Gambling is practically a national pastime, and with the advent of the internet, it was only a matter of time before online gambling erupted with a fervor. There have been a series of wins in this arena with casinos gradually making legal strides to carve out a piece of the vast online landscape.
Back in August 2018, Pennsylvania became only the fourth state to regulate online poker with their approval of three online gambling licenses. Specifically, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board stamped “approved” on Harrah’s Casino Philadelphia, Parx Casino and Mount Airy Resort Casinos. The Quaker state joins Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware as the only states, surprisingly, that currently allow online poker.
The next step after approval was for the long-established casinos to settle on a going concern that could expertly usher their casinos to the internet. They would need someone to set up a platform for players to visit complete with branding and all the legal musts prescribed by the license. There were a few options out there, and each set out to strike up the right partnership.
Mount Airy and 888 Casino have partnered up to bring Mount Airy Resort Casinos to the online masses. This was expected as the two have an established relationship going back to 2014 that would make the transition smooth sailing. Mount Airy has been involved in promoting the online casino on their premises and engaging in other mutual dealings with 888, so it’s only reasonable that they would work together to bring 888 to PA residents. In fact, this was pretty much a given and had been anticipated for some time.
888 will offer Mount Airy’s poker, slots and sports betting in an easy-to-use, convenient platform. 888 was one of the early pioneers of the online gambling space having set up shop back in 1997. They have fast become one of the most popular go-to spots for nabbing real cash prizes for virtual wins.
Their online selection of games includes Roulette, Blackjack, Video Slots, Classic Slots and of course Video Poker. It only makes sense for an established casino to partner up with an established online casino, instead of trying to build a new website from the ground up.
“It’s official! 888casino is gearing up for players in Pennsylvania,” their site reads. “This exciting news comes hot on the heels [of] the governor’s decision to legalize internet casinos.”
Similarly, the other approved land casinos are striking up deals with online casinos. The licensing agreement as approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board allows for poker, table games and slots. This is obviously a big deal for casinos and those looking to get involved in some online gambling, but let’s not overlook the benefits the state is going to receive as the result of approving the setup.
Each casino will pay 54% tax on all online slot revenue and 36% of all online sports betting. This is after already having paid out an astronomical $10 million per license application. That kind of application fee makes one stop to reconsider. And that was only for the initial applicants. Future applications will come with an even heftier $12 million fee. If they started demanding payment in the form of their first born, I wouldn’t be surprised. It’s estimated that Pennsylvania has already earned close to $400 million since the approval of only three licenses.
Nine casinos submitted license applications in all. The other six are still being reviewed, but approving them can only mean more revenue for the state. There are a total of 13 eligible entities in Pennsylvania so it begs the question why the other four haven’t yet submitted applications. Though, it’s honestly not hard to guess. Most likely it’s due to the high application fee and stop-you-in-your-tracks tax rate. With the majority already in the game, I’m sure the rest will follow suit shortly.
For players not interested in the behind the scenes work that has gone into making it all available, and those of you who are just looking to gamble, you’ll be happy to know that you can register for an account online. You won’t have to show up in person to any of the casinos. Simply visit any of the participating websites like 888Casino.com. and register an account.
It’s pretty common for online casinos to also offer a mobile app to make betting and playing more accessible, and 888 is no exception. A mobile app for your favorite online casino allows for hip-pocket gambling from anywhere.
As more casinos take advantage of the ability to legally provide online gambling, and some of the restrictions on what can be offered are loosened, we should see a lot more from these various partnerships.
