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Pennsylvania’s Poker Revolution Gains Momentum with #GrowPAPoker Movement

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Kelley N.

Players, industry insiders, and activists from Pennsylvania’s online poker community came together this week in a historic display of unity for the #GrowPAPoker campaign, marking a historic juncture for this community. Starting on May 7th, when word got out about this effort, the whole poker community came together on X to show their support. Together, these groups worked to rally support for the campaign and get it off the ground.

Protesters gathered outside the Pennsylvania State Capitol, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, with placards reading “Let Pennsylvania Poker Flourish” and “Shared Liquidity Now” and wearing poker-themed outfits. By all accounts, this was the most effective means of attracting the attention of powerful legislators who could do anything about it.

To keep the ball rolling, PokerStars PA invited all registered players to a special freeroll event that they were conducting during the week. This action emphasized the value of the #GrowPAPoker campaign and emphasized the role that operator support plays in propelling the expansion of online poker.

Why #GrowPAPoker?

If Pennsylvania were to be included in the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA), the state would be allowed to combine its player pools with those of other member jurisdictions, such as Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, and Delaware. This would pave the way for online poker to keep growing in the US.

The group’s overarching goal is to increase operator income and player numbers by getting shared liquidity in online poker legalized. But is that all?

Shared liquidity is being proposed at a critical moment for the online poker scene in Pennsylvania, which has seen only modest growth since it started in 2019. Proponents argue that operators would benefit from an increased player pool and stronger income streams as a result of integration with nearby jurisdictions like Nevada and New Jersey. Also, they are confident that players would also enjoy getting a more exciting and dynamic gaming experience.

Big Day for US Poker

Pushing Pennsylvania to join the MSIGA is, in some ways, also an essential first step in reviving the US online poker scene. More players means more traffic, more tournament guarantees, and more tax income for the states. Additionally, this cooperative effort may act as an inspiration for other states to think about regulating online poker, which would support the growth of the industry across the country.

So far, the results are looking good. The activists vowed to keep fighting for shared liquidity until it becomes a legal requirement in Pennsylvania. With the support of legislators, industry leaders, and a committed player base, the #GrowPAPoker campaign is about to have a lasting impact on the future of online poker in the state.

PokerStars COOP Series Coming to Three Different States in September

Posted on September 4, 2021September 1, 2021 by Kelley N.

Poker lovers in the United States who may be feeling left out of all the action in PokerStars’ World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) have something to smile about. While they are still not able to access the dot come version of the poker room and participate in the tournament, the operator has found a way to cater to them. The company has recently announced that it will be running Champions of Online Poker (COOPs) in three different states.

That said, poker lovers in Michigan, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, the three states, will be able to simultaneously enjoy some special tournament action. This will run from September 10 through September 27. But that is not the only great news that the players should look forward to.

Amazing Prize Pools

According to the operator, the total guaranteed prize pools across the three states will be a whopping $4.5 million. Players who will be participating in the Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP) will take the biggest share of the prize pool. That is $2 million in guaranteed prizes which will be won across a total of 69 events.

Coming in second will be the Michigan Championship of Online Poker (MICOOP). This is promising $1.5 million in guaranteed prize pools for its 68 events. The New Jersey Championship of Online Poker (NJCOOP) will be offering $1 million in guaranteed prizes that will be won over a total of 60 events.

All the Main Event winners during the tournament will receive a PokerStars trophy. In addition to that, there are a few special COOP events whose winners will also receive trophies. The guarantees for these Main Events are as follows:

$200,000 for PACOOP
$150,000 for MICOOP
$100,000 for NJCOOP

How To Get In

If you are looking to participate in any of the state poker events, you will be happy to know that the buy-ins for most events will be quite reasonable. Most of them will be below $100. However, they could range from as low as $10 to as high as $100. All the Main Events will have buy-ins of $300. That’s not too bad. They will also be running for two days starting from September 26.

To help their customers get in on the poker action, PokerStars is also hosting several promotions till September 26. All that the players need to do is participate in the operator’s special $3 Spin & Go’s. With that, they stand a chance of winning the $300 COOP Main Event tickets.

PokerStars Pennsylvania Celebrates Anniversary with Tournament Series

Posted on November 4, 2020November 5, 2020 by Kelley N.

It has been one whole year since PokerStars made its debut in the Keystone State. Since its launch, the online poker platform has recorded very strong numbers in terms of revenue as well as the number of visitors. More and more players have been welcomed to the platform and with the pandemic, there was a significant surge in traffic which further cemented PokerStars’ position as the go-to online poker destination for poker lovers in the Keystone State. This can also partly be attributed to its monopoly in that particular marker – this is, however, set to come to an end very soon as other online poker operators are already making plans to join the state’s gaming market.

Meanwhile, PokerStars is marking its 1st anniversary in the state by offering its customers the chance to participate in a fun and exciting tournament series that will be running all through November. Referred to as the Pennsylvania 1st Anniversary Series, the event series will run from November 8 to November 15. During this period, poker players will be able to play across 35 events for a chance of winning a portion of the $1 million guaranteed prize.

The Highlights

The schedule for the tournament is pretty packed to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate. The main highlight will, however, be the $100-entry Main Event which boasts of a guaranteed prize pool of a whopping $200,000.

In addition to that, there are lots of other exciting events that players can participate in. The operator has made it easy for the customers to grab over $10,000 in tickets to the events. These can be grabbed in seven freerolls and players can qualify for those for as little as $1.

Some of the other notable events on the massive schedule include the $100 Sunday Special that will go down on November 8. This has a guaranteed prize of $100,000. There is also the ‘Mini’ Main Event that will go down on November 15 and carries a guaranteed prize pool of $25,000. Moreover, there is the amazing $50 phased tournaments that will be running throughout the duration of the tournament series and has a guaranteed prize of $50,000.

Competition on The Way

As mentioned earlier, PokerStars has had a monopoly in the Keystone State’s online poker market ever since it was launched. This is about to come to an end as other poker operators that have been eyeing the state are inching closer to launching their poker offerings. However, if the high traffic that PokerStars boasts of is anything to go by, the operator does not have much to worry about.

PokerStars Goes Live in Pennsylvania

Posted on November 4, 2019 by Kelley N.

Online poker has been one of the most anticipated pieces of the Keystone State’s expanded gambling plans. After months of waiting and several setbacks, the online poker industry is finally set to kick off with the launch of PokerStars’ online poker room. The poker operator which is best known as one of the world’s leading online poker operators will be starting off its Pennsylvanian operations with the launch of a toned-down version of its poker site. This is because the launch which is scheduled for November 4 will be a soft-launch and will, therefore, involve a few tests that will be overseen by the PGCB.

Licensed Under Mount Airy

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has already stated that its staff members are ready to oversee the test launch of an online gaming site. While the boar’s spokesperson did not reveal any specific details about the yet-to-be-launched online gambling operation, he did mention that the operation is licensed under Mount Airy Casino.

If you have been keeping an eye on the Keystone State gambling expansion, then you already know that Mount Airy is the official land-based casino partner of PokerStars.

Public Tests

The state’s gambling laws require all regulated operations to undergo a public test period before the official launch. During the test period, the regulator will be tasked with determining whether PokerStars is a good fit for the market and if it is it will be given the green light for a full launch. Some of the aspects that will be evaluated include the geolocation tools that are used by the operator as well as the fairness fo the games offered.

This test phase will last for two to three days after which the regulator will deliver a verdict regarding whether the operator can launch full operations or not. There is quite a bit of optimism that PokerStars will pass the tests. After all, it already has experience in the business and therefore it will certainly utilize this in the state. If all goes well, by next week Pennsylvanian poker enthusiasts will have full access to a robust and fully-featured online poker offering.

Is Mobile Gaming on the Way?

Unfortunately, there is no information suggesting that PokerStars is even thinking of a mobile poker app for the Pennsylvanian market. While the online poker site is definitely going to be responsive enough to work across a wide range of devices, mobile gaming has been gaining a lot of popularity in the state. More and more people are switching to available gambling apps and hopefully, there will be a mobile poker option. While there is no mention of the app and considering PokerStars’ history of starting things off with online gambling, it should not be long before something comes up. Keep your fingers crossed.

First Three Online Poker Licenses Handed Out in PA

Posted on August 23, 2018August 23, 2018 by Kelley N.

It was only in July that Pennsylvania casinos were required to submit their online gambling applications, and progress is quickly being made. The first three online casino licenses have been handed out, with Parx, Mount Airy and Harrah’s being the first three venues to be given the go-ahead to launch online gaming services.

PA Poker Partners

Parx Casino is home to the biggest and most profitable poker room in Pennsylvania. So, when it comes to offering online poker services, it is likely going to be the first one to see significant success. The players that already visit Parx Casino to play poker in person will likely sign up to its online poker site.

The company that Parx will be partnering with is GAN, a UK-based gaming operator that runs a number of sites in Europe. The two companies will be working together to build an online gaming platform that will engage Pennsylvanian players. The only drawback seems to be that GAN has focused more on betting and casino games rather than poker so, from a software perspective, the other casino licensees in PA may have an advantage.

One such company is Mount Airy, who has partnered with PokerStars. Together, they will launch PokerStars PA – which will be a tough brand to compete with. PokerStars is one of the most recognised online poker brands in the world so, even though Parx is a more popular land-based venue, its online brand may struggle to captivate local players.

Finally, there’s Harrah’s, which is associated with Caesars Entertainment. As such, the company’s online poker site is most likely to operate on World Series of Poker software. Like PokerStars, this is a widely recognized brand name, so there is going to be some steep competition among Harrah’s and Mount Airy. So, Parx will have to work hard to capture a significant portion of Pennsylvania’s online poker market.

Still a Long Way to Go

While three online casino licenses have been granted, there are still six more applications in need of processing. On top of all this, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board will also have to vet the online gaming partners of the local casinos. So, while things are moving along quickly, it is still going to take a few months before Pennsylvania players will have the chance to play poker and other casino games online.

Once everything is all ready to go, Pennsylvania will benefit hugely from the introduction of online gambling. Licensees are required to pay $10 million for their licensing see, and they will be tax 16% on all table games and poker activities. A 54% tax will apply for slots and a 36% tax will apply for sports betting. Daily fantasy sports will be permitted, as well, with a tax of 15%.

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