back to September in the very least, a rather lengthy timeline.
Would introducing partypoker in Pennsylvania change anything in terms of traffic? It just might, with PokerStars having someone to compete with. Competition could create more favorable conditions for players who are not yet as experienced or still hesitating whether to play in the first place.
. Partypoker on the Backburner for Pennsylvanian Launch The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has put a damper on state poker players’ hopes to see one more card room […]){kind=link}