The Golden Nugget Casino has applied for online slots and table game licenses. It is part of a program put together by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to allow out-of-state operators to offer online gaming to players within Pennsylvania.
The Golden Nugget applied as a Qualified Gaming Entity (QGE). This is the same license that MGM recently applied for, though that also included a provision for online poker.
The Golden Nugget did not apply for an online poker license, so that will not be part of its Pennsylvania online gaming offering moving forward.
As per PGCB regulations, all QGE’s need to be “in good standing in another gaming jurisdiction,” and within that jurisdiction they must already “provide similar protection for players as what Pennsylvania law dictates.” The Golden Nugget fits the bill, as it is already a market leader in the online casino market over in New Jersey.
The window for QGEs has now closed, with only these two New Jersey operators known to have applied.
Ties with Rivers & SugarHouse Casino
The law dictates that any QGE must have a partnership with a land-based PA casino. Here the Golden Nugget may already be a step ahead of the game.
The Golden Nugget already has ties with Rush Street Gaming, operator of two Pennsylvania casinos, Rivers Casino and SugarHouse Casino. It brought its SugarHouse brand online in New Jersey utilizing the the Golden Nugget license.
Given this existing relationship, it could mean the partnership extends into Pennsylvania..
It is less clear if any partnership will be leveraged with Rivers Casino, as in early October it gave back the licenses that would have allowed it to offer online gaming, seemingly opting to focus on online sports betting instead.
Nine Land Based PA Casinos Now Approved To Offer Online Games
In the recent PGCB hearing on October 31 two more bricks and mortar casinos got the go ahead to offering a suite of online games to its customers.
Presque Isle and Stadium Casino were the two casinos who got their licenses approved, bringing the grand total of casinos that will be able to offer online games to nine.
However, like Golden Nugget, both Presque Isle and Stadium Casino opted to leave online poker alone and only applied for online slots and table game licenses.
