Pennsylvania The Latest State To Offer Online Poker!!

[USCPHILLYGUY]

Bill just passed today

https://www.onlinepokerreport.com/us/pa/

[PeterJohnson]

Finally! Now i can play on Pokerstars again.

Bill just passed today



https://www.onlinepokerreport.com/us/pa/

[jtoler]

What does this mean.

[RudyRuetigger]

What does this mean.

figured a democrat would ask this

it means Pennsylvania is the latest to offer online poker

[PeterJohnson]

Actually looks like Pokerstars still might not be available because of the processing method but im not sure if PS accepts Bitcoin as a deposit method.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

What does this mean.

it means that phillyguy will be in his undies all day and getting all meals delivered

[jtoler]

figured a democrat would ask this

it means Pennsylvania is the latest to offer online poker

(Not a democrat) Guess Im a little confused, what was stopping people living in Penn. before from playing online?

[thechaoz]

(Not a democrat) Guess Im a little confused, what was stopping people living in Penn. before from playing online?

Exactly. It won't be the international player pool

[badgerguy]

Not fair

[jjgold]

helps but they need all 50 states pooled together

[RudyRuetigger]

(Not a democrat) Guess Im a little confused, what was stopping people living in Penn. before from playing online?

bro you changed this post 3 times

I'm not answering it all

[USCPHILLYGUY]

it means that phillyguy will be in his undies all day and getting all meals delivered

If Poker Stars NJ has no issue with traffic, cant see why it would be an issue in PA

[PeterJohnson]

(Not a democrat) Guess Im a little confused, what was stopping people living in Penn. before from playing online?

What Americas Cardroom, BOL, Black Chip Poker ...... Basically the main reason is it opens it up to all the biggest named sites for online poker like Pokerstars, 888, Party Poker, etc more $$$ out there more bang for your buck.

[jtoler]

bro you changed this post 3 times

I'm not answering it all

Hence the confusion.

[PeterJohnson]

If Poker Stars NJ has no issue with traffic, cant see why it would be an issue in PA

PokerStars may be blocked due to the bill’s bad actor clause. The bad actor clause is the result of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Passed in 2006, it prohibited banks from processing transactions from illegal gambling businesses. PokerStars was one of a handful of online poker sites still operating after UIGEA’s passage, and eventually indicted by the Department of Justice on April 15, 2011; known to the poker world as Black Friday.
As well, under this clause, a company purchasing assets following the passage of the UIGEA would not be allowed to offer online poker. While PokerStars is now owned by Amaya, Inc, PokerStars is considered a tainted asset and may be banned.
However, in the latest bill, HB 649, there is no mention of the bad actor clause, providing PokerStars the opportunity to to be granted a license when online poker becomes regulated in the state.

[SharpAngles]

PokerStars may be blocked due to the bill’s bad actor clause. The bad actor clause is the result of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Passed in 2006, it prohibited banks from processing transactions from illegal gambling businesses. PokerStars was one of a handful of online poker sites still operating after UIGEA’s passage, and eventually indicted by the Department of Justice on April 15, 2011; known to the poker world as Black Friday.
As well, under this clause, a company purchasing assets following the passage of the UIGEA would not be allowed to offer online poker. While PokerStars is now owned by Amaya, Inc, PokerStars is considered a tainted asset and may be banned.
However, in the latest bill, HB 649, there is no mention of the bad actor clause, providing PokerStars the opportunity to to be granted a license when online poker becomes regulated in the state.

Three categories of online gaming licenses

H 271 breaks online gaming into three categories, each requiring a separate license:

• Online slot machines
• Online house-banked table games
• Online poker, peer-to-peer games

Pennsylvania casinos will have first crack at licenses.
Within the first 90 days they can apply for all three licenses at a cost of $10 million. After 90 days the cost is $4 million per license.
After 120 days “qualified entities” from outside of Pennsylvania can apply for and receive an interactive license at a cost of $4 million per license.
Here’s the portion of the bill dealing with online gambling.


Qualified entities is code for bad actor. These states are setting up monopolies to extract extra tax revenue, they are in no way looking for a competitive environment. This is bad news for poker players yet many are celebrating because they don’t understand they’re getting screwed. The rake they’ll be dragging to cover the 14% tax rate will make the games basically unbeatable.

[USCPHILLYGUY]

Sharpy I beg to differ.

[PeterJohnson]

Either way it's still a good sign if your from Pennsylvania

[RudyRuetigger]

philly I wouldn't mind sharing a prostitute with you if you are not wanting to spend full retail

I will go first though and spend 25%

[bobbywaves]

what was stopping people living in Penn. before from playing online?

Their IP address.

[jjgold]

Poker so 2008

[rkelly110]

Poker so 2008

I don't have patients for poker, therfore poker sucks.

[jtoler]

Their IP address.

Easy to get around, as well as address.

[b1slickguy]

I don't have patients for poker, therfore poker sucks.

I never knew you were a doctor.

[klemopixx]

14% rake? Garbage!

Unless I'm playing Omaha Hi/Lo against the bums from SBR then I won't make a dime!

[USCPHILLYGUY]

14% rake? Garbage!

Unless I'm playing Omaha Hi/Lo against the bums from SBR then I won't make a dime!

rake is no where near 14%.....I believe the 14% is the tax rate

[shocka1212]

now all those guys registering cars to mobile homes to save a few extra bucks on auto insurance will blow all the money they saved.... system wins again

[rkelly110]

I never knew you were a doctor.

Replying to JJ, you know the drill.

[nyplayer33]

USA took how many years to start passing this..classic

[SharpAngles]

14% rake? Garbage!

Unless I'm playing Omaha Hi/Lo against the bums from SBR then I won't make a dime!

14% is the tax rate they’ll have to pay to the state. Add the minimum $4 million license fee and you can expect well above that to be raked for them to make any money. But hey, at least online poker is back right

[USCPHILLYGUY]

14% is the tax rate they’ll have to pay to the state. Add the minimum $4 million license fee and you can expect well above that to be raked for them to make any money. But hey, at least online poker is back right

sharpy you're throwing out a lot of numbers here....do you actually know what the rake is in NJ

[SharpAngles]

The numbers I’m “throwing out” are directly from the link in your OP.

Also saw this from OPR so wouldnt get too excited. Much like the situation in California the Pennsylvania B&M casinos are not happy about this development and will more than likely be suing to block this legislation.

https://www.onlinepokerreport.com/27111/pa-legislature-passes-online-gambling-bill/

Penn National not happy

Penn National, which operates Hollywood Casino, apparently is not very pleased with the bill.
The Reading Eagle reported that the company would consider suing to stop the bill:

D. Eric Schippers, vice president of public affairs, called the 470-page gambling bill that was part of a package to fund the budget an “ill-conceived plan that has been rushed through” and would particularly harm the company’s Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County near Harrisburg.
“We’re considering our legal options because this would have a uniquely punitive effect on our casino, more so than any other casino in the state,” Schippers said.

Mostly, PN appears to take issue with the satellite casinos that it says would impact it more than other casinos around the state. It would be a willing participant in online gambling.
In its earnings call on Thursday morning, Penn National and Schippers were a little less bombastic about the bill. The call was literally going on as the bill was being debated on the House floor.
Schippers said the bill has some “significant flaws,” including the 54 percent tax rate for slots, in the call. PN did not indicate it would definitely take the legal action suggested above.
“We’re going to have to weigh all our options, and we’re going to have to dissect the 970 pages and go from there,” Schippers said.

[USCPHILLYGUY]

The numbers I’m “throwing out” are directly from the link in your OP.

Also saw this from OPR so wouldnt get too excited. Much like the situation in California the Pennsylvania B&M casinos are not happy about this development and will more than likely be suing to block this legislation.

https://www.onlinepokerreport.com/27111/pa-legislature-passes-online-gambling-bill/

Penn National not happy

Penn National, which operates Hollywood Casino, apparently is not very pleased with the bill.
The Reading Eagle reported that the company would consider suing to stop the bill:

D. Eric Schippers, vice president of public affairs, called the 470-page gambling bill that was part of a package to fund the budget an “ill-conceived plan that has been rushed through” and would particularly harm the company’s Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County near Harrisburg.
“We’re considering our legal options because this would have a uniquely punitive effect on our casino, more so than any other casino in the state,” Schippers said.

Mostly, PN appears to take issue with the satellite casinos that it says would impact it more than other casinos around the state. It would be a willing participant in online gambling.
In its earnings call on Thursday morning, Penn National and Schippers were a little less bombastic about the bill. The call was literally going on as the bill was being debated on the House floor.
Schippers said the bill has some “significant flaws,” including the 54 percent tax rate for slots, in the call. PN did not indicate it would definitely take the legal action suggested above.
“We’re going to have to weigh all our options, and we’re going to have to dissect the 970 pages and go from there,” Schippers said.

Sharpy I'm talking about the rake....

[bobbywaves]

Easy to get around, as well as address.

Apparently it wasn't easy to get around for Mr. Peter Johnson & the majority of PA. residents:

Finally! Now i can play on Pokerstars again.

[SharpAngles]

Philly it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that any site paying $4 million in licensing plus 14% of revenues in taxes is going to pass that cost to the players. If you don’t mind that great good for you, I’m just putting it out there that these state schemes are not good for online poker. We need national regulation that includes all states to make the juice worth the squeeze.