Pennsylvania residents will have a bona fide sports gambling option through land-based, online and mobile platforms thanks to an agreement with Mount Airy Casino.
We recently reported that The Stars Group, parent company to PokerStars, struck a deal with Mount Airy Casino to offer online casino and poker platforms to residents. This deal also includes sports betting provisions.
According to Mount Airy, their plan is to launch sports betting as soon as their official license is granted by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
The Stars Group is the largest public gambling technology provider in the world. They are known for their online poker platform and are using their success to pivot into the sports betting industry.
TSG plans to use its proprietary technology to develop a simple account management system for PA residents. This will include a digital wallet, several deposit and withdrawal options and a large selection of casino, poker and sports betting line offerings. All of which will be managed through a single account.
According to a press release, TSG and Mount Airy Casino Resort “intend to launch the offerings following applicable licensing by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.”
Pennsylvania recently became one of the first states to legalize sports gambling. Since then, there have been nine different applicants for a sports betting license. Three of these casinos struck a deal with iGaming providers. Aside from Mount Airy, Rush Street (owns SugarHouse and Rivers) partnered with Kambi. Parx amended their agreement with GAN to include provisions for sports betting.
With a licensing fee of $10 million and a 36% tax rate on sports betting revenue—more than five times the amount of Nevada’s sports gambling—these PA casinos are committing a lot of money. However, the nine applicants show that these conditions are not a deterrent.
TSG already has holdings in New Jersey. This creates an interstate network applicable to online poker player pools. An interstate sports betting network remains to be seen.
The Stars Group sees this as a springboard for future growth in the United States sports betting market. If things go well in Pennsylvania, more partnerships could be forged between authorized casinos in other states. Matt Primeaux, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations, USA at TSG, expressed this following the news of the Mount Airy deal.
“We’re excited to take this next step as The Stars Group looks to broaden its presence in the United States.”