HARRISBURG, Pa. - Online gaming in Pennsylvania moves a small step closer to becoming a reality. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the first three certificate holders to offer interactive gaming in the Commonwealth. Now, although three certificates were approved today, they can't offer online gaming just year. The PGCB will continue to pass interactive gaming certificates to other applicants before setting a collective date for when online gaming can begin.
"We also have a good bit of background work to do with other entities, other services, that will partner with these casinos in doing that," said Doug Harbach, PGCB Director of Communications. "And with regulations so while we're getting closer to being able to launch it at this point we're still a little bit down the road from seeing that happen."
The PGCB is offering three different types of gaming certificates; online slot machine play, tables games and poker. Each 13 license holders in the state can petition for a certificate from each category. So far, 11 entities have petitioned for at least two of those certificates, many petitioning for all three. Over the next few meetings held by the PGCB, they will continue to approve a few certificates at a time. Once all certificates have ben approved, that's when the timeline will become more clear as to when we could see online gaming up and running.
"Well I think we continue to move forward trying to get this up and running as quickly as possible to start getting some revenue in," said Harbach. "Then we will come up with a plan to have a mutual launch time for all these casinos and their interactive gaming."
Officials would like to see online gaming up and running by the end of the year.