The coronavirus pandemic shut down all of casinos in Pennsylvania in mid-March. The closure ended up being much longer than expected. The casino industry began reopening in phases across the Keystone State. By the time July rolled around, they were all back in business.
The road to a full recovery remains rather long. However, heading into the middle of August, the list of big winners continues to grow. With 12 land-based casinos operating at limited capacity, quite a bit of prize money has been paid.
Which Casinos In Pennsylvania Are Back in Business With Big Jackpot Prizes?
One of the biggest winners at Valley Forge Casino just days after it reopened was Jonathan F. He walked away with a $785,427 jackpot in early July. He was playing the Super 4 Progressive Blackjack side bet. This bet is a combination of a dealer Blackjack plus two designated player cards.
David Zerfing is the General Manager at Valley Forge Casino Resort. His comment on the big win was:
“We’re thrilled for Jonathan and his exciting win. This is one of Valley Forge Casino Resort’s biggest payouts. And with guests continuing to safely return to the casino, we look forward to more memorable wins.”
A few other guests posted a trio of four-digit slots jackpots as follows:
Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh was one of the first land-based gaming venues to reopen in June. On July 19, a three-card poker player won $15,238.90 on the table game’s progressive jackpot. The winner drew the Ace, King and Queen of Spades.
On the eastern side of the state, Harrah’s Philadelphia tweeted out news of a few big wins. Marty won $22,137.94 playing a penny slot machine.
When the land-based casinos were forced to close their doors, the real money excitement switched to online play. Pennsylvania already had a network of online casino sites up and running to help ease the revenue loss. One of the more popular sites is BetRivers. This site is tied to the Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
$27,052.60 on Konami Lion Festival with a $2.25 bet
$8,124 on Wild Streak’s Dragon Power with a $2 bet
Even though all 12 land-based PA. casinos are up and running, strict health and safety guidelines remain in place. Masks and social distancing are mandatory. Smoking, eating and drinking are not permitted on the casino floor at this time. All properties are operating at half of their actual capacity. Table games and slot access is also limited.
Certain properties may have some added guidelines in place as part of their COVID-19 protocols.
