Pennsylvania Online Casinos

Online casino gambling was legalized in the Keystone State in October 2017, via a gambling expansion package. It also included online poker, sports betting and daily fantasy sports. It took more than a year and a half for the industry to go live, with Hollywood Casino, PlaySugarHouse Casino, and Parx (now betPARX) opening their virtual doors in July 2019. Since then, other big names such as Unibet, DraftKings, and FanDuel have joined them and plenty more are on the way!

Best PA online casino bonuses

1

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Caesars Casino (PA)

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Borgata Casino

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5

Hollywood Casino

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3.5

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Who can play, and from where?

Although Pennsylvania has legalized online casinos, there are some restrictions. You must be 21+ and physically present in the state of Pennsylvania. Another limitation is that you cannot bet when you are in a casino.

• Age limit: Only gamblers who are 21 years old can place bets at any of Pennsylvania’s online casinos.
• Physical boundaries: Players must be within the boundaries of the state in order to play for real money. But that doesn’t mean iGaming is only open to PA residents. In fact, it is perfectly legal to play even if you’re just passing through the state. You could even, for example, just drive across the border to make a few slot spins, then go right back home with no issue. Your location is verified by sophisticated geolocation software either on your phone or through an extension downloaded to your desktop computer or laptop.
• Other restrictions: Strangely, regulators decreed that players cannot make online bets when physically inside one of the state’s casinos. So if you get the urge to play a hand of virtual blackjack or video poker from inside Rivers Casino, for example, you’ll be out of luck. Geolocation software will fence off these locations, making online betting impossible.

Pennsylvania retail casino partnerships

Currently, the majority of Pennsylvania’s brick-and-mortar casinos hold online slot/table game licenses. In order to go live in PA, online casino operators must do so using a retail casino’s license. Here’s a quick rundown of each casino and its existing partnerships:

Mohegan Sun

• Online casino partner: Unibet
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

For its online casino offering, Mohegan Sun chose to partner with Kindred, which also offers sports wagering in addition to online casino gaming through its well-established international brand, Unibet. Unibet might not be a household name in the PA market but is one of Europe’s most respected and long-standing online gambling brands – bringing over 20 years of experience to the US market.

Mount Airy Casino

• Online casino partner: Stars Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

Mount Airy is a small casino located in the Poconos but is making a huge name for itself in the online gambling space in PA. Mount Airy partnered with The Stars Group and FOX Bet to offer online casino and sports betting and boasts one of the only live online poker sites via its deal with PokerStars.

FOX Bet is the result of a massive deal between online gambling legend The Stars Group and FOX Sports, one of the premier sports media companies in the world. Stars Casino can be accessed through the FOX Bet mobile app, PokerStars mobile app, or the PokerStars desktop app, making it a one-stop-shop for all of your online gaming needs.

Rivers Casino Philadelphia & Rivers Casino Pittsburgh

• Online casino partner: BetRivers Casino, PlaySugarHouse Casino, Borgata Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse are both online skins of the same parent company, Rush Street Interactive. A 2019 rebrand of the popular SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia to its new name, Rivers Philadelphia, consolidated its branding with its sister casino, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.

Both BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse are virtual clones of each other, just sporting different shades of blue to differentiate between the two. Both offer a large library of slots and table games and share a wallet with their online sportsbook arm as well. Rush Street’s ‘iRush Rewards’ program is also widely considered to be one of the best in the legal online gaming market. BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse were both among the first wave of online casino brands to begin offering Live Dealer games in October 2020.

In February 2021, BetMGM launched the Borgata Casino mobile app in Pennsylvania through a new partnership with Rivers Casino Philadelphia. The move followed BetMGM’s own casino app launch in PA two months prior and made Pennsylvania just the second state with access to the Borgata Casino, joining New Jersey.

Hollywood Casino at Penn National

• Online casinos: Hollywood Online Casino, DraftKings Casino, BetMGM Casino, Barstool Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

Hollywood Casino at Penn National was the first retail casino to offer sports betting and the first online casino to go live in the state. Needless to say, Hollywood is willing to try new verticals to bring more exciting gambling action to its customers.

Hollywood Casino is constantly adding new slot titles and its welcome package is one of the most generous in the PA market. Hollywood does not have online sports betting or poker, however, Penn National owns Meadows Casino, which is partnered with DraftKings for sports betting in PA.

Pennsylvania allows the license holders to launch multiple online casinos and Hollywood Casino was the first to do so when DraftKings Casino went live in early May 2020. Both DraftKings and Hollywood were also among the first online casinos to begin offering live dealer games in October 2020. A few months later in December 2020, BetMGM Casino went live in PA through its partnership with Hollywood Casino as well. A fourth online skin, used to house PNG’s very own Barstool Casino, was put into play when the brand finally went live one year after the first one.

Hollywood Casino York

• Online casinos: PointsBet Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

PointsBet Casino was the latest online wagering brand to arrive in PA, launching on April 13, 2022, in partnership with Hollywood Casino York. PointsBet’s casino product followed the debut of its sportsbook in PA, which went live a few months prior in February 2022. Packed with a wide variety of slots, table games, and live dealer offerings, PointsBet Casino is quickly rising in the ranks among players in the Keystone State!

Valley Forge

• Online casino partner: FanDuel Casino, Stardust Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

Valley Forge Casino benefited significantly from the state’s massive gambling expansion package. The Cat 3 property was able to add an additional 250 slots and several new table games to its retail casino but really hit the jackpot by partnering with the leading online sportsbook in the US market, FanDuel.

Following its sportsbook launch in PA, FanDuel then launched its online casino offering via the same app. A separate casino app, known as Stardust Casino, is also available in PA under a second Valley Forge license, however, the app is merely an extension of FanDuel Casino under a different name and application. Those who log into Stardust using their FanDuel credentials will find the same balance and account information available.

Despite a somewhat limited casino library, FanDuel has climbed the ladder to become a top competitor by offering some of the most popular titles in the industry, including Divine Fortune, Blackjack, Roulette, and BloodSuckers.

Parx Casino

• Online casino partner: betPARX
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

Parx’s retail casino generates more revenue than any of its Keystone State competitors and has partnered with GAN for all of its online gambling needs. Hesitant at first to jump into the online realm, once it was a go, Parx jumped in with both feet, and was the first casino to shell out the $10 million required to buy the initial trio of online gambling licenses put up for grabs. Parx was among the first of PA’s online casinos to go live in July 2019 but has since rebranded its online offering to betPARX – a new and improved mobile casino app that launched in NJ and PA in March 2022.

Harrah’s Philadephia

• Online casino partner: Caesars Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

Harrah’s is one of the most recognizable brands in the casino business and has the backing of gambling behemoth Caesars Entertainment. Caesars online casino and sportsbook launched quietly in the spring of 2020 with a very limited game selection but has since beefed up its menu of offerings to include a full suite of table games, slots, and live dealer options. Unlike any of the other states with Caesars’ Casino and Sportsbook services, Pennsylvania players are required to download a separate Caesars app which is directly tied to Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Live! Hotel & Casino

• Online casino partner: Live! Casino, Betway Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

After first breaking ground in 2018, Live! Hotel & Casino Philadelphia officially opened its doors for the first time ever on February 4, 2021. The brand new, state-of-the-art retail casino is located just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia’s iconic sporting venues Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and the Wells Fargo Center.

The property’s physical slots and table games are accompanied by online versions which are available on the Live! Casino mobile app and website. Live! Casino launched in PA in early August 2020, becoming the first online casino to go live before its retail casino opened its doors.

On June 28, 2021, the popular international iGaming brand Betway launched both its online sportsbook and casino platform in Pennsylvania through a partnership with Live! Hotel & Casino Philadelphia.

Wind Creek Casino

• Online casino partner: Wind Creek Casino
• Online casino status: Live
• Available Platforms: Desktop, iOS app, Android app

Wind Creek Casino, formerly Sands Bethlehem,  signed an agreement with European online gambling operator BetFred to run all of its online gambling variations including online casino, poker and sports betting. The online casino went live in early August 2020, offering an amazing online experience with a large selection of slots and table games.

Online Casinos coming soon to PA

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board recently released its report for the 2022-23 fiscal year, which curiously included plans for future expansion in the state. The report noted that up to 10 additional online casino sites could be in the cards for PA moving forward.

Golden Nugget Casino

• Licensed for: Online slots and table games
• Online casino partner: SG Digital
• Expected Launch Date:  TBD

Golden Nugget is a brick-and-mortar casino located in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and one that plays a major role in the state’s online gambling market.

As an out-of-state casino, it was not allowed to scoop up any PA iGaming licenses when they were initially up for grabs. But after the state’s casinos were given a chance to buy in, a few permits remained and were offered to outside qualified entities.

In PA, Golden Nugget Casino will likely continue to use the same SG Digital online casino platform that it does in both New Jersey and Michigan. As we continue to await an official launch date, stay tuned and check in often for any updates!

WynnBET Casino

WynnBET, the popular online sports betting and casino arm of the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas, is still awaiting licensing approval in PA. WynnBET’s status on the PGCB’s website is listed as “Interim Authorization Approved”, meaning it should be among the next wave of casino sites to launch in the state once approved.

Bally Casino

Bally’s Pennsylvania, LLC, the parent company representing Bally Online Casino, appeared on the PGCB’s latest application status report. The brand was listed as ‘pending’ and is likely to eventually receive a license in PA.

Fubo Casino

As Fubo Gaming expands throughout the United States with its brand new Fubo Sportsbook product, it appears the brand is also interested in the iCasino realm. Fubo Gaming Inc. is currently pending license approval in PA, but is expected to eventually go live in the state.

Fanatics Casino

Fanatics, one of the leading sports merchandise retailers in the country, will soon be making the ultimate plunge into the uncharted waters of iGaming. FBG Enterprises Opco, LLC was listed as one of the ‘pending’ applications on the state’s website, and should arrive in PA along with its upcoming BetFanatics Sportsbook.

Playstar Casino

Playstar PA LLC is the fourth and final casino operator to be designated as ‘pending’ on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s latest status update. It is a European casino brand that recently made its United States debut in August 2022 in New Jersey. Playstar launched in NJ through a partnership with Ocean Resort Casino in Altantic City and has clear intentions to hit PA next.

Registering for a PA online gambling site

Assuming you meet the age requirement, you can sign up for a PA online casino account from nearly anywhere in the world. Of course, to bet real money, you’ll need to be inside the Commonwealth.

The sign-up process is pretty simple and straightforward. You’ll be asked to provide the following personal information:

• Full name
• Email address
• Home address
• Phone number
• Last four digits of your social

You might be wondering why a partial social is required. While this could seem like an intrusion to some, it is necessary for operators to confirm your identity by crosschecking your information with a number of government and private databases.

If you have any qualms about providing these details, just know that your data is in safe hands. Legal U.S. online casinos are highly regulated and are protected by the same types of encryption and security measures used by large online retailers and banks.

What are banking options at PA online casino sites?

When it comes to banking, legal PA casinos have a major advantage over unregulated, offshore sites. They often break U.S. law in order to process deposits and withdrawals.

Legal online casinos are free to do business with a wide variety of established payment processors. That includes companies like PayPal, which makes the experience of adding or requesting funds a seamless one.

What’s more, PA’s highly regulated iGaming sites are required by law to keep your funds in segregated bank accounts. In other words, to separate from operating capital. That means your money is always safe and fully available for withdrawal at any time.

Apart from PayPal, the following banking methods are the most popular available to PA online casino patrons:

• Credit/Debit card (Visa/MasterCard)
• ACH/eCheck
• Online bank transfer
• PayNearMe
• Venmo
• Apple Pay
• Skrill
• Wire transfer
• Cash at the Casino Cage

As far as withdrawals, the following methods are quick and easy and seem to be the most popular:

• ACH/eCheck
• PayPal
• Cash at the Casino Cage

Shared wallets

Sites that not only offer online casino games, but also poker and sports betting, allow players to keep a shared wallet. A shared wallet makes it easy for patrons to play any game they’d like without going through the hassle of creating a new account or moving money around.

Welcome bonus packages, deposit bonuses and promo codes

It’s uncommon for the average player to walk into a brand new casino and get handed bonus money just for showing up. Rarer still, is receiving a match bonus on any money they bring to the property.

Not the case with online casinos. PA iGaming sites offer up bonus money in the form of sign-up bonuses and deposit bonuses, They can be quite lucrative when players make wise bets.

No-deposit bonuses

Once you sign up for a new, valid account, the majority of online casinos will credit you with an amount of real cash, which you can use to place real bets. This is the operator’s way of attracting new customers. At the same time, they give the patron the chance to “test drive” the casino, so to speak.

The amounts are usually small, typically in the $10-$30 range. However, they give you the chance to win real money without risking a dime.

Deposit bonuses

The bonus offers don’t end there. Once you go one step further and make a deposit, operators will match it by a certain percentage, up to a specific amount. Offers vary by site, but that means that you could potentially deposit $500 at an online casino, and receive $1,000 total in your account to play with.

Of course, this bonus money comes with strings attached. Before you can cash it out, you’ll need to complete some type of wagering requirement. The online casino wagering requirements in PA have been very reasonable so far.

Nevertheless, be sure to know what to expect before diving in. We have done the hard work for you by combing through the terms and conditions. Check out our reviews for a full breakdown of what you’ll need to do to claim your bonuses.

Laws and regulations

Some of the Internet gambling regulations dreamed up by PA lawmakers and gaming officials are sensible and similar to those in other states, but others diverge sharply.

For one, state online gambling sites are forced to pay the same sky-high tax rates as their physical counterparts. On its face, this might seem fair, but in reality, the structure is a much bigger burden for online operators.

While it’s true that online casinos have less overhead, they also have less opportunity to earn revenue through non-gambling options like dining and entertainment, something that will hurt their bottom line.

What’s more, operators are forced to pay massive fees to buy licenses for several different categories of games and betting options. PA, in fact, levies some of the highest fees in the country on brick-and-mortar and online gambling properties. Pennsylvania also requires that online gambling skins prominently feature the branding of the license-holding casino on its skin.

Taxes and fees

Here’s a top-level view of the most important iGaming financial regulations:

• Operators can offer online slots, table games, and poker, at a cost of $4 million per vertical. If all three licenses are purchased together, the price is discounted to $10 million.
• Physical/online sportsbook licenses cost $10 million each
• Online slots are taxed at 54%, with table games taxed at 16%
• Sportsbook revenue is taxed at 36%, 2% of which goes to a local share assessment

Skins and miscellaneous regulations

Here are a few additional regulations, which include some we find odd and counterproductive:

• Online casinos are allowed to partner with unlimited skins, but sportsbooks are restricted to one each.
• Skins must visually identify their associated license holder. So, for example, a Unibet-branded iGaming site would be forced to proudly display the Mohegan Sun Pocono logo.
• Skins must exist as a sub-domain of their licensed partner’s main website. (e.g. unibet.mohegansuncasino.com)
• Online casino and poker are not allowed inside physical casinos. Stand-alone online sportsbook apps are not subject to this rule.

Why play at legal PA online casinos?

Playing at a legal online casino has many advantages over its brick-and-mortar counterpart. Some of them are convenience, lower limits, bonuses and promotions. They are also very beginner friendly.

• Convenience: With online casinos, you can play anywhere, anytime in Pennsylvania.
• Lower Limits: While most retail casinos have table minimums ranging from $10-$100 per hand, you can find games like blackjack and baccarat online for as little as $0.10 per hand.
• Beginner Friendly: Your first time walking into a retail casino can be a little intimidating. Online casino games can help you learn the rules, play at your own pace, and as previously mentioned, you can play for pennies online.
• Play with a Free Trial: Online casinos also offer free trial versions of real games for those that want to try them out before playing for real money.
• Bonuses and Promotions: Online casinos offer signup and deposit bonuses to get you to try their site. When you sign up using one of our bonus codes, you can be in for a huge payday with little to no risk for you. Check out our top picks for Pennsylvania online casino bonuses in the table above.

History lesson: The path toward legal PA online casinos

Pennsylvanians got their first taste of legal casino gambling in 2006 after lawmakers passed a bill allowing for slot machines at select venues. In 2010, gambling options expanded further, with casinos permitted to take bets on table games like blackjack, roulette, and craps.

It wasn’t until 2011 that online gambling became a possibility, after the Department of Justice issued an opinion on the Wire Act, which opened the door for states to legalize online casinos within their borders.

Rep. Tina Davis (D) lead the charge in regulating iGaming in PA, first introducing an online gambling bill in 2013. After several years of attempts and countless hearings on the subject, Keystone State lawmakers came to a consensus on a wide-ranging gambling expansion package in 2017, which they hope will go a long way towards plugging a large budget deficit.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill into law in late October of that year. That made Pennsylvania the fourth state to legalize some form of online gambling, at the time.

Apart from online casinos, the law also regulates daily fantasy sports, sports betting, satellite casinos, online lottery, and VGTs at truck stops.

After many delays, online sportsbooks began launching in early June 2019. Online casinos started to pop up in mid-July of the same year. We didn’t see the first online poker site take off until November 2019.