- Pennsylvania’s gaming regulators have approved for Bally’s to create an online casino, they were previously approved for a brick-and-mortar location in January.
- Bally’s was importantly awarded a qualified gaming entity license (QGE), a rare type of license that Pennsylvania has only given out on one other occasion.
- The reported location of the casino, in Nittany Mall, has led to backlash due to its close proximity to Penn State University.
HARRISBURG, Pa. – Bally’s is continuously turning out huge wins in Pennsylvania, being approved for both an in-person and online casino as well as being granted a rare QGE license all since the start of the year. However, controversy has arisen due to the location of their casino.
This casino venture bring Bally’s total to over 15 across the U.S. and the first one in Pennsylvania. An online gambling site has also been approved for Bally, but does not have a reported start date.
Bally’s Wins Big Following Division Overhaul
After Robeson Reeves, CEO of Bally’s online gaming division said their 2022 results in licensing and online betting was “unacceptable”, the company has completed a near 360.
The North American Interactive Gaming Division underwent an overhaul in January of this year and has come out of the gates strong, securing a brick-and-mortar casino, online counterpart, and the highly coveted qualified gaming entity license all in just under four months.
To put it into perspective, a QGE license has only been issued by Pennsylvania once before, in 2018 when sports betting was first regulated, making Bally’s one of the very select few existing companies to have one.
The license is very valuable too, allowing holders to open an online casino without needing to collaborate with an established Pennsylvania casino, leading to them retaining a much larger share of revenue.
Bally’s will also be able to tap into the huge Pennsylvania gambling market that grossed over $43 million in revenue last month from sports betting alone.
Controversy Surrounding Casino Location
However, Bally’s is not exempt from controversy either, being under fire for the Nittany Mall location of their future casino. The issue arises due to the mall’s short 10-minute car ride from Penn State University.
There has been a growing movement amongst those weary of legalized sports betting to protect college students and other at-risk individuals from being targeted by predatory casino and gambling companies.
Many studies have shown a strong correlation between college-aged students and problem gambling, raising concerns that increased regulation on companies or the creation of programs that offer help to affected people are necessary.
Regardless, Bally’s entering into Pennsylvania is sure to be a big development for the state and company alike. The growing Pennsylvania betting market is slowly but surely creeping up towards being one of the top states in the country, and is likely to continue following this news.