Pennsylvania has a broad and vibrant online gambling scene. The state allows all types of PA online casino gambling, online poker and online sports betting.
The first PA online casino launched in the summer of 2019, so the PA online gambling industry is still young. That said, major gaming providers have been quick to adapt and jump into this emerging market. There are nearly ten active PA online casinos right now and more are certainly coming soon.
Below we cover all the currently available PA online gambling options. In order to take advantage of these gaming options, you need to be located within Pennsylvania state lines.
Best PA Online Casinos
Looking for the best PA online casino? Check out our comprehensive list of PA online gambling sites to find the best choice for you. We list every major online casino in Pennsylvania below.
This is just a small taste of Pennsylvania internet gambling. There are tons of PA online gambling options. You can play at a PA online casino with real money, place online sports bets, play online poker, bet on horse races, and even play the lottery online while you’re in Pennsylvania.
Online casinos in PA even offer live gaming choices for a variety of common table games. Every PA legal online casino offers some live gaming options.
Is Online Gambling Legal in PA?
The short answer is yes. In fact, Pennsylvania is one of the US states that is friendliest to online gambling. PA offers gamblers more diverse gaming options than almost any other US state.
PA online gambling was legalized back in 2017. A bill called HB 271 was signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf in October of that year. This bill effectively legalized online casinos in PA as well as PA online poker. The bill also included provisions for online sports betting, but at the time this was still federally illegal.
In 2018, the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992. Also known as PASPA, this bill outlawed online sports betting across the United States with the exception of just four states. Pennsylvania was not one of those four. Only when PASPA was overturned was it legal for PA to enact legal sports betting. Today, PA online sports betting is fully legal and regulated.
In Pennsylvania, every online gambling company must have a state-issued license in order to operate legally. Initially, these licenses were only given to existing land-based casinos. Any gambling operators looking to break into the Pennsylvania internet gambling market need to partner with a physical casino located within the state.
This model actually benefits both the casinos in PA and the PA gambling sites. Most casinos in PA have no experience with online gambling. Most online gambling operators have a long history in the industry. Partnering with online gambling companies gives the land-based casinos in PA easy access to robust technology. The online gaming operators gain player trust and name recognition by working with established casinos in PA.
Pennsylvania Online Casinos in 2021
Most PA legal online casino sites offer the same games you’ll find in land-based casinos. If you like slots, you’ll be happy to know that classics like Cleopatra, Wheel of Fortune and Quick Hits can all be easily found at a PA online casino.
Table games are also popular for PA online casino real money gambling. Most PA gambling sites offer video poker as well as live dealer games for many classics like roulette and blackjack.
These casinos are likely the next ones to open online casinos in Pennsylvania. Check out our reviews to learn more about each online casino in PA. We also keep current lists of PA online casino bonuses and gaming options.
Most online casinos in PA offer players special bonuses as first-time players. These welcome bonuses can be a good reason to pick one online casino over another. We keep a running list of active PA online casino bonuses so you can pick the best PA legal online casino to open an account.
Many online casinos in PA also offer deposit match bonuses, free play bonuses, and high roller bonuses for big time players.
You can access almost every PA online casino from tablets, mobile phones, laptops, and desktop computers.
Download PA Online Casino Apps
The best PA online casinos offer their own gambling apps which make playing smooth and easy. These apps are easy to download for Apple iPhone users. You must simply go to the Apple App Store and find the app. Today, you also need to download the GeoGuard Location Validator app in order to confirm your location inside PA.
For Android users, it’s not as easy. Google has banned all gambling apps from the Google Play Store. Android users can still download gambling apps directly from PA online casino websites.
That said, you are not required to download a casino’s app in order to play. Pennsylvania internet gambling websites will still work in your mobile phone’s web browser. These websites are designed to respond to your screen size so everything works smoothly.
There are some advantages to using PA online casino apps. These apps are much more streamlined and typically offer a more polished playing experience. They also usually load and run much faster that PA gambling sites.
Best PA Online Casino Bonuses
BetRivers Casino
BetRivers is one of the largest online casinos in Pennsylvania. This site is run by Rush Street Interactive. This company also owns the SugarHouse casino in PA.
BetRivers offers players a variety of gaming options. Slot games are one of its most popular offerings. Players can choose from top titles from major game developers like NetEnt, IGT, Konami, and Everi. BetRivers is also popular for table games. The casino offers blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and poker.
BetRivers has multiple bonuses available for new players. Most new players are eligible for deposit match bonuses up to 100% on their first deposits. Be sure to read casino bonus terms and conditions before accepting. Special promotions also appear from time to time so check back regularly.
Hollywood Casino Online
This casino is affiliated with the land-based Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. This PA online casino offers apps for both Android and Apple users.
A major online casino in Pennsylvania, Hollywood Casino Online offers hundreds of games. There are tons of options for slots players. Major game makers like NetEnt and IGT are popular.
Hollywood Casino Online also offers players a wide range of table game options. Video poker is extremely popular but so are blackjack and baccarat. There are even five different versions of roulette available at Hollywood Casino Online.
Hollywood Casino Online has incentives for new players. Right now, you can get free cash in your account just for signing up! Other bonuses are also available to match deposits and reward VIP players.
Unibet Casino
This casino is a newcomer to the American market. Based in Europe, Unibet has decades of experience in the global online gambling market. It brings this expertise to Pennsylvania internet gambling.
Unibet has carefully selected every game it hosts. Slots and table games are quite popular here. Video poker is arguably one of the top games at Unibet Casino in PA. Unibet offers more video poker options than most other online casinos.
Unibet also offers welcome bonuses as new players signup. These bonuses can give you free cash! Just be sure to read all the terms before accepting any casino bonuses.
PA Online Sports Betting
Pennsylvania is not a newcomer to the world of sports betting. For years, the state has legally allowed betting on horse races as well as daily fantasy sports betting. Only recently has PA moved into the realm of online sports betting.
These days, you can bet on any professional sport online in Pennsylvania. Many PA online sports betting sites also offer live betting as games are in progress.
Just like PA online casinos, Pennsylvania sports betting sites offer incentives for new players. Most new players will be able to get some free bets depending on where they sign up.
Two of the best PA sportsbooks for new players are SugarHouse and BetRivers. These sportsbooks offer excellent deposit match bonuses. Make sure to check the terms and conditions for each bonus before you accept it.
Pennsylvania Daily Fantasy Sports
Daily fantasy sports, or DFS for short, has been legal in PA since 2017. PA daily fantasy sports betting was legalized at the same time as PA online gambling and PA online poker. Once the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018, PA could finally bring fully legal online sports betting to players.
Pennsylvania’s first DFS site launched back in the spring of 2018. There are currently at least ten licensed daily fantasy sports sites in PA including:
- Boom Fantasy
- DRAFT
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- FantasyDraft
- Fantasy Football Players Championship
- FastPick
- Sports Hub
- Scout Fantasy Sports
- Yahoo Fantasy
Pennsylvania Sports Betting Options
In Pennsylvania, you can bet on almost any professional sport you want. Major league professional US sports are the most popular. These include football, hockey, baseball, and basketball. PA also also college sports betting and even minor league sports betting.
Bettors in PA also like to bet on Major League Soccer (MLS) games. In addition, bets are regularly placed on MMA fights, boxing matches, motorsports races, tennis, and even golf. You can even bet on sports like rugby that are popular outside the USA. The only sporting events you can’t legally bet on in PA are player drafts and esports events.
PA online sportsbooks typically offer their own apps. You don’t need to use these apps though. You can just as easily place online sports bets using PA online gambling websites.
Most PA online sportsbooks offer a range of betting options. Players can choose from money line, totals, spreads, parlays or round-robins, period betting, player props, and some sport-specific bets.
Pennsylvania Online Lottery
PA is one of the few states in the USA to offer online lottery play. It’s not as common as you might think. Almost no other mid-Atlantic US states offer online lottery play.
The PA state lottery has been running since 1972. PA online lottery play was legalized in 2017.
Pennsylvania offers daily games, instant play games, and multi-draw games through its online lottery. Multi-state games like Powerball are also available through PA online lottery.
The Pennsylvania online lottery is run through the state’s PA iLottery website. Here you’ll find info on every PA online lottery game. You can also play instant games, but you cannot yet buy draw tickets online.
PA online lottery play also includes Xpress Sports. These games are similar to sports betting and horse betting. In reality, they are closer to keno-style games. Players can access them via video gaming stations. These stations might not be around much longer. Some casinos and politicians are concerned about their legality.
PA Online Poker
In Pennsylvania, online poker is available only through PokerStars. Online poker in PA has been legal since the fall of 2019.
What to Expect from PA Online Poker Rooms
In Pennsylvania, online poker rooms are only available via casino partnerships. That means that online poker brands must join forces with casinos in PA in order to offer online poker. The catch is that you won’t be able to play against players in other states or countries when you play PA online poker.
Recent PA online poker partnerships include:
- Party Poker + Valley Forge Casino Resort
- World Series of Poker + Caesars
- PokerStars + Mount Airy Casino
Pennsylvania online poker rooms offer all types of poker variants. The most common is unsurprisingly Texas Hold ‘em. Many of these games are no-limit. Other common poker variants include pot limit Omaha and mixed games.
PA online poker sites offer their own gambling apps to give players the best playing experience. These apps are not required. You can still play online poker in PA via the poker room websites. We recommend that you play PA online poker on a device with a large screen for the best experience.
PA Horse Betting
This is likely the oldest form of online betting. It has been legal in various forms for years. Currently, three primary US-run horse bettings sites are active in the USA. These sites are available in Pennsylvania and many other US states. They include:
- TGV
- TwinSpires
- Bet America
The beauty of online horse race betting is that you are not restricted to bets within your state. Bettors located in PA can also place horse bets on other races around the country. You can even place PA online horse bets on international races and Triple Crown events.
Horse racing bets work differently from traditional sports bets. All horse bets on a single race are pooled together. This means the total amount bet will be divided among all winners. Picking the race favorite might be a smart move, but will result in smaller payouts. In these cases, you can get a bigger payout by betting on the correct finishing order for a horse race.
Pennsylvania also offers a few off track betting sites. You’ll find them throughout PA at select racetracks. Many racetracks also have their own off track betting sites. For example, you’ll find the Turf Club at Parx Casino as well as two others at Penn National and one at The Meadows.
How to Gamble in PA
Here we list every place you can legally gamble in Pennsylvania. Many of these locations offer multiple types of gambling. You’ll often find sportsbooks and poker rooms at the same casinos in PA.
Casinos in PA
There are currently 12 regulated and licensed casinos operating in Pennsylvania. More are scheduled to be added soon.
PA Cardrooms
You’ll find dedicated poker rooms in most of the biggest casinos in PA. Pennsylvania has no standalone cardrooms. These casinos currently have dedicated cardrooms:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse
- Meadows Racetrack and Casino
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
- Mount Airy Casino Resort
- Parx Casino and Racing
- Presque Isle Casino
- Rivers Casino
- Sands Casino Resort
- SugarHouse Casino
PA Live Sportsbooks
Sportsbook betting in PA has exploded since 2018. When PASPA was overturned and states could legalize sports betting on their own, PA jumped on the opportunity. The state currently maintains eight live sportsbooks. There are also three online betting sites in PA and more are predicted to follow soon.
These live sportsbooks are active now in PA:
- Rivers Sportsbook
- SugarHouse Sportsbook
- Parx Sportsbook
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racecourse
- South Philadelphia Turf Club (OTB)
- Harrah’s Philadelphia
- Oaks Race & Sportsbook (OTB)
- Valley Forge Casino
- Presque Isle Downs
- Mount Airy Casino Resort
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
PA Lottery
Pennsylvania still has thousands of retail options for lottery play. You can buy PA Lottery tickets at most convenience and grocery stores. You need to be at least 18 years old to play the lottery in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Lottery offers lots of lottery game options. You can find all this information on the PA Lottery website. The state lottery currently offers Mega Millions, Powerball, matching games, scratch-off style games, and some fresh games like treasure hunt and millionaire raffle.
The PA Lottery does allow for some online lottery options, but players can’t buy any PA Lottery draw tickets online. That said, you are able to buy scratch-off instant game tickets online in PA.
Video Gaming Terminals in PA
These video kiosks are available at many PA Lottery retailers. You’ll find them at convenience stores and rest stops around the state.
PA Horse Racing
Pennsylvania has lots of horse racing venues throughout the state. Avid bettors can enjoy harness racing and thoroughbred horse tracks, and off track betting sites with live races. There are also three major online horse betting sites in PA.
PA Charity Gaming & Bingo Halls
Charity gambling in PA is subject to different rules compared to other gambling options in the state. No dedicated gaming license is needed for charity gambling. A registered charity can host bingos or raffles in PA without special permission. The only restriction is that these games must be played as fundraisers for charity purposes.
Bingo and raffles prizes in PA used to be very limited. Charities were previously prohibited from announcing prize values. When new gambling laws were passed in 2017, prize limits went up significantly. PA bingo prize limits are now $500 while PA raffle prize jackpots can be up to $4,000.
Games of Skill in PA
Games of skill are generally frowned upon by PA gambling regulators. A new bill was introduced in 2019 seeking to limit this practice. The Pennsylvania Lottery is in control of this movement. They claim that the practice has put a large dent in their profits.
PA vs NJ Gambling Revenues
It’s only natural to compare these two close competitors. They are located right next to each other. Each is a major player in US online gambling.
Pennsylvania had a great start to its sports betting industry. Live sports betting in PA generated more than $32 million wagers in just its first month alone! That was just the beginning. More sportsbooks have opened and revenues have increased since then.
Pennsylvania does have a larger population than NJ does, but it’s more spread out in PA. PA also has a higher gambling tax rate than NJ. As New York seeks to enter the sports betting market, PA betting revenues could be impacted further.
New Jersey’s online gambling market has seen crazy growth in a short time. Total online gambling revenues for NJ are over $1 billion.
PA Gambling History
Pennsylvania has a long history of gambling, but the official history is relatively short. The state lottery was established in 1971. For years, this was the only source of legal gambling in the state. Several attempts were made during the 1980s to legalize casino gambling in PA. Public opposition meant that none of these attempts succeeded.
Modern Pennsylvania gambling history really begins in 1993. In this year, state legislators made their first attempt at passing the Pennsylvania Racehorse Development and Gaming Act. Unfortunately, they did not succeed. Lawmakers tried again to pass the same bill in 1999 but the outcome was the same.
Things seemed bleak for legal gambling in PA until 2004. In this year, the Pennsylvania Racehorse Development and Gaming Act was finally signed into law after multiple failed attempts.
Why was this bill so important to pass? It legalized casino gambling and racetrack betting across the state. It also created the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This regulatory body has overseen all gambling activities in Pennsylvania to this day.
Establishment of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
Once the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was officially established, the state could move forward with steps to fully legalize gambling. Things moved slowly at first, but then the PA gambling saw rapid growth. Just five years after casinos and racetracks were legalized in PA, the state’s gambling revenue was second only to Nevada in the entire United States.
By 2013 things really start to expand quickly. A few years later in 2017, Governor Tom Wolf signed HB 271 into law which expanded legal PA gambling. This bill broadened casino regulations, legalized video gaming terminals, and set the stage for legal online gambling.
The legalization of sports betting in PA was part of HB 271. This was held up until the US Supreme Court overturned PASPA in 2018. Once PASPA had gone, both retail and online sports betting in PA took off.
Pennsylvania’s first retail sportsbooks launched in late 2018. Online sportsbooks launched a few months later in the spring of 2019. In July 2019 PA online casinos debuted. Shortly after in November 2019 PA online poker followed.
PA Responsible Gambling
It’s important for all gamblers in PA and elsewhere to recognize that gambling has risks associated with it. For some gamblers, it can become a big problem. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board offers self-exclusion for anyone with a gambling problem.
Most gamblers have no problems stopping gambling whenever they want. Unfortunately, a few gamblers can’t stop themselves. The pastime can easily become a destructive habit. For these individuals, counseling or other treatments might be necessary.
The Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania offers a self-test for anyone who believes they might have a gambling problem. This test can help you determine if your gambling habit is becoming destructive.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board also lets PA gamblers choose to exclude themselves from gambling in the state. This means players can choose to enact self-imposed gambling bans on themselves. Gamblers can apply at the Control Board office, any PA casinos, or certified gambling addiction treatment centers.
Self-exclusions in PA can last one year, five years, or an entire lifetime. It’s up to the gambler to decide. It’s also the gambler’s responsibility to cancel the exclusion if necessary.
Pennsylvania also offers gamblers other options to limit their gambling habits. Players can choose to enact shorter timeouts or bet or deposit limits on themselves.
Every PA online casino site also has resources for gamblers under some type of responsible gambling section. Gamblers can always find great resources on PA casino websites.
PA Online Gambling FAQ
Is Online Gambling Legal in PA?
Pennsylvania is one of the best states in the USA for online gambling. It has one of the largest varieties of gambling options in the entire United State. PA offers legal online casinos, online poker, online sports betting, online horse betting, and even online lottery play.
How Do PA Online Gambling Sites Know My Location?
To gamble online in Pennsylvania, you need to be within the state’s borders. To verify your location, PA gambling sites use geolocation software. This software gives casinos a rough idea of the player’s location.
Geolocation software will use the GPS in your mobile device to determine your location. Keep in mind that in PA specifically, BetRivers and SugarHouse will require you to download a special verification app. If you access these PA gambling sites via a mobile web browser, you need the GeoGuard app to verify your location.
Geolocation software doesn’t give exact coordinates of your location. It gives a rough idea of the player’s location. These apps always play it safe, meaning that players very close to the state border might be denied access. That suggests that the location data these apps provide is not a precise location.
What is Legal Gambling Age in PA?
To place horse bets or buy lottery tickets in Pennsylvania, players must be at least 18 years old. To play at online and land-based casinos, players must be at least 21 years old.
Who Can Gamble Legally in PA?
Anyone who meets the ages requirements and is located within PA state lines is eligible to gamble online in the state. You do not need to be a PA resident to gamble in the state.
Do PA Online Gambling Sites Give Bonuses?
They absolutely do! Pennsylvania online casinos compete with each other fiercely, so they are always trying to outdo each other’s bonuses. This results in extra free cash for the player. These are the most common online casino bonuses:
- Free Play Bonus: These bonuses give you some free plays so you can test out games. These are great to learn the ropes if you’re a new gambler. These bonuses are usually small and you can’t withdraw the free money.
- Deposit Match Bonus: These bonuses match the real money you deposit up to a certain percentage. For example, a casino might give you a 100% match on your first deposit up to $5000.
- Cash Back Bonus: These bonuses give you a small percentage of your wagered money back. It’s usually not much, but it can add up over time.
- High Roller Bonus: These bonuses are usually the most attractive, but they are not offered to all players. Like the name suggests, you need to bet big and bet often to get these bonuses. If you’re a VIP player, these bonuses give you bigger perks.
Do PA Gambling Sites Enforce Responsible Gambling?
In order to receive gaming licenses, PA gambling sites must offer responsible gambling resources. Every PA online casino will have a page with resources for responsible gambling. From here, you can set your own timeout and bet limits. These pages will have links to support and treatment centers too. They will also explain how you can join the PA self-exclusion program.
Can I Deposit at a PA Online Casino with a Credit Card or Paypal?
In general, the majority of PA gambling sites will accept credit and debit card deposits. Visa and MasterCard are typically accepted everywhere. American Express and Discover are accepted too but are less common.
Most PA online casinos also accept direct deposits from bank accounts. Just be aware that certain banks don’t allow direct deposits to online gambling sites. Check with your bank for more info.
Most PA online casinos also accept PayPal. PayPal makes it easier to make deposits from your bank. It’s also a bit safer since you aren’t providing sensitive payment details directly to casinos.
Can I Have Multiple PA Online Casino Accounts?
Legally, no you cannot. PA limits online gambling accounts to just one per person and one per physical location. It’s very easy for PA gambling sites to detect account abuse, so don’t try it.
How Much is PA Gambling Revenue Taxed?
PA taxes all its gambling providers at a relatively high rate of 36%. This is in addition to the steep $10 million gaming license fee. Even so, these costs have not stopped the state’s gambling industry from booming.
Do I Need to Pay Tax on PA Gambling Winnings?
Pennsylvania does collect tax on gambling winnings at a rate of 3.07%.
Is Off Track Betting Legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes it is! There are multiple off track betting sites across the state.
How Big is the PA Gambling Market?
It’s pretty big to say the least. It’s easily one of the top three states for gambling in the USA. One of the reasons for this is that the state offers more gambling options than most others. The state also has a large population and multiple large cities. It’s also situated in the populated tri-state area of the US northeast.
Since it was legalized, PA sports betting has generated over $105 million in revenue. Total bets placed equal more than $1.75 billion since 2018.
PA online casinos are still growing since launching just a few years ago. That said, they regularly pull in more than $15 million in total revenue per month.