Pennsylvania allows online casino gambling and online sports betting.
Pennsylvania allows online casino gambling and online sports betting.
At present players can gamble legally (and possibly get a FREE BET) at the following online casinos:
To read more about the Pennsylvania online casinos, click here.
If you want to browse our exclusive list of Pennsylvania online casino promo codes, click here!
Or, do you want to see our range of PA online casino free bets? Just click here.
The Pennsylvania online casino gambling bill allows any existing licensed casinos to operate an online website and app to permit casino gambling. Each online product is tied to the Casino license and it is the responsibility of that operator to ensure that the terms of the license are met.
So, here are the online casinos in Pennsylvania and their land-based partners:
Online Casino | Date of Launch | Casino Partner |
BetMGM Casino | December 2020 | Hollywood Casino |
TwinSpires Casino | December 2019 | Presque Isle Downs & Casino |
DraftKings Casino | May 2020 | Meadows Casino |
BetRivers Casino | January 2020 | Rivers Pittsburgh |
SugarHouse Casino | January 2020 | Rivers Pittsburgh |
Borgata Casino | February 2021 | Rivers Philadelphia |
There are 17 land-based casinos in PA. Not quite as many as the 134 in Oklahoma. But, hey, you can also bet online in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania may not have been the first state in the United States to deploy online casino play, but they were ahead of the curve in their own right.
Online casino play started in November 2013, and Pennsylvania legalized it in October 2017. This was months before PASPA was overturned, which allowed states to legalize online sports betting. In turn, this brought more online casinos to the Keystone State.
The history of gambling in Pennsylvania first starts in 1971 when Act 91 was passed, which authorized a state lottery. The purpose of the bill was to provide property tax relief to elderly citizens.
With the success of this, we saw the state innovate and look to push for casinos throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Nevada was cited as a template for things that could happen to the state.
This ramped up in 1993 and 1994 in the form of casino riverboats, however, this legislature failed.
While this failed, it didn’t stop the persistence in the state, with the next bill being up in 1999. However, this was another failed attempt and was not scheduled for a vote. Similar happened in Wyoming.
Then, in 2004, Act 71 was passed. This Act was known as the Pennsylvania Racehorse Development and Gaming Act and effectively started the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
In the first year that this Act was in effect, there were seven casinos that produced machine revenues of over $1 billion. Then, in 2009, Pennsylvania machines revenue was higher than any other state in the country except Nevada.
While patrons enjoyed land-based betting for the next decade and a half, online casinos finally came into play with bill H 271 which was ultimately approved in October 2017 and signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf.
The bill covered the following types of gambling:
This marked Pennsylvania as the fourth state to legalize online gambling in addition to New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada.
Finally, in July 2019, the first online casinos went live with online sportsbooks launching in September of the same year. The first online casinos to launch in the state were Hollywood Casino and Parx Casino.
Here are some figures to further cement how valuable Pennsylvania online casino gambling has been to the state.
As of October 2021, Pennsylvania broke nearly $4 billion in gross gaming revenue. This does include sports betting revenue. For online casino play, the tax rate is set at 54% on slots and 16% on poker and table games.
So, here is a full breakdown, as of October 2021:
Pennsylvania online casino gaming is thriving. As a result, several states are expecting to join the party in the coming years.
If you’ve never made a single wager in Pennsylvania, it can seem daunting to begin. You see an abundance of advertisements everywhere promoting different offers and it can be overwhelming.
However, actually getting started and making that first wager is a lot easier than you’d expect.
To make it even easier, we will have a step-by-step guide. But, first, there are some important points to cover.
To make a casino bet in Pennsylvania, you must be:
There is a misconception that you either need to be a resident or you can wager from anywhere in the country as long as you are a resident of the state. These are both incorrect.
You do not necessarily need to be a resident of Pennsylvania, but you need to be located within the parameters of the state. This is tracked by the online gaming site using geolocation software. This software confirms your location via your IP address.
So, if you’re 21 years of age or older and are in Pennsylvania, here’s what you do next:
Remember, there are plenty of online casinos in Pennsylvania to choose from. Just click on one of the free bet offers below to get started today.
In the previous section we mentioned that you’ll need an account to start wagering. If you’ve never created an account at an online casino before, you’ll find that you do need to divulge some information that you may be hesitant to do at first.
This is totally understandable. However, keep in mind that this information is asked of you due to state legislature requiring it. Furthermore, it is used to protect your data in the unfortunate event that your account is somehow compromised.
To find where to register for an account, go to the online gaming site of your choice and you’ll find some variation of “Register”, “Join Now”, or “Sign Up” in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
Next, here is some of the information you’ll need to include in your registration form:
Before you can begin Pennsylvania online casino gambling, you will need to ensure that your account is verified.
In general, the need for further verification will only arise if there is a mismatch in information during the registration process. The most common discrepancy applies to those who recently moved and the internal systems at the online gaming site have not been updated yet.
Should this happen to you, you will be asked to provide further proof of your identity such as the following:
The other instance in which you may be asked to verify your account is when completing a withdrawal. For instance, at DraftKings, you will be asked at each withdrawal for your zip code and the last four digits of your Social Security Number.
Believe us when we say we understand that, in the moment, this can be tedious or feel unnecessary. Well, as the old adage goes, better safe than sorry!
After joining the online casino landscape a bit later, Pennsylvania started out with essentially all of the same games that other online casino states have.
One game type that didn’t appear right away on the Pennsylvania online casino gambling landscape was Live Dealer games. Now, you can even get your Live Dealer fix!
Below is a complete list of the games you can play online in Pennsylvania today:
Here are the various banking and payment options that you can use to fund your online casino account in Pennsylvania:
Banking/Payment Methods | Important Information |
Credit/Debit Cards | Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AMEX. |
ACH Transfer | With an ACH Transfer, you can also enroll in the VIP Preferred program. This enrollment will allow you to link your bank account to your virtual wallet and make swift deposits and withdrawals. |
Online Banking | With Online Banking, you will log into your account to complete the transaction. The funds will be pulled directly from your checking account. |
Play+ Card | This is a reloadable card given to you by the online casino/sportsbook. You can use this card for withdrawals at ATMs. |
PayPal | This is an e-wallet that can be used for deposits and withdrawals. |
Wire Transfer | Wire Transfers can come with fees for both deposits and withdrawals. You can carry out this method online or in person at your bank. |
Skrill | This is an e-wallet alternative to PayPal and NETELLER. |
NETELLER | This is an e-wallet alternative to PayPal and Skrill. |
PayNearMe | With PayNearMe, you will print out a barcode that represents the amount in which you want to deposit. You will then bring it to a retailer such as 7-Eleven, CVS, or Family Dollar and complete the transaction to fund your account. |
Cash Cage | You can go to the land-based partner for the online casino/sportsbook and complete a deposit and/or withdrawal. You will need to bring your ID for withdrawals. |
Any time you can get anything marked “free” in the online gaming world, this is something that will surely provide not only a better experience but help put a few extra dollars in your pocket.
With free bets, they come in two different contexts depending on if you are at an online casino or online sportsbook.
For online casinos, you may not get a free bet exactly. But, you can get risk-free player periods for welcome bonuses or free spins for online slot games. These free spins come with a designated value and will be used on specific titles or titles that fall under the umbrella of a specific game developer.
Or, if you’re at an online casino, you may find welcome bonuses that offer risk-free bets where, if you lose your first wager, you will be refunded in free bets. Additionally, there are actual welcome bonuses that just offer straight-up free bets.
With free bets, you will not receive the value of the free bet back in your winnings. Instead, you will keep the cash from the actual win itself.
Be sure to check back here for updates on the offers at online gaming sites in The Keystone State or monitor your favorite sites’ Promotions page.
As online casino gaming is very new, there are often special introductory offers available for those looking to try out this new pastime without risking their own funds, or before linking a bank account to a sportsbook. Keep an eye out for amazing promo offers like the MGM 12 digit promo code or the Borgata No Deposit promo code.