It was just over a month ago that the first Pennsylvania poker rooms began to reopen after all of them were forced to close in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alas, a renewed surge in cases has made it necessary for PA poker rooms to deal with the situation once again. In some cases, rooms have opted not to deal at all — not to deal hands, that is.
By contrast, Parx does appear to be considering reopening its poker room, the largest in the state. Parx recently sent out an announcement of plans to reopen the room 'before the end of December.' But COVID-19 numbers could deter those plans. Permanently closed – Harrah's Philadelphia poker room. One of the major successes within that state has been Parx Casino and Racing, the largest casino gaming complex in all of Pennsylvania. Located in Bensalem in Bucks County, the casino features 3,500 slots along with a large poker room, plenty of table games, amenities, and live horse racing. . Bathrooms no longer in poker room. Closest men's bathrooms have less than half the urinals and toilets from the old room. More than half of the restroom is wasted with a maze of walls and a silly, pointless mirrored wall at the entrance (looks like a 1970's sleazy hotel room). Stalls are also very narrow. For those who enjoy traditional poker, playing head to head against other players, Parx has the #1 poker room in Pennsylvania on site, with 80 tables, a full service bar and menu, and lots of both cash games and daily tournaments. This is one of the best poker rooms around period.
When Pennsylvania's casinos began reopening over the summer, the poker rooms were all forced to remain shut per COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
In early October, the PGCB began accepting reopening plans from some of the rooms. A couple of weeks later, the first few poker rooms began reopening. But with coronavirus-related cases, hospitalizations and deaths on the rise, those plans are being revisited and revised once more.
Here is a quick rundown of the current status of all 10 of the state's poker rooms — or perhaps we should say all nine rooms, as one of them appears to have closed for good.
Reopened and still operating – Meadows, Mohegan Sun, Mt. Airy, Rivers Pittsburgh
Four of the five poker rooms that reopened continue to welcome players, at least for now.
The rooms at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Mount Airy Casino both reopened on Oct. 16. A week later, on Oct. 23, the poker room at The Meadows Racetrack & Casino reopened. Then a week ago, on Nov. 11, the room at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh reopened as well.
All four currently remain open and are operating as follows:
- Mohegan Sun Pocono (eight tables) – open daily, 12 p.m. to 3 a.m.
- Mount Airy (12 tables) – open 24 hours
- Rivers Casino Pittsburgh (30 tables) – open Mon.-Thurs., 4 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Fri.-Sat., 12 p.m. to 4 a.m.; Sun., 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.
- The Meadows (14 tables) – open daily, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Mt. Airy is the land-based partner of the only online poker site in the state, PokerStars PA, which will continue dealing virtual hands through pandemic closures.
Reopened, but now temporarily closed – Rivers Philadelphia
Rivers Casino Philadelphia reopened its 28-table poker room on Oct. 23. In fact, just a few days ago, some lucky players enjoyed a windfall when the Bad Beat Jackpot hit.
🚨 BAD BEAT! 🚨 Quad 5s beats Quads 4s to trigger our $100,000 Bad Beat Jackpot! That's $40,000 for our 'losing hand' and $30,000 for the winning hand! Four other players each received $7,500 table shares. Our Bad Beat Jackpot immediately has reset to $100,000! pic.twitter.com/fMhqsATamq
— Rivers Philadelphia Poker Room (@riverspokerphl) November 16, 2020
However, on Monday, the city of Philadelphiaissued new restrictions that will force the casino to close on Friday, Nov. 20. The earliest the casino will be able to reopen will be Jan. 1, 2021.
The new guidelines cover a host of different businesses, including restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centers, and theaters. All Philadelphia high schools and colleges must move to online-only instruction for the rest of the year as well.
Still temporarily closed – Hollywood, Parx, Presque Isle Downs, Wind Creek
The following poker rooms have been shuttered since mid-March and remain closed at present:
- Hollywood Casino Penn National (17 tables) – closed
- Parx Casino (80 tables) – closed
- Presque Isle Downs (seven tables) – closed
- Wind Creek Casino (26 tables) – closed
It is unknown if or when Hollywood or Presque Isle plans to reopen. Wind Creek appears to be in no rush either, given that slot machines presently occupy the floor of its poker room.
White oak casino deer river mn. By contrast, Parx does appear to be considering reopening its poker room, the largest in the state. Parx recently sent out an announcement of plans to reopen the room 'before the end of December.' But COVID-19 numbers could deter those plans.
Permanently closed – Harrah's Philadelphia poker room
Meanwhile, in late August, Harrah's Philadelphia indicated it had closed its large 27-table World Series of Poker-branded poker room, with no plans to reopen.
While there was no formal announcement, employees of the poker room shared information about the closure on social media and elsewhere.
Pennsylvania's two other casinos, Lady Luck Nemacolin and Valley Forge, are both currently open, though neither has poker rooms.
You can follow our live updates page at PlayPennsylvania for the latest on PA casino (and poker room) closures and reopening plans as they are made available.
The largest land-based casino in Pennsylvania, Parx Casino, became one of the first two operators to launch online casino games on July 15, the first day of the Pennsylvania online gambling market.
Owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Parx Casino is the largest casino gaming complex in the Keystone State, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem. It hosts 3300 slot machines, 180 live table games, and a poker room with 48 poker tables including 3 VIP poker table especially designed for high stakes action.
In October 2017, Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 2017 into law making it legal for Pennsylvania's 13 land-based casino operators to offer a range of online gambling games including online slots, poker, table games, sports betting and daily fantasy sports.
Nine months later, Parx Casino became the first casino to apply for online gambling license, and it was also among the first three casinos to be approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The casino was authorized in August 2018 to offer online slots, casino table games and poker to people within the state.
The casino has a partnership with igaming software provider GAN to provide a range of casino gaming services to Pennsylvania players. Texas holdem poker online spielen ohne anmeldung.
After nearly two years of waiting, the Pennsylvania online gambling market finally went live on Monday, July 15, with two PA casinos soft-launching online slots and casino games—one of them being the Parx Casino.
The Keystone State's land-based casino revenue leader soft-launched online gambling on Monday shortly after Hollywood Casino conducted its trial run. Penn National owned Hollywood Casino, based in Grantville, rolled out its online gambling platform in association with its software provider IGT at 11 am to become the first legal online casino in the state.
Shortly afterward at 2 pm, Parx went online with a game offering that included slots, blackjack, roulette, Baccarat and video poker for a testing limited period.
Operators are required to conduct a soft-launch of their products before rolling out their operations in full. During the test period, state gaming regulators test and ensure that safety measures such as geolocation services, age verification, payment processing methods and responsible gambling measures are in place and functioning properly.
Parx Casino Welcome Bonus
Most online gambling sites offer a 'Welcome Bonus' to new players. Parx is welcoming new PA players by offering them a lucrative first deposit bonus offer, matching 100% of their first deposit up to $500. The offer is available by using the promo code PARX500.
Parx Poker Room Reopening
Players must make a minimum deposit of $10. The bonus funds will become available for withdrawal after meeting the 20x wagering requirement. For example, if a player deposits $100, he or she must wager twenty times i.e., $2000 on slot games (20 x $100) to be able to withdraw that bonus.
There are different wagering requirements for each of the games.
Each of the online casino games has a different playthrough requirement to clear a bonus. Slots count 100% towards clearing the bonus, roulette games 50% and all other games including video poker 10%. Every player will get 30 days to clear the bonus.
Parx Casino Welcome Bonus Details
| First Deposit Bonus Code | PARX500 |
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 |
| 100% Match Up To | $500 |
| Promotion Dates | July 15 – December 31 |
| Wagering Requirements Period | 30 Days |
| Eligible Games | All casino games including Slots, Roulette, Video Poker |
Unlike Hollywood Casino, Parx is currently not offering any free bonus money or no-deposit bonus.
Rewards Program
Parx offers a loyalty program called Xclub for their land-based casino and sportsbook players where they earn rewards based on their play the very next day. Every player who joins this club receives $10 in free slot play that can be used at the Parx Casino and Racetrack.
In addition to free slot player, players joining this program also have access to new member offer, sweepstakes entries, points, perks, discounts at local businesses, and much more.
Parx is allowing its online casino and online sportsbook to connect their play with their Xclub account in order to collect rewards which can be redeemed at the Parx Casino in Bensalem.
Currently, there are three Xclub Card Status levels: Players. Premium and Elite.
Software Provider
Parx is partnered with igaming software provider GAN to power the Parx online casino games. In fact, the casino has been using GAN for its social casino since 2015.
Last year, Parx filed a petition with the PGCB to launch online gambling in the Keystone State, after picking GAN's platform as its enterprise software platform provider.
'Parx Casino and GAN have collaborated well for three years, developing a close working relationship by operating Simulated Gaming online,' said Dermot Smurfit, CEO for GANin a press statement last year. 'Launching regulated real money Internet gaming in Pennsylvania is a logical extension of our existing long-term relationship and we welcome the opportunity to deliver excellence in technology and product, as we have for our clients in New Jersey.'
However, on Monday, the city of Philadelphiaissued new restrictions that will force the casino to close on Friday, Nov. 20. The earliest the casino will be able to reopen will be Jan. 1, 2021.
The new guidelines cover a host of different businesses, including restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centers, and theaters. All Philadelphia high schools and colleges must move to online-only instruction for the rest of the year as well.
Still temporarily closed – Hollywood, Parx, Presque Isle Downs, Wind Creek
The following poker rooms have been shuttered since mid-March and remain closed at present:
- Hollywood Casino Penn National (17 tables) – closed
- Parx Casino (80 tables) – closed
- Presque Isle Downs (seven tables) – closed
- Wind Creek Casino (26 tables) – closed
It is unknown if or when Hollywood or Presque Isle plans to reopen. Wind Creek appears to be in no rush either, given that slot machines presently occupy the floor of its poker room.
White oak casino deer river mn. By contrast, Parx does appear to be considering reopening its poker room, the largest in the state. Parx recently sent out an announcement of plans to reopen the room 'before the end of December.' But COVID-19 numbers could deter those plans.
Permanently closed – Harrah's Philadelphia poker room
Meanwhile, in late August, Harrah's Philadelphia indicated it had closed its large 27-table World Series of Poker-branded poker room, with no plans to reopen.
While there was no formal announcement, employees of the poker room shared information about the closure on social media and elsewhere.
Pennsylvania's two other casinos, Lady Luck Nemacolin and Valley Forge, are both currently open, though neither has poker rooms.
You can follow our live updates page at PlayPennsylvania for the latest on PA casino (and poker room) closures and reopening plans as they are made available.
The largest land-based casino in Pennsylvania, Parx Casino, became one of the first two operators to launch online casino games on July 15, the first day of the Pennsylvania online gambling market.
Owned and operated by Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Parx Casino is the largest casino gaming complex in the Keystone State, located in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem. It hosts 3300 slot machines, 180 live table games, and a poker room with 48 poker tables including 3 VIP poker table especially designed for high stakes action.
In October 2017, Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 2017 into law making it legal for Pennsylvania's 13 land-based casino operators to offer a range of online gambling games including online slots, poker, table games, sports betting and daily fantasy sports.
Nine months later, Parx Casino became the first casino to apply for online gambling license, and it was also among the first three casinos to be approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The casino was authorized in August 2018 to offer online slots, casino table games and poker to people within the state.
The casino has a partnership with igaming software provider GAN to provide a range of casino gaming services to Pennsylvania players. Texas holdem poker online spielen ohne anmeldung.
After nearly two years of waiting, the Pennsylvania online gambling market finally went live on Monday, July 15, with two PA casinos soft-launching online slots and casino games—one of them being the Parx Casino.
The Keystone State's land-based casino revenue leader soft-launched online gambling on Monday shortly after Hollywood Casino conducted its trial run. Penn National owned Hollywood Casino, based in Grantville, rolled out its online gambling platform in association with its software provider IGT at 11 am to become the first legal online casino in the state.
Shortly afterward at 2 pm, Parx went online with a game offering that included slots, blackjack, roulette, Baccarat and video poker for a testing limited period.
Operators are required to conduct a soft-launch of their products before rolling out their operations in full. During the test period, state gaming regulators test and ensure that safety measures such as geolocation services, age verification, payment processing methods and responsible gambling measures are in place and functioning properly.
Parx Casino Welcome Bonus
Most online gambling sites offer a 'Welcome Bonus' to new players. Parx is welcoming new PA players by offering them a lucrative first deposit bonus offer, matching 100% of their first deposit up to $500. The offer is available by using the promo code PARX500.
Parx Poker Room Reopening
Players must make a minimum deposit of $10. The bonus funds will become available for withdrawal after meeting the 20x wagering requirement. For example, if a player deposits $100, he or she must wager twenty times i.e., $2000 on slot games (20 x $100) to be able to withdraw that bonus.
There are different wagering requirements for each of the games.
Each of the online casino games has a different playthrough requirement to clear a bonus. Slots count 100% towards clearing the bonus, roulette games 50% and all other games including video poker 10%. Every player will get 30 days to clear the bonus.
Parx Casino Welcome Bonus Details
| First Deposit Bonus Code | PARX500 |
|---|---|
| Minimum Deposit | $10 |
| 100% Match Up To | $500 |
| Promotion Dates | July 15 – December 31 |
| Wagering Requirements Period | 30 Days |
| Eligible Games | All casino games including Slots, Roulette, Video Poker |
Unlike Hollywood Casino, Parx is currently not offering any free bonus money or no-deposit bonus.
Rewards Program
Parx offers a loyalty program called Xclub for their land-based casino and sportsbook players where they earn rewards based on their play the very next day. Every player who joins this club receives $10 in free slot play that can be used at the Parx Casino and Racetrack.
In addition to free slot player, players joining this program also have access to new member offer, sweepstakes entries, points, perks, discounts at local businesses, and much more.
Parx is allowing its online casino and online sportsbook to connect their play with their Xclub account in order to collect rewards which can be redeemed at the Parx Casino in Bensalem.
Currently, there are three Xclub Card Status levels: Players. Premium and Elite.
Software Provider
Parx is partnered with igaming software provider GAN to power the Parx online casino games. In fact, the casino has been using GAN for its social casino since 2015.
Last year, Parx filed a petition with the PGCB to launch online gambling in the Keystone State, after picking GAN's platform as its enterprise software platform provider.
'Parx Casino and GAN have collaborated well for three years, developing a close working relationship by operating Simulated Gaming online,' said Dermot Smurfit, CEO for GANin a press statement last year. 'Launching regulated real money Internet gaming in Pennsylvania is a logical extension of our existing long-term relationship and we welcome the opportunity to deliver excellence in technology and product, as we have for our clients in New Jersey.'
Parx Poker Room Reviews
The gaming provider already operates Parx sports betting platform through integration with Kambi.
Mobile App
Currently, Parx online casino is available only for Android users. The download link is available on the website.
Parx online casino is not available to Apple users probably due to recent changes to Apple's App Store policy that requires every real-money gaming app to build their app in Apple's native iOS code instead of relying on embedded HTML5 code.
Most online casino apps use HTML5 wrappers as they are much quicker and easier to develop. Starting June 3, all new apps were required to be built natively rather than as HTML container apps. Existing apps have been given until September 3 to comply with the new rule.
It is expected that Parx will offer a native iOS online casino app in the near future.
Parx Online Casino Games
At the time of writing, only limited online casino games are available to Pennsylvania players. Some of the games offered include real money slots, both American and European roulette and video poker. In addition, Parx is also running blackjack games.
Parx Poker Room Review
Live dealer games for blackjack, roulette, and Baccarat are listed as 'coming soon.'
Banking Options
Parx is offering a wide variety of options for players to safely and easily deposit and withdraw from their online account.
Deposit options include:
- Play+ prepaid card
- PayNearMe
- Maestro debit card
- Visa/Mastercard/Discover
- ACH/ e-check
- Bank wire
- Cash at the Parx cage
- Check
