Mount Airy is the third Pennsylvania casino group to make public plans for sports betting.
The property has entered into a partnership with The Stars Group (TSG) — the parent company of PokerStars — that covers PA sports betting and online gambling. Mount Airy is one of nine PA casinos that applied for the full suite of interactive permits last month.
Friday’s joint press release provides confirmation of a long-standing industry rumor linking the two parties.
PokerStars in Pennsylvania
Thanks to its recent SkyBet acquisition, TSG is the largest public gambling company in the world. Its online poker platform has served as the gold standard for a decade.
The group is still finding its way back into domestic markets following the Black Friday exodus in 2011, and executive Matt Primeaux said TSG will continue to “broaden its presence” in the US.
In partnership with Mount Airy Casino Resort, we believe we’re well positioned to capitalize on opportunities in the Commonwealth by bringing our world leading offerings to Pennsylvania players.
TSG also has a long-term relationship with Resorts Atlantic City in New Jersey, offering online poker and casino games under the PokerStars brand. The two recently expanded their partnership to include plans for an NJ sports betting skin.
PokerStars and PokerStars Casino are coming to Pennsylvania, which should pique the interest of online poker players. TSG will no doubt look to share liquidity between its two US markets, creating a multistate poker network to compete with WSOP / 888.
The group will use its BetStars brand for sports gambling, and it intends to offer a single, shared wallet across all online verticals.
Pennsylvania partnerships coming together
This partnership is the third confirmed for PA online gambling.
Rush Street owns both SugarHouse and Rivers, and it entered into a deal with Kambi in May. In July, Parx extended its partnership with GAN to include a sports betting platform.
Mount Airy makes three, and it has aligned itself with one of the giants. Vice President of Marketing & Gaming Operations Vincent Jordan said TSG was was the clear choice.
As one of Pennsylvania’s leaders in entertainment, offering internet sports wagering and gaming and partnering with The Stars Group is the obvious next step for us to continue diversifying our casino offerings.
Introducing internet gaming through The Stars Group will provide compelling opportunities for our customers, particularly our younger customers, who are ready to experience the next gaming challenge.
Harrah’s will almost certainly offer sports betting, as well. Parent company Caesars has a new partnership with Scientific Games in NJ which figures to extend across the border. The remaining PA casinos have yet to disclose their plans.
PA sports betting licenses cost $10 million apiece, and revenue is taxed at an effective rate of 36 percent — more than five times the rate for Nevada sports betting.
At last update, the PA Gaming Control Board was still waiting to receive its first petitions for sports betting.
