Twelve weeks after bringing Pennsylvania its 13th online casino, BetMGM is providing the state’s 14th.
BetMGM at 9 a.m. Wednesday launched its online Borgata Casino as a sister brand of the BetMGM Casino PA that started Dec. 1. BetMGM has a market access agreement with Rush Street Gaming enabling the new site to operate in the state using a “skin” of Rush Street’s Rivers Casino Philadelphia. That agreement is required since BetMGM is not itself affiliated with a land-based casino in Pennsylvania.
BetMGM operates three different online brands in New Jersey, but will have just the two in Pennsylvania, said spokeswoman Elisa Richardson. The new one can be accessed by iOS or Android app or through desktops online at casino.borgataonline.com.
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While the Borgata and BetMGM sites share many common games and features, Richardson said the new site may have particular appeal to players familiar with MGM Resorts’ Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City.
Players can expect to see special promotions on the site tied to patronage of the land-based Borgata casino property, she said, in addition to the same tie-ins with all MGM Resorts properties that BetMGM Casino has provided for online players earning points in the M life reward program.
“What we found in New Jersey is having a multi-brand strategy works for us,” Richardson told Penn Bets. “There are people in Pennsylvania very familiar with the Borgata brand, and I think that will translate well. Some people may know the Borgata brand more than BetMGM.”
Borgata could help state set further iCasino records
The arrival of BetMGM, which is jointly owned by MGM Resorts International and Entain, helped propel Pennsylvania’s online gaming industry to new heights in January. The 13 sites claimed a record $80.4 million in revenue last month.
BetMGM operates under a skin of Penn National Gaming’s Hollywood Casino, which hosts three sites: BetMGM, Hollywood’s own iCasino, and the DraftKings Casino. Combined, those three produced $27.6 million in January revenue.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board did not break out how much revenue came from each, but based on December results, DraftKings presumably generated the most among the trio, with BetMGM second and Hollywood third. BetMGM was reported in December to have claimed $5.7 million in revenue.
“We’ve been impressed with the launch of BetMGM Casino in Pennsylvania thus far and predict similar success with the launch of Borgata Casino,” Richardson said. “Pennsylvania has just been a phenomenal state in terms of people taking to the platform.”
In the state’s monthly revenue reports, the amount collected by Borgata will now presumably be reported as part of Rivers Casino’s revenue due to the market access agreement. Owned by Rush Street, Rivers Casino itself has two online casino sites in the state — BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse — which combined for $21 million in January revenue.
Unlike those other sites, the online Borgata Casino will not have a sportsbook attached to it. BetMGM operates its sportsbook in Pennsylvania through its initial BetMGM site in the state, where players can toggle between sports betting and casino games using the same account.
New customers can quickly access $1,020, with a catch
Like BetMGM, the Borgata site has a generous welcome offer for customers. It provides $20 in free play for those registering an account and matches a first deposit up to $1,000. It has a a 15X play-through requirement before matching deposit funds can be withdrawn, however, which is more rigorous than most competitors.
Also like the BetMGM site, Borgata has more than 150 slots and table games, including live dealer options. The number of games is fewer than New Jersey players are accustomed to, which Pennsylvania operators attribute to the review and approval process in the state, where iGaming is newer than in New Jersey.
Among the Borgata games available in Pennsylvania and cited in a press release are Premium Blackjack Pro and MGM Grand Millions, a progressive jackpot game with a top reward starting at $300,000.
Unlike in New Jersey, the Borgata site does not include peer-to-peer poker. Richardson said BetMGM still has plans to ultimately provide poker in Pennsylvania, where PokerStars currently is the only such operator, but no set timetable for doing so. The eventual BetMGM poker launch could come by adding the company’s partypoker platform to the BetMGM site, rather than using Borgata.
The Borgata site will by no means be the final iCasino to launch in Pennsylvania. Boyd Gaming, owner of Valley Forge Casino Resort, has announced its intention to debut its Stardust online site in April, subject to Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approval.
