Inside Gaming: Pennsylvania Readies for Online Casinos' Soft Launch
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Two (or Three) Pennsylvania Online Casinos Prepared for Monday Launch
Online poker players in Pennsylvania have been eyeing next Monday on the calendar since the spring when the state's regulators announced that the "live period for interactive gaming will commence on July 15, 2019."
More specifically, it was mid-April when Kevin O'Toole, executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board revealed the 10 iGaming certificate holders and three iGaming operators in the state of the July 15 commencement date when online games could go live. That news came about a year-and-a-half after the state's passage of legislation to expand gambling in the state, including online.
So... Monday is almost here. Who is ready to launch their online casino?
Penn Bets reports that "two, possibly three casinos" are expected to launch on Monday. According to Doug Harbach of the PGCB, Parx Casino is ready for at least a soft launch of its online casinos on Monday, with Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course "also working toward being ready."
Additionally, "a third could be ready, but that decision would occur just before the 15th," Harbach explained. Penn Bets speculates that Rush Street Gaming, operator of the SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh could also be set to go on Monday. Both of those casinos already have had online sports betting up and running �� SugarHouse since late May, Parx since late June.
The soft launch would entail sites being open for game play for limited hours in order to control traffic and be able to test payment mechanisms, geolocation, and other legally required measures.
While the new online casinos are expected to offer both slots and various table games, it's unclear at present whether online poker will be available right away.
Pokerfuse has reported that PokerStars "is likely to launch its online poker room" in Pennsylvania on Monday, although there have been no other indications from those involved that such will occur. PokerStars' parent company The Stars Group partnered with the Mount Airy Casino in Pocono last year.
More than eight years after Black Friday, legal and regulated online poker is currently being played in just three U.S. states �� Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.
A good resource to follow the online gambling-related goings-on in the Keystone State is Play Pennsylvania, in particular their constantly updated launch date page tracking online casinos and sportsbooks in the state.
Eldorado Sells Two More Properties Following Caesars Merger
There's more follow-up to share regarding the big industry story of the summer (so far) �� that is, last month's deal between Eldorado Resorts Inc. and Caesars Entertainment Corp. that saw Eldorado acquire and merge with Caesars in a cash-and-stock agreement worth $17.3 billion (plus debt).
Not unexpectedly, Eldorado announced yesterday an intention to sell a couple of properties, likely the first of several such moves designed to free up cash to help pay off both its own debt and what it is taking on from Caesars.
Las Vegas Review-Journal reports Eldorado has agreed to sell both the Isle of Capri Casino in Kansas City, Missouri and the Lady Luck Casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. of Rhode Island is the buyer with the price tag $230 million in cash. The sale is expected to close in early 2020.
Eldorado had already unloaded three smaller casinos in June just prior to the merger announcement, selling the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau (in Missouri), the Lady Luck Casino Caruthersville (also in Missouri), and Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort (in West Virginia) to Century Casinos Inc. for a total of $385 million.
Even after the new sale, the newly-merged company which will be called Caesars still has around 60 different assets altogether, including nine Las Vegas Strip properties.
Speculation continues about which of those properties might become available for sale. Regarding other areas, LVRJ refers to analyst Brad Boyer saying he expects further sales, such as in Louisiana where Eldorado and Caesars currently own three properties each.
North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Sports Betting Bill
Finally, there are a couple of stories involving gambling legislation currently developing in North Carolina to pass along.
First, a sports betting bill previously passed by the state Senate made it through a House committee this week, meaning it could soon be voted upon by that chamber and sent onward to Governor Roy Cooper for his signature.
As The News & Observer reports, the current bill would only allow betting on sports and horse racing at the two Eastern Band of Cherokee casinos located in the westermost part of the state. As Representative Kevin Corbin explained, the bill would not "legalize sports betting and gambling in North Carolina," but only would "add this to the list of games that are allowed" already in the state's only casinos.
Back in April, the state Senate passed the sports betting bill by a vote of 43-7.
Meanwhile yesterday another bill was passed by the entire House that allows the creation of a consolidated state commission to oversee all gambling-related activities in the state. The new nine-member North Carolina Gaming Commission would also take over duties currently belonging to the state's lottery commission.
According to the Associated Press, the bill which passed the House by a 86-26 margin had earlier contained a provision formally legalizing daily fantasy sports, but that language was dropped. Remaining in the bill, however, is another item requiring the new commission to study the pros and cons of authorizing betting on sports and steeplechases.
In May lawmakers in NC passed a different "charity casino" bill allowing charities in the state to host "game nights" with casino games and alcohol. In that case, only charity casinos in close proximity to the two Cherokee casinos are excluded from being able to offer the games.
The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media.
Photo: "Pa. Welcome Sign, McKean County" (adapted), CC0.
