Its been a great couple of years for the gambling community of Pennsylvania. PA online gambling is now a thing after Gov. Tom Wolf signed the Omnibus Gambling Bill. Now that online activities are available for the gambling community, it would be easier to join the fun in the industry.
The PA Online Gambling Laws
Gambling is one of the biggest tax contributors in the state of Pennsylvania. Although several years of trying were needed, the Omnibus Gambling Law was finally signed last 2017 which legalized online gambling activities such as online poker and online casino. Its been a while since sports betting activities have been offered. Until 2017, the only allowed forms of gambling are land-based casinos, lottery betting, racetracks, and charitable bingo halls.
As of now, online table games and poker will have 14% tax with an additional of 2% local share, which equals to 16%. Online slots will have a 52% rate with the addition of 2% local share for a total of 54%. Sports betting will reap up to 34% and an additional 2% local share for a total of 36%. And last but not least, daily fantasy sports will be taxed at 15%.
Casino Games To Be Expected
As of now, there are 13 PA casinos who have permits to operate online table games and slot machines, with seven of these casinos permitted to operate online poker. Daily fantasy sports will also be available for players. Tablet gaming in certain authorized airports is also coming up along with Video gambling terminals at qualified truck stops.
More PA Online gambling games are expected to be launching this year. In addition, PA online sports betting are already operating and includes FanDuel Sportsbook, BetStars, and SugarHouse Sportsbook. There will also be live studio games that will include all-time favorites such as the roulette and the blackjack. With this in mind, the Random Number Generators of software providers must past the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Who Will Provide The Software?
For online poker, brands such as PokerStars and 888 Poker already made a deal with land-based casinos. Other software providers such as IGT, Scientifica Games, SBTech, and Rush Street Interactive. GAN and Kambi will be working with Parx Casino. In order to get a license fee for poker sites, most of the providers are charging a $10 million licensing fee.
PA Online Gambling Payment Options And Security
As of now, SugarHouse Sportsbook is the only one that launched a betting up, which was launched last May 28. In order to sign up, you need to provide some personal information such as your birthday and partial Social Security number. The player must also be at least 21 years old. This information will be stored in PGCB-approved servers which is both protected to online and real-life threats (such as fire, storm, etc.). PGCB also requires geolocation protocols which will prohibit players from other states to access online games.
As of now, online casinos in PA will include PayPal as a payment option. Some of the operators such as GAN (for Parx Casino), and Rush Street Interactive (for SugarHouse) are expected to also include the payment option in their sites. It is expected that when the market develops, it will also support eCheck or ACH, prepaid cards, credit cards, bank transfers, and PayNearMe.
Parx Casino Will Launch Its Online Sportsbook This Month
Parx Casino, which is one of the biggest racing venue and casino gaming complex in the state, will be launching its online sportsbook this month. It already launched its retail sportsbook last January. Parx Casino is one of the casinos who purchased online slots, house-banked games, and online poker games with a bundle of $10 million from operators.