Penn selects IGT for Pennsylvania online launch

Penn National is targeting a Q1 launch for its online gaming platform in Pennsylvania after choosing IGT’s PlayDigital as its tech partner.

The Penn Online Entertainment division has signed a five-year deal by which its brand HollywoodCasino.com will be powered by PlayDigital’s full suite of digital gaming products, including the platform, and services.

IGT's digital gaming platform, PlayCommand, will enable online gaming for Penn National's Pennsylvania-based customers via HollywoodCasino.com. Penn National will also leverage IGT's PlayCasino, PlayBingo and PlayPoker online solutions.

IGT’s latest win comes after it was recently appointed to power FanDuel’s platform in New Jersey.

Enrico Drago, senior vice-president for PlayDigital at IGT, said: “The newly regulated Pennsylvania online gaming market presents an exciting opportunity for IGT to extend the success of our PlayCommand platform and PlayCasino to Penn National as it expands the scope of its entertainment offering.”

Penn National was the first operator to apply for a license for Pennsylvania sports betting and has now been approved to conduct sports betting and online gambling. It is thought sports betting could soon be allowed, but online gambling may not be legal until early 2019. 

The Penn-IGT announcement came just hours after NetEnt revealed it had signed up Penn as its first partner in Pennsylvania. 

In a statement, Chris Sheffield, senior vice-president at Penn, said the group is determined that its online offering should be of the same standards it expects in its venues.

He said: “The flexibility and reliability of the PlayCommand platform, coupled with the proven game library within IGT's PlayCasino, give us confidence that HollywoodCasino.com will deliver the same calibre of world-class gaming entertainment that our players have come to love in our land-based casinos.”

Image: Santeri Viinamäki