Editor update: ESPN Bet will now be coming out with the online casino under Hollywood Online Casino in PA.
The barstool online casino PA app from Penn National Gaming will be live in Pennsylvania on Wednesday if everything goes according to plan. A two-day test period — or soft launch — began Monday where players can sign up and play during limited hours.
According to Doug Harbach, communications director for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the online casino will test Monday and Tuesday and players can access the app from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days. When given final approval, the app will be operational 24/7 in Pennsylvania beginning Wednesday.
In a separate email to PennStakes.com, Barstool Sports Director of Communications Jacqueline Giaccio said, “Barstool Sports & Penn National Gaming will be launching the iCasino within the Barstool Sportsbook app in Pennsylvania on Wednesday afternoon. This will be our second state with iCasino, the other being Michigan.”
When Barstool officially launches, it will become the 16th of the online casinos in Pennsylvania. In addition to Pennsylvania, online casino games are legal in New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia and Michigan.
Two new online poker sites went live in Pennsylvania last week, joining Pokerstars Casino PA in the state’s online market. After a two-day testing period, BetMGM announced on April 29 the official launch of BetMGM Casino PA and Borgata Poker in Pennsylvania.
The test period for the poker apps began April 27 for both sites: BetMGM iGaming (licensee: Hollywood Casino Grantville) and Borgata iGaming (licensee: Rivers Philadelphia). Pennsylvania is the third state to introduce BetMGM Poker and the second to introduce Borgata Poker, both powered by partypoker U.S. Network.
CHECK OUT: Free Online Slots in Pennsylvania
PA Was First State for Barstool Sportsbook
In September 2020, Barstool launched its app for online sports betting in Pennsylvania, the first state it went live in.
Monday’s announcement about online casino comes right after Penn National Gaming, which is based in Pennsylvania, announced that it has established Penn Game Studios, an in-house content development team focused on creating exclusive iCasino content.
It also announced that it has acquired Massachusetts-based HitPoint Studios and its spun-off real money gaming company, LuckyPoint, to help with the in-house studio development.
