- Pennsylvania sees online poker decline to $2.7 million in August after peaking at $5.4 million in March
- A second operator is planned to enter the Keystone State poker market with partypoker USA still awaiting an approval by the PGCB
- PokerStars continues to run promotions in the state of Pennsylvania with sizeable prize pools available
August was another month in which online poker in the state of Pennsylvania generated declining revenue. The Keystone State posted $2.7 million for August according to data published by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
Presently, the state only has a single online poker room, PokerStars, even though others, including partypoker, have been long in the coming. Hopes are that the PGCB would give a go-ahead for another poker room to enter as early as September 30, when the board will convene.
Right now, partypoker PA is the closest to an entry in the state, offering players an opportunity to join the partypoker US Network and reunite with thousands of players from across different states, including New Jersey.
However, Pennsylvania is not too keen on the idea with the Wire Act pending and the risk of prohibiting cross-border transactions of information. The online segment, though, has been kind to poker in Pennsylvania.
Estimated $26 million has been collected so far in the legal market in the state in the form of rake and tournament fees. Poker revenue peaked in April when revenue broke $5 million but quickly began to decline as most people began going back to work.
May saw a quick decline in revenue to just $4.6 million, but the biggest shock came in June when revenue dropped to $3.24 million. Poker revenue has been falling steadily ever since. In the meantime, Pennsylvania online casino revenue managed to reach an all-time high last month.
Online Casino Gaming Picks up in the Meantime
Operators managed to bring in $53.2 million in revenue and revenue from slots managed to hit $39.6 million, still higher than the July results. Every segment of the industry has been picking up online outside poker.
Online casino gaming has been one of the strongest segments for Pennsylvania as a whole. Since iGaming launched officially in the state, the revenue has reached $320 million. Slot games have been pulling steadily ahead of table games since March 2020, becoming the most popular form of entertainment in the state.
Despite the smaller online poker revenue, PokerStars has made sure to keep fans in the Keystone State busy. The card room has hosted a number of tournaments all throughout the year, with the most recent one, the still ongoing PACOOP which started on September 19.
