Pennsylvania Online Gambling Market to Launch July 15

It looks like the state of Pennsylvania will finally launch a regulated online gambling market, and it will most likely take place on July 15 of this year.

This information was also confirmed by the executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), Kevin O’Toole.

He confirmed that all companies that received a license to operate in Pennsylvania will be able to officially launch their casino and poker products in mid-July.

Online Gambling in PA

PA lawmakers already approved the necessary legislation for the launch of online gambling back in October 2017, but haven’t officially launched the market up until now.

There are already 10 PA land-based casinos that are licensed and authorized iGaming certificate holders…

…while there are also three online iGaming operators, and they will all go live on the same day in July.

By launching the online gambling market, the state will Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, which have already regulated iGaming market under their jurisdiction.

Lawmakers from the state of West Virginia have also approved similar legislation and turned their iGaming bill into law…

…but this state won’t be launching a regulated online market until June 2020.

Online and Mobile Sports Betting in PA

Pennsylvania lawmakers have also already approved online and mobile sports betting. A spokesperson from PA Gaming Control Board, Doug Harbach, said that digital sports wagering will be available to the state’s customers in the next two to three weeks.

When it comes to the destiny of online casino and poker in the Keystone state, it actually all depends on the outcome of New Hampshire’s legal fight with the US Department of Justice.

DoJ decided to revise its opinion on the Wire Act in January of this year and announced that it will prohibit all forms of interstate online gambling, and not just sports betting.

The Wire Act Revision

PGCB then suggested all of its online licensees react accordingly and make sure they operate in compliance with DoJ’s new opinion.

But, the problem occurred because most online operations, including the processing of the payments, involve some sort of temporary interstate data routing.

So, then in March, the DoJ decided to delay the enforcement of their new opinion until the middle of June…

…so that all operators get enough time to resolve all things that are necessary in order to work in compliance with the new opinion.

DoJ’s Final Opinion

Just last Thursday, Judge Paul Barbadoro, gave two-week timeframe to the DOJ to give the final decision on how far they want to extend their new opinion.

Before this hearing, DOJ tried to clarify that their new opinion didn’t apply to the state lotteries…

…because they usually rely on cross-border traffic of data.

Barbadoro’s said that a potential ruling in New Hampshire’s favor might only apply within that state. Other states would, on the other hand, be required to mount their own legal challenges of the new opinion.

Nevertheless, the losing party will likely appeal the ruling, and Barbadoro added that the case was “likely going to be resolved by the US Supreme Court either way.”

Source:

“Pennsylvania online gambling market to launch July 15”, Steven Stradbrooke, calvinayre.com, April 17, 2019.