PA Online Casino Highlights 2020

As the year comes to a close, 2020 has definitely been a memorable year for everyone in Pennsylvania. 

While land-based casinos spent a lot of time in lockdowns trying to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, online casinos thrived. 

Multiple new operators launched in PA, live dealer games made their debut, and online casino revenues broke new records. 

Let's take a look at the highlights of 2020 for online casinos in Pennsylvania. 

COVID-19 Forces Casino Lockdowns 

The gambling industry in PA took a serious hit this year when a rise in COVID-19 cases caused the state to go into a lockdown. 

This resulted in thousands of casino employees losing their jobs temporarily, some permanently, due to the lack of business and money coming in. 

While brick and mortars are trying to survive their worst year, PA online casinos are having their best. 

Online casinos record over $57 million in revenue for November 

As online casinos and sportsbooks were the only legal form of gambling left in the state due to the shutdown, many players had nowhere else to turn. 

In August 2020, online casinos generated almost $56 million in revenue, followed by $57 million in both October and November. 

This time last year, new online casinos launching in PA were only bringing in a few million per month. 

Live Dealer Casinos Debut in PA

One of the biggest new additions to the online casino market in PA is live dealer games.

Players have been waiting patiently for live casinos to launch in Pennsylvania, with Evolution Gaming opening a studio in the state this past year. 

SugarHouse and BetRivers were first to launch a selection of live dealer games by Evolution, including Live Roulette and Live Blackjack. 

Multiple operators added live casino games shortly after the debut, like DraftKings, Hollywood Casino, and Unibet. 

Players can also find a selection of live dealer games at Caesars online casino

New Operators in Pennsylvania 

Out of the 13 online casinos currently live in PA today, 8 of them launched in 2020. 

January was an exceptionally busy month for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control board, as three new online casinos went live in the month. 

These casinos were FanDuel, BetAmerica, and BetRivers. 

After this, there was a pause until May when Caesars and DraftKings both made their online casino debuts, 24 hours apart. 

In the winter months, three more online casinos launched, including Wind Creek, PlayLive! Casino, and BetMGM. 

Golden Nugget, one of the largest operators in New Jersey, was expected to join the PA market by the end of 2020 as well but unfortunately, didn't make it. 

In 2021, it's predicted to be the first casino of the year to launch online.