PA Online Casinos – The Ultimate Guide

The law legalizing iGaming in PA authorizes Internet slots, table games such as blackjack and roulette, online poker and sports betting. With the exception of online poker, all verticals are now live, with new sites coming online steadily.

Online poker brands like PokerStars and WSOP.com have applied for licenses to open up shop in the state. There is a significant likelihood that PA poker sites will eventually pool liquidity with online card rooms in other legal U.S. poker markets. Already, New Jersey has merged its player pools with Nevada and Delaware, so adding PA is a natural extension.

Daily fantasy sports and an online lottery were also legalized as part of the expanded gaming bill. Both went live in May 2018.

True sports wagering became legal in Pennsylvania late in 2018, and the first real-world sportsbooks launched in November and December. Online sportsbooks began launching in late spring of 2019.

To play for real money, PA gamblers must be 21+ years old (18+ for lottery games) and must be physically located inside the borders of the state during their online gaming session.

There is one caveat to this rule, which is players are prohibited from wagering real-money on an online casino site from within any of the state’s 12 land-based casinos. This stipulation does not apply to online sports betting,

Patrons do not need to be residents of Pennsylvania in order to play, and will be able to do so even if they are just passing through the state for a short period of time.

When signing up, patrons will need to provide their personal information, which will be submitted for a “Know Your Customer” check. This process will verify a player’s ID and age, while checking their credit history through credit bureau databases.

It is possible that people with certain criminal convictions may be barred from gambling online in PA, as is the case in New Jersey.

Online casinos use third-party geolocation software companies to verify that their real money patrons are indeed within the borders of the state and outside the casinos. When playing from a desktop computer, gamblers will be prompted to install a small web browser extension which verifies and sends back a notification to the casino that the player is physically inside PA. A similar check will be made on mobile gamers with features built into iOS and Android casino apps.

Online casinos and sportsbooks are now live, but internet poker has yet to launch. It was assumed that online poker would debut in tandem with casino games, but a recent DOJ opinion has thrown a wrench into the process. Not to fear though, poker is still on the way, and we hope to see sites start popping up sometime in late 2019.

Yes, curious patrons can play for free on PA gambling sites in a few different ways. First, most casino sites offer demo/play money versions of their games so patrons can get a taste of the action without risking real money.

Another way to play for free is to take advantage of the free money sign up bonuses which several PA iGaming sites offer. These types of bonuses usually range from $10-$30 and are awarded to players for simply creating an account at a gambling site.

The deal is meant to entice potential customers to check out the casino site without having to make a deposit, giving them the chance to win real money in the process.

In addition to free money sign up offers, many PA casino sites offer match bonuses for first time depositors.

These incentives are quite a bit larger than sign up awards and can range from $100 all the way up to $10,000 in bonus cash. Each site has unique terms and conditions on how the bonus can be cashed out, so please read over our reviews or check the site carefully.

For instance, before a bonus is cleared for withdrawal, casinos often require players wager the amount of the bonus by a certain multiple. For example, a site could offer a 100% match bonus up to $500 with a 20X play through requirement, meaning, if you deposited $300, you would receive $300 in bonus money, but would be required to wager $6,000 in total to unlock the full bonus amount.

And sometimes, different games contribute at different rates. Online slots almost always contribute at 100%, yet play at table games and video poker may contribute less toward the wagering requirement.

A wide array of banking methods are already available at PA online casinos and sports betting sites, making it easy for nearly anyone to make a deposit or withdrawal. As these sites mature, even more methods will be added. Here are a few common deposit types we have seen so far:

• Instant eCheck (ACH)
• PayPal
• Cash at the cage in the casino
• Online banking transfer
• Branded Play+ cards
• Visa/MasterCard credit cards
• Cash at 7-Eleven/CVS/Family Dollar
• Bank wire transfers
• Paper checks

Withdrawals can be made using some of the methods mentioned above.

Minimum deposit amounts are almost universally set to $10 in PA, whereas the maximums vary depending on a variety of factors. These include the deposit method used, reputation with the bank, and VIP status, amongst other things. Certain methods can allow for deposits of up to $10,000 per day, while average maximums for methods like ACH and prepaid cards range from $500-$2,000.

Just like at PA brick-and-mortar casinos, players have the option of banning themselves from online gambling entirely for a period of one year, five years or for life. Visit the PGCB’s website for more info on the self-exclusion process.

Other responsible gaming measures are built into PA online gambling sites as well. Those include options to limit losses to a certain amount, limit gameplay to a certain period of time or activate a “cool off” period, which will prohibit play for a specified timeframe.

Finally, websites in Pennsylvania  provide abundant warning materials on the dangers of gambling addiction with prominent links to resources for anyone that needs help.

PA iGaming sites are available for play directly through popular web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari, on both Windows and Mac operating systems, with no download required. Some casinos and sportsbooks might also provide the additional option of a standalone software client, though this isn’t as common anymore except for online poker.

Gamblers can also play on mobile through free, dedicated apps for iOS and Android devices. Some sites offer the option to play directly from mobile web browsers without the need to download any apps at all, but this is rare for mobile devices.

All of Pennsylvania’s land-based casino operators were eligible to apply for online slots, table games, or poker rooms licenses, and also had the option of purchasing a package that covered all three at once. Following the close of an initial exclusivity period, qualified third-parties were able to apply for permits as well. Two took advantage, with MGM applying for both online casino and poker licenses, and Golden Nugget submitting a petition for an online casino license only.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the agency which has overseen PA casinos since 2004, processed these applications throughout 2018. To date, 13 permits for online slots have been issued, and eight for online poker.

In 2011, the Department of Justice issued an opinion allowing for individual U.S. states to legalize online gambling. So far, Nevada, Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania have done so, with many other states exploring the possibility. Since 2012 several states also offer online lotteries.

After the Supreme Court struck down PASPA, the law that limited sports betting mainly to Nevada, several states have legalized and launched sportsbooks. Nearly every other state in the country is, at the least, exploring the possibility of doing the same.