Parx is set to launch the first real money online casino in Pennsylvania on Monday, July 15, opening a new era in the state’s gaming market. But while gamblers will be able to play games on their phones and computers starting then, poker players may still be out of luck for a while.
On the Parx website, the operator touts the fact that they will be launching their online service for both desktop and mobile play at 2 pm on Monday.
At Least Two Operators Set to Launch
The page, which includes a second-by-second countdown until the moment the internet games launch, advertises slots, table games, video poker and live dealer games. It also makes mention of online sports betting. But online poker is conspicuously absent from the promoted offerings.
That date only represents a soft launch, but assuming there are no problems, a full launch will likely follow within a few days. According to a report by PennBets.com, Penn National is also planning on getting their operations up and running on Monday, and at least one more operator might get in on opening day as well.
We are working with several operators who could be ready for testing next week,” Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) spokesperson Doug Harbach told PennBets.com. “There is the possibility that a third could be ready, but that decision would occur just before the 15th, if at all. Otherwise, additional test periods for operators who are ready will occur in the coming weeks.”
The reasoning behind the further delay for online poker isn’t clear, but there are a couple reasons why virtual poker rooms might be a ways off.
Cause Unclear for Pennsylvania Poker Delay
First, there’s the ongoing uncertainty over the Justice Department’s interpretation of the Wire Act. Thanks to a ruling by US District Court Judge Paul Barbadoro, the DOJ is on the defensive again, having to respond to a ruling that found the Wire Act is best read as applying only to sports betting.
That means that even if the federal government ultimately wins and gets the Wire Act to apply to all forms of interstate gambling, enforcement of that interpretation most likely won’t begin until at least 2020.
But back in January, the PGCB informed operators that they needed to comply with the DOJ interpretation by making sure all poker operations were conducted entirely in-state. Compliance with those rules – or confusion over whether they still apply – could theoretically be slowing attempts to get poker rooms up and running.
More likely, however, is that poker simply isn’t a top priority for operators. There’s no reason to think that Pennsylvania’s online gaming market will be altogether different from other states, which means that most of the money will be made from sports betting and online casinos. That would mean that poker players in the state will simply have to wait until operators get around to implementing poker – as well as hope that Pennsylvania can join into interstate compacts to create as large a player pool as possible.
