It took more than two years to get from law to launch, but online poker is finally available in Pennsylvania.
Not only that, the state has a fourth online casino, too.
At 2 p.m. EST, PokerStars PA and PokerStars Casino should begin the first of two days of Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board-supervised testing. The hours of testing for those days are 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday and 2 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday.
Be advised you need to be in the state of Pennsylvania in order to download the client.
Should the two days elapse without incident, the PGCB will approve the sites for full launch on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Apps available for poker and casino on iOS and Android
Unlike the other PA online casinos in the state, PokerStars Casino actually has an app for both Android and iOS devices from the jump. Users on Android will need to download directly from the PokerStars.bet site. Meanwhile, iPhone users can find the app in the Apple App Store.
PokerStars Casino will be the second online casino app for iOS available in PA, joining Hollywood Casino. PlaySugarHouse is also accessible on iPhone, but through phone browsers in tandem with the GeoGuard app.
PokerStars offering $30,000 in freerolls in November
PokerStars is offering daily freerolls as well as a giant welcome freeroll on Sunday, Nov. 17, with a $20,000 guaranteed prize pool.
The daily freeroll events will run from Nov. 7-16, with $1,000 prize pools for each tournament.
In the meantime, the game offerings cover a range of games. There is, of course, the standard cash game tables for No-Limit Hold’em, Pot-Limit Omaha, and Limit Hold’em. There are also less popular options, including:
- 8-Game
- Razz
- Triple Draw
- Stud
Now, be warned, that with only 50 concurrent players or so on Day 1, finding opponents to join you at the Razz table will likely be difficult.
Ditto the higher stakes available for cash players. The stakes may go up to $25/$50 for NLH and $100/$200 for limit games, but those tables are empty for now. The biggest game going on the opening afternoon was $2.50/$5 No-Limit Hold’em.
PokerStars Casino features 44 slots, 3 table games
The casino is integrated into the poker client. Players can just tab over to gain access to the PokerStars Casino library of online slots and table games.
The site debuted with 44 titles. They are largely the same choices from NetEnt available on the other three Pennsylvania online casinos, including the Divine Fortune progressive slot.
On the table game front, the site offers versions of blackjack, baccarat, and European roulette.
To make the customer experience even more fluid, players can easily access FOX Bet Sportsbook from within the PokerStars PA client.
Deposit options include Paypal
Initially, PA online casino players didn’t have the e-wallet PayPal as a deposit option. PokerStars has it available from the jump, along with:
- Visa/Mastercard
- Echecks
- PayNearMe
- Stars Transfer
If you already have a FOX Bet account, you should be good to go without having to set up a new username and password. With a shared wallet, you can easily use your FOX Bet balance to play at both PokerStars and on PokerStars Casino games.
FOX Bet and PokerStars have every online gambling base covered
With the launch of PokerStars and its corresponding PokerStars Casino, Mount Airy is now the only casino licensee offering every form of online gambling, including online sports betting.
This feat is not lost on FOX Bet president Matt Primeaux, who highlighted that achievement:
“We’re excited to launch PokerStars as the first and currently the only online poker option available to players in Pennsylvania. Including today’s launch of our highly rated casino product, which is now available in the Fox Bet and PokerStars apps, we’re proud to say we’re currently the only online provider offering all three forms of regulated gaming in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
Like FOX Bet, Mount Airy is excited to be at the forefront of online gambling in Pennsylvania.
“We’re constantly investing in our player experience and, in 2019, that means going beyond brick-and-mortar improvements to bring customers one of the most exciting gaming options available,” said chief operating officer and general manager at Mount Airy Casino Resort Todd Greenberg. “Through strategic partnerships like our affiliation with PokerStars, Mount Airy is committed to offering the most cutting-edge gaming experience possible.”
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