Penn Entertainment has debuted its Hollywood Casino standalone online casino app in Pennsylvania, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the company’s digital segment.
Until Wednesday, gamblers looking for Penn’s online casino offering had to find it in the ESPN Bet online sportsbook. That was a “messy” process, Penn CEO Jay Snowden said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.
“What we’re doing right now is messy, because you’re marketing to your land-based casino database at Hollywood properties and telling them that they should download the ESPN Bet app to play their favorite slot machine,” Snowden said. “So it’s messy, and we know that this is a big opportunity.”
The PA online casino launch beat Penn’s expectations. Snowden previously said the app would begin rolling out in the first quarter of 2025.
Hollywood Casino brand resonates
Penn operates 19 casinos in nine states that fall under the Hollywood brand.
Along with Pennsylvania, both Michigan and West Virginia have legal iGaming and Hollywood-branded properties, so future launches should follow quickly in both states.
“We look forward to bringing this enhanced Hollywood Casino experience to more iCasino markets in early 2025, pending regulatory approvals,” said Aaron LaBerge, Penn’s chief technology officer, whom it hired from its sports betting partner, Disney.
Online casino still growing in old states
LSR Analyst Eric Ramsey broke down the October performances of the top three US online casino markets — Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania — as all hit new revenue records despite the markets being years old.
Those records were not an anomaly. All three states set new revenue records in November, too.
Legalizing online casino gambling is certainly on the minds of states. Louisiana, Maryland and Wyoming have all discussed iGaming for their states, though it could take multiple tries to get legislation across the finish line.
The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States also released an iGaming legislation framework to help guide its members looking to legalize.
