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After three days of soft launch and testing, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) gave bet365 casino the green light to launch in the Keystone State.
To launch its sportsbook and online casino in Pennsylvania, bet365 teamed up with Presque Isle Downs & Casino, a subsidiary of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
Besides entering the Pennsylvania online casino market, bet365’s online casino is only available to players in New Jersey. Bet365’s sportsbook, however, is present in 11 states, with the latest launches occurring in Louisiana, Indiana, and North Carolina.
Doug Harbach, who joined the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) in July 2006 and is the communications director, told PlayUSA that bet365 Casino is another “experienced operator” to join the state.
Pennsylvania legalized online sports betting in 2019, accepting many leading operators. With big-name online casinos such as BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel already available in the state, bet365 aims to take its share of this competitive market.
After obtaining the license previously held by TwinSpires in January 2023, bet365 offers its online casino games to PA players.
What did the licensing process look like for bet365 in PA?
Every operator must apply for a gambling license and fulfill the state regulator’s requirements to launch its products and services.
To learn more about the UK market leader’s launch in Pennsylvania, PlayUSA contacted Harbach and the PGCB regarding the licensing criteria.
Why was bet365’s soft launch necessary?
Harbach: “Bet365 can fully operate when ready under the interim authorization. A multi-day “soft launch” would occur so that bet365 and Gaming Control Board staff can be assured that the platform is ready and meets all regulatory requirements before launched to the general public.”
What does the PGCB look for in the license applications from online casino operators interested in entering the market?
Harbach: “The Board would do a review of the applicant’s and its principal’s financial suitability, criminal suitability, and experience.
The Bureau of Licensing’s role in this would be to review the company’s organization and ownership structure to assure all required entities and individuals have filed and provided complete applications. BOL also reviews any market access agreements provided within the application.”
What are the licensing requirements?
Harbach: “All owners and other corporate entities holding a 5% or greater interest, along with officers and directors, must file principal applications with the Gaming Control Board.
Those applications, and those of its affiliated applicants, must be deemed “complete” by the PGCB’s Bureau of Licensing (BOL) before being transmitted to the Bureau of Investigations and Enforcement for background investigations.”
What does the application process include, and how long does it usually last?
Harbach: “The application process includes a detailed review of all applications submitted, BOL will work with the company and its counsel to cure any deficiencies within the applications prior to them being sent for investigation.
The total length of licensure is typically one year from application. This can vary depending on the applicant’s responses to required documentation requests from the Board. As mentioned above, a company can begin operations in Pennsylvania under interim authorization while this process takes place.”
What to expect from the PA online casino market
While Pennsylvania’s online sports betting market launched in November 2018, PA online casinos rolled out in July 2019. With bet365 Casino entering the state as the 22nd iGaming operator, all the leading US gambling operators will now be available to Pennsylvania players.
Harbach said: “The online gaming sector of the gambling markets overseen by the PGCB has seen the most rapid growth in the past several years, including an anticipated rise in revenue during the 2023/24 state fiscal year of over 25% above the previous fiscal year.”
“Continued growth of that level cannot be predicted year over year, but with more players becoming comfortable with gambling online and more gaming sites available, there is an expectation of some continued growth in the foreseeable future.”
Harbach also added that while bet365 is an experienced operator worldwide in other gaming jurisdictions, it is not possible to predict its effect on the established operators in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is one of the most mature and most lucrative iGaming markets. Its revenue from iGaming regularly brings Pennsylvania to the top of legal US states.
Apart from bet365, the PGCB also approved Betr Casino which could launch in the coming months. PA online casino players can also expect to see Mr. Vegas Casino go live by the end of the year.
With all the new names possibly entering the market and since Pennsylvania doesn’t limit the number of operators who can enter the state, we can expect to see the market bloom even more.
