BetMGM Enters Online Gaming Market in Pennsylvania

The state-by-state regulation of online casinos industry has seen several operations move into certain states but not others. Caesars Entertainment has quickly moved into every area in which it is eligible, establishing the company as an unofficial leader in the US industry. BetMGM is now looking to close that gap after opening its casino gaming operations in Pennsylvania.

Third State for BetMGM

Earlier this week, BetMGM, in partnership with Bragg Gaming Group, threw the switch on full online casino operations in the Granite State. This was the third operation that BetMGM and Bragg Gaming have partnered to enter, with previous experience working together in New Jersey and Michigan. It is a partnership that has been mutually beneficial to both companies.

“We’re delighted to strengthen our existing collaboration with BetMGM to a third US state, as part of our ongoing drive to provide the highest quality content to players in the US iGaming market,” Garrick Morris, the Senior Vice President from Bragg Gaming Group, stated during the opening ceremonies. 

“In developing high-quality, engaging content, we want to contribute to the long-term success of our partners and, more importantly, provide a gaming experience that is exceptional for players.”

Oliver Bartlett, the Vice President of Gaming, Product & Casino Operations at BetMGM, echoed Morris’ comments. “Bragg has been a great partner for BetMGM in Michigan and New Jersey, and it's exciting to now be able to expand that relationship to Pennsylvania. We’re confident that players in Pennsylvania will embrace this new online casino content, which has proven to be popular in other regulated markets, with players already familiar with these titles from the land-based sector.”

But What About Nevada?

Even with the new operations in Pennsylvania, there is still a question that faces MGM Resorts – what will they do in the state of Nevada?

Nevada is the only state in the US that features online poker but not full casino operations. As such, Caesars Entertainment has run a monopoly since its inception in 2013, save for its first year of operation (two other online poker companies went under in that brief period). 

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has long wanted a competitor to step up and offer its constituents an alternative to WSOP.com, but that has yet to come and probably will not be seen until 2025 at the earliest.

The NGCB gave an extension to two companies that had online poker licenses that were unused in April. In those April hearings, MGM Resorts – the ownership of BetMGM – and Z4Poker both were granted extensions, meaning they would not have to initiate operations of an online poker site in the state until 2025. Part of the reason for this extension, at least in MGM Resorts’ case, was the development of their Pennsylvania operations.

Chandler Pohl, the attorney for MGM Resorts, indicated in that April meeting that “we have a few projects related to sports betting” that were delaying the implementation of poker operations in Nevada. Pohl said that, once those projects were complete, MGM would then focus on online poker development. However, that drew the ire of the NGCB Chairman.

With the kickoff of operations in Pennsylvania, BetMGM joins PokerStars and Caesars Entertainment as the only companies that have successfully entered several states with online poker and casino gaming options. It is also a lucrative business; the online gaming industry in the US made $19.14 billion in 2023 and is projected to earn upward of $33.15 billion by 2028, according to Statista.