PGCB Approves Golden Nugget PA Online Casino License

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has granted Golden Nugget’s license to launch as a PA online casino.

After approval at the PGCB meeting on Wednesday, Golden Nugget Casino is expected to launch in the Keystone State in the coming months.

While Golden Nugget is entering an already mature market in PA, the brand recognition the company commands certainly doesn’t hurt its chances of success.

Golden Nugget to enter PA online casino market

The PGCB is allowing another online casino to enter the fray. During the PGCB meeting, the board voted to grant Golden Nugget’s online casino petition. Golden Nugget applied as a Qualified Gaming Entity (QGE) on Oct. 26, 2022. The newest online casino does not have a land-based casino partner.

PGCB Director of Communications, Doug Harbach, outlined Golden Nugget’s next steps to PlayPennsylvania:

“The petition approved today conditioned the licensure of Golden Nugget Online Gaming. So, they will not be able to go live until after we license both the company and its principals at an upcoming meeting. As was mentioned in this meeting, the target is to have those in front of the Board in the next month or two.”

Golden Nugget applied for two certificates, one for online slots and the other for online table games, which each cost $4 million.

The competition among PA online casinos is fierce. It’s possible Golden Nugget could be entering the market around the same time as multiple platforms.

Bally Casino PA is the most recent online casino to go live after operating a soft launch earlier this month.

Fanatics Casino is next to launch after the sports merchandise company successfully purchased PointsBet’s US assets earlier this week. Fanatics had to outbid Golden Nugget’s parent company, DraftKings, to win the battle.

Other online casinos coming to the Keystone State soon include WynnBet Casino and bet365 Casino.

Golden Nugget’s brand recognition to help revenue in Pennsylvania

Being under the DraftKings umbrella doesn’t hurt Golden Nugget, but the company has strong brand recognition on its own. With a retail location in Atlantic City, New Jersey, close proximity to the eastern part of Pennsylvania, Golden Nugget will be a recognizable name for PA players.

Golden Nugget was the first online casino to launch in New Jersey in December 2014. Though New Jersey does not break down revenue by individual online casino, launching first clearly helped Golden Nugget’s revenue production.

Golden Nugget also has had success among Michigan online casinos. The gaming company generated $6.9 million in May revenue. Golden Nugget finished fifth in the state behind BetMGM, FanDuel, DraftKings and BetRivers.

Golden Nugget’s brand recognition will help the PA online casino industry even more. PA has posted strong numbers lately, breaking US iGaming records in four of the last eight months:

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
March 2023: $181.5 million*
April 2023: $167.2 million
May 2023: $170.4 million

*indicates US iGaming record

What to expect with Golden Nugget Casino PA

While Golden Nugget is no stranger to the online casino industry, it has an uphill battle to fight in Pennsylvania, with it being at least the 21st online casino.

Golden Nugget is always offering new games and great promotions. Here some deals available in New Jersey that Pennsylvania players can expect:

Level Up: Opt in for a chance to win one of 600 prizes every week. You will need to build points by playing games, and the potential prizes will improve as you collect more points.
Play+ bonus: Sign up for a Play+ prepaid card to receive a $10 casino bonus upon your first deposit.
Super Sidekicks: Refer people to Golden Nugget to receive up to $500 in bonuses if they sign up and start playing games for real money.

Golden Nugget NJ has more than 500 games, with 400 of them being slots. Some of the most popular slots include: