Pennsylvania Gambling and Online Casinos – State of the State

Pennsylvania has become one of the hottest spots for gambling in the nation since its citizens voted to allow slot machines almost ten years ago. Over the past decade, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has been formed and the group has awarded licenses for 11 stand-alone casinos.

In late 2010, Pennsylvania legislators changed the state law, allowing existing casinos to offer table games. By the summer of 2011, table games had become operational in the state. The table games made the Pennsylvania gaming industry a force in the Northeast, and by December, the state had surpassed New Jersey in overall gaming revenue. Pennsylvania continues to be the highest grossing casino state on the East Coast.

Penn National, Harrah’s, and the Mohegan Tribe are some of the major gaming groups that operate casinos in Pennsylvania. The Parx Casino and Meadows Casino have been among the highest grossing slot casinos in the state. Parx is also tops on the list of table game revenue, followed by Sands Bethlehem and Harrah’s.

Pennsylvania is expected to remain on top of the gaming industry in the Northeast, and could further strengthen its stranglehold on that position as lawmakers discuss ways to regulate online casinos.

Currently Pennsylvania does not have any laws against gambling online, nor do they have any regulations for licensing online casino games.

Latest Pennsylvania Casino Gambling News

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Online Casinos for Players from Pennsylvania

Currently, there are no laws on the books regulating online gambling in Pennsylvania, however, there have been discussions between lawmakers regarding the issue. No bill has yet to be produced to regulate online gambling, although several factors have experts believing legislation could be on the horizon.

The first factor could be competition from New Jersey. Pennsylvania has become the second largest gaming state in the US, behind only Nevada. Having passed New Jersey in gaming revenue late in 2011, Pennsylvania has made it clear they want to be the gaming leader in the Northeast. New Jersey legislators are close to passing a bill that would regulate online gambling, making it a logical assumption that Pennsylvania will not be far behind.

The second factor revolves around Mohegan Sun. The tribe has created a partnership with Bally Technologies, a leading online gaming software provider. Mohegan has casinos in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, and when they inked the Bally deal, officials claimed iGaming will be installed at their casinos in both states in preparation of online poker regulations they expect will be coming in the near future.