Pennsylvania live dealer games have taken online casinos to the next level.
Over the last several months, PA online casinos have broken numerous revenue records. Pennsylvania recorded the second-highest revenue figure of all time in February, coming in at $162.3 million.
The popularity of online casinos has increased since operators started to offer live dealer games.
BetMGM PA online casino, in partnership with Hollywood Penn National, provided PlayPennsylvania with some feedback on what makes live dealer games so popular.
The growth of PA online casinos and live dealer games
Pennsylvania became the second state in the country to cross the $4 billion threshold in lifetime online casino revenue. New Jersey is the only other state to do so. Pennsylvania has brought $1.2 billion in tax revenue to the Keystone State.
There will be 19 online casinos to gamble on, with Bally PA online casino as the next one coming. PlayStar PA online casino and Golden Nugget PA are launching later in 2023.
As new apps are arriving, PA is hitting its peak in online casino revenue. Over the last five months PA casinos hit at least $150 million, with the Keystone State breaking records for three straight months to end 2022:
- October 2022: $151.7 million
- November 2022: $155.9 million
- December 2022: $166.9 million
- January 2023: $160.3 million
- February 2023: $162.3 million
As the online casino market is continuing to grow, maybe the peak hasn’t been reached yet.
BetMGM is betting on the online casino market and live dealer games to continue growing.
“As the nation’s iGaming market leader, live dealer will continue to be a major focus of BetMGM’s offerings in Pennsylvania and beyond,” Oliver Bartlett, BetMGM Director of Gaming, told PlayPennsylvania. “Looking ahead, I expect an even more diverse portfolio of games, more Blackjack tables to keep up with demand, and some new ways we can reward our players for their loyalty. We also look forward to a continued great partnership between BetMGM and Evolution.”
Most popular PA live dealer games
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) mentioned in its FY 2021/2022 report that live dealer games accounted for approximately 50% of online table games revenue generated in Pennsylvania.
Much of that growth is because of the wide array of games available to players.
Here are the options available on BetMGM:
- Blackjack
- Craps
- American Roulette
- Lightning Roulette
- Three Card Poker
- Texas Hold ‘Em
Live dealer games, powered by Evolution Gaming, have increased offerings over the past several months. BetMGM has been able to add live dealer Lightning Roulette in May and live dealer craps in August.
Bartlett provided background on the most popular live dealer games at BetMGM’s online casino:
“Blackjack is the most popular live dealer game in Pennsylvania. We are always working with our partners at Evolution to manage capacity to ensure we have enough seats for the number of Pennsylvanians who want to play. Live Craps has also been huge since launching last August, it’s our second-most popular game. It’s an engaging version of the game with a slick speakeasy feel and a dynamic stats board, so that players can see how the rest of the table is betting.”
Bartlett also said that BetMGM has more than 30 blackjack tables.
Pennsylvania live dealer games used for practice
The lack of intimidation is part of the appeal to live dealer games. Players can participate from the comfort of their own home and don’t face the pressure of in-person interaction, especially for novice players.
“The well-paced gameplay, ability to play at home, while having time to familiarize yourself with the rules and nuances of each game is the perfect learning environment ahead of hitting brick-and-mortar casinos,” Bartlett said.
The dealers who are part of live dealer games are incredibly important in creating a positive experience for a player. Dealers often leave good impressions on players, so many decide to leave positive comments on the message board for them.
“I’m often told at various events about specific dealers that our customers love and tips on how we might continue to improve,” Bartlett said. “This type of feedback is invaluable.”
It’s important for operators to listen to players in order to push growth of online casinos and live dealer games forward.
