Wednesday’s Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) meeting did eventually shed some light on which PA casinos to expect online July 15.
While Parx Online Casino was already a given, PGCB spokesperson Doug Harbach confirmed to PlayPennsylvania that Hollywood Casino was also ready to soft launch as well.
The two sites will roll out on Monday for live testing. Hollywood launches at 11 a.m. ET, while Parx will go at 5 p.m. ET.
- 100% Up to $250 in Bonus Money
- ONLY 1x Play Through!
- Use Bonus Code: BONUSON
Hollywood and IGT partnered on online casino
Hollywood Casino is new to the online casino scene, but its interactive partner, IGT, is not. The company is a major player in the online slot games, providing titles for a number of properties. Some of the most notable IGT slot titles are:
- Wolf Run
- Wheel of Fortune games
- Cleopatra
- Double Diamond
- Golden Goddess
- Elephant King
When the partnership between the two companies was announced last fall, Managing Director of PIV and Senior Vice President of Penn National Gaming Chris Sheffield spoke highly of what IGT offered:
“We’re excited to leverage IGT’s platform and content for our online gaming launch in Pennsylvania. The flexibility and reliability of the PlayCommand platform, coupled with the proven game library within IGT’s PlayCasino, give us confidence that HollywoodCasino.com will deliver the same caliber of world-class gaming entertainment that our players have come to love in our land-based casinos.”
Hollywood at the forefront of PA gambling expansion
Hollywood is a bit of a surprise player in the PA online casino game. However, its brick-and-mortar location is one that is most likely to benefit from added online casino revenue. The property is located near Harrisburg, PA, not in a major metropolitan area. Padding brick-and-mortar revenue with statewide online casino revenue will likely have a more resonant impact than a Philadelphia-area casino like Parx.
Presumably, Penn’s other PA casino, The Meadows, will also promote the Hollywood Online Casino site.
However, it is worth noting that Hollywood continues to be at the forefront of the gambling expansion in PA. It still does not have an online betting app ready, but it was the first retail sportsbook to open in the state. Penn National does have a betting app in the works in tandem with William Hill Sportsbook.
