Pennsylvania Sports Betting

Pennsylvania sports betting is legal and regulated, with over a dozen online betting apps currently operational. An even greater number of retail sportsbooks at casinos and race tracks have also opened throughout the Keystone State.

Despite a contentious tax rate and a hard cap on the number of sports betting apps allowed, Pennsylvania has grown into one of the most prosperous online sports betting markets in the U.S., rivaling neighboring New Jersey.

Pennsylvania sports betting law permits customers 21 or older to bet online from anywhere within state lines via licensed online sportsbooks and mobile betting apps.

Bettors may also visit retail sportsbooks at licensed casinos, race tracks, and off-track betting facilities (OTBs) to place wagers in person.

Legal Pennsylvania Betting Sites

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Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting Apps

The first Pennsylvania sports betting apps launched in May 2019, and more have opened since.

Early on, there was speculation that the $10 million licensing fee and 36% tax rate would dissuade operators from entering the Pennsylvania sports betting market.

However, most casinos have applied for licenses, and bettors now have access to a variety of online sports betting sites in Pennsylvania.

Below is a list of all sports betting apps available in Pennsylvania:

Bettors can also verify the licensing status of all Pennsylvania online sportsbooks at the PGCB website.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Bonuses

Pennsylvania sports betting bonuses offer incentives for new customers to sign up for accounts and make deposits.

Some welcome promotions allow customers to place their first bet and receive a refund if it loses. Others issue wagering credits to customers who make their first deposit. Yet another type offers new customers a bonus bet or “second chance bet” match equal to the size of their first wager.

In short, the PA online sports betting market is rife with high-value bonuses, promotions, and special offers.

In all cases, the general idea is to give new customers a good reason to sign up and bet online for real money.

Pennsylvania Regulations On Betting Promotions

58 PA Code § 1409.1 requires operators to comply with the same rules that govern online casinos regarding bonuses, promotions, and advertisements.

Among other requirements, licensed PA betting apps must maintain records of all promotions so the Gaming Control Board can audit them for “compliance with the terms and conditions of current and previous offers.”

As a result, Pennsylvania sports betting bonuses tend to be simple and easy to understand. The rules do not guarantee every promotion is a great deal, but does ensure fairness.

One of the nice things about legal online sports betting PA residents should remember is that operators that launch misleading promotions risk losing their licenses.

PA regulations also require the terms and conditions associated with promotions to clearly describe what the promotion offers, who is eligible to participate, what actions customers must complete to participate, and any restrictions on the withdrawal of funds.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Locations

Pennsylvania law permits casinos and race tracks to operate retail sportsbooks. Licensed race tracks may also construct sportsbooks at licensed off-track betting locations (OTBs).

Philadelphia Sportsbooks

  • Caesars Sportsbook at Harrah’s Philly
  • South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook
  • BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino Philadelphia
  • FanDuel Sportsbook at Live! Casino Philadelphia

Pittsburgh Sportsbooks

  • BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
  • FanDuel Sportsbook at Live! Casino Pittsburgh

Other Retail Sportsbooks in Pennsylvania

  • Mohegan Pennsylvania Sportsbook at Wilkes-Barre
  • Mohegan Pennsylvania Sportsbook at Lehigh Valley
  • BetParx Sportsbook at Parx Casino Bensalem
  • The Sportsbook at Mount Airy Casino
  • The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino York
  • The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Penn National
  • The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino The Meadows
  • The Sportsbook at Hollywood Casino Morgantown
  • Twinspires Sportsbook at Presque Isle Downs
  • FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino Resort
  • Betfred Sportsbook at Wind Creek Bethlehem

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Law

Pennsylvania began legalizing sports betting in 2017 with the passage of a large gaming expansion bill titled HB 271.

The bill, signed into law as 2017 Act 42, greatly expanded Pennsylvania’s legal gambling options. Act 42 authorizes retail sportsbooks, mobile sports betting, daily fantasy sports, online gambling, online lottery games, and expands other in-person gambling options.

Sports betting provisions included in the bill were written to become effective contingent upon a change in federal law permitting states to regulate sports betting.

After the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) as unconstitutional in May 2018, the portion of Pennsylvania’s new gambling law related to sports betting took effect.

The first Pennsylvania sportsbooks opened near the end of 2018, and the first mobile betting apps launched in mid-2019.

Key things to know about Pennsylvania online sports betting laws:

  • Minimum age of 21 to participate.
  • Persons excluded from gaming in Pennsylvania cannot participate.
  • Key sports league personnel cannot wager on their own leagues.
  • Licensed casinos, race tracks, and off-track betting locations (OTBs) may operate retail sportsbooks on-premises
  • Licensed casinos and race tracks may each operate one online and mobile sports betting platform
  • PA sportsbooks may accept wagers on professional and college sports
  • Esports betting and wagers on non-sports events are not allowed
  • The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regulates sports betting

Pennsylvania Daily Fantasy Sports

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The 2017 gambling expansion law that legalized sports betting in Pennsylvania also granted the Gaming Control Board regulatory powers over daily fantasy sports.

Under the updated law, Pennsylvania daily fantasy sports sites must register with the state and comply with regulations designed to protect consumers and ensure fair games.

Fantasy sports players can learn about DFS in Pennsylvania and find a list of BettingUSA’s recommended operators:

Pennsylvania Horse Racing Betting

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Pennsylvania boasts a healthy horse racing industry that provides numerous options to watch and bet on races.

Six major racetrack casinos and off-track betting facilities (OTBs) provide ample opportunity to bet on horse races in person, while licensed advance deposit wagering providers (ADWs) allow customers to bet online from anywhere in the commonwealth.

The State Horse Racing Commission oversees all horse racing and parimutuel betting in Pennsylvania, and it does commendable work in ensuring the integrity of the sport.

BettingUSA maintains a detailed guide to Pennsylvania horse racing betting, with a complete list of race tracks and online racebooks and an introduction to parimutuel wagering law:

Pennsylvania Online Gambling

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Legal online gambling options in Pennsylvania include online casinos, poker sites, and online lottery games.

Pennsylvania online casinos and poker sites accept players 21 or older and are regulated by the PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

State law directs the PGCB to regulate online gambling in Pennsylvania, issue licenses to qualifying operators, and adopt additional regulations as needed to execute the law.

The Pennsylvania online lottery (PA iLottery) functions a bit differently because it operates under the Department of Revenue rather than the PGCB and accepts customers 18 or older.

Pennsylvania Online Casinos

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The first PA online casinos launched in July 2019, and more than a dozen have opened since.

Most Pennsylvania casinos partner with third-party operators like BetMGM Casino to offer online casino games, poker, or both. However, the best Pennsylvania casino sites offer a little bit of everything, and those are generally BettingUSA’s top recommendations for players.

Readers can follow the next link for more information and a complete list of legal online casinos in Pennsylvania:

Pennsylvania Online Poker

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Legal online poker came to Pennsylvania in 2019 with the launch of PokerStars PA in partnership with Mount Airy Casino Resort. Several additional online poker sites launched in 2021, bringing some competition to the PA online poker market.

Currently, the following operators hold Pennsylvania online poker licenses:

With a population of nearly 13 million, Pennsylvania is the largest state to legalize online poker to date.

Pennsylvania Online Lottery

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Pennsylvania’s 2017 gambling expansion bill also included reforms for the state lottery. Most notably, the law granted the Pennsylvania Lottery permission to offer most of its games online.

Some of the authorized Pennsylvania online lottery games include tickets to draw games, instant win scratch card games, and keno.

Not long after the PA legislature sent that bill to Governor Wolf, he announced that he would be authorizing the Pennsylvania Lottery to operate virtual sports betting terminals in authorized locations such as bars and taverns.

The state lottery predicted that the change would result in up to $75 million in additional revenue over the next five years.

The Pennsylvania Lottery launched PAiLottery in June 2018 with a small selection of games that has grown significantly since.

Lottery players 18 or older and located in Pennsylvania can visit PAiLottery.com to download the Pennsylvania lottery app, buy tickets online, and play dozens of instant win games that boast top prizes worth up to several million dollars.

Pennsylvania Online Gambling Laws

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf legalized online gambling in Pennsylvania after signing HB 271 in 2017.

Under the law, land-based casinos and race tracks may launch up to two online gambling platforms, one each for casino-style games and poker.

All Pennsylvania casinos may apply for one or more of the following licenses to offer online gambling:

  • Non-peer-to-peer games that simulate slot machines (online slots)
  • Non-peer-to-peer games that simulate table games (online table games)
  • Peer-to-peer interactive table games (online poker)

Operators may apply for Pennsylvania online gambling licenses at a cost of $4 million. Pennsylvania casinos also received the option to purchase all three licenses in a package deal for $10 million during the first 90-day period after the law was passed.

Additionally, other “qualified gaming entities” (QGEs) may apply for any licenses not already claimed by a local casino.

Online gambling tax rates are relatively high in Pennsylvania, with online slots taxed at 52% plus an additional 2% local tax. Table games and poker are taxed at 14% + 2% and sports betting at 34% + 2%.

Past Efforts To Legalize Online Gambling In Pennsylvania

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Representative Tina Davis introduced House Bill No. 1235 a couple of times. The bill called for the legalization and regulation of online poker and casino games.

A previous iteration of the bill included burdensome licensing fees and taxes. At one point, the bill required a licensing fee of $16,500,000 per operator and a 45% tax rate on the industry.

The bill was reintroduced in 2013 with considerably lower fees and taxes.

The 2013 edition asked for a $5,000,000 license fee and a 28% tax rate. These updated rates brought Pennsylvania more in line with other state markets.

Overall, the bill was fairly lenient. It did not include a “bad actor” clause, which means sites such as PokerStars and Party Poker would be able to return to Pennsylvania and apply for licensing.

The bill included an allowance for Pennsylvania to join interstate pacts with other states that legalize internet gaming. What this means is poker sites in Pennsylvania would be allowed to share player pools with poker sites operating in other states, increasing the overall player pool.

The rest of the bill described the measures that will be taken to ensure gambling remains fair, safe, and free from the influence of crime. This bill was referred to the gaming oversight committee in April of 2013 and failed.

Full Text

Senators Edwin Erickson and Bob Mensch introduced SB 1386 in June of 2014. Like the previous bill, this one paved the way for legalizing and regulating online casino games and poker, calling for a $5 million licensing fee.

SB 1386 did contain several key differences.

First, it proposed a tax rate of just 14%. Second, this one did include a bad actor clause.

Additionally, licenses would only be issued to existing brick-and-mortar operators in Pennsylvania. These operators could team up with 3rd party software providers, but all online gambling sites would have to be promoted and marketed under the brand of the brick-and-mortar establishment.

HB 649 was first introduced in February of 2015 and hung around throughout part of 2016. This law would have directed the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to create regulations, license operators and monitor licensees.

HB 649 would allow brick-and-mortar casinos to apply for licensees for an $8 million fee and give them the ability to partner with existing online gambling operators who can provide the technology and expertise to take brick-and-mortar casinos to the digital realm.

State Representative John Payne, chairman of the House Gaming Oversight Committee, told Trib Live in January of 2016 that he believes the state will find the potential income from legal online casino games too irresistible to pass on.

“Look, we need revenue,” he said. “They’re not going to find votes for taxes in an election year. So I would think gaming will be a component.”

One bill introduced in 2015 even proposed a 54% tax rate for online gaming revenue.

The tax rates specified in SB 900 were seen as unrealistic at the time, but that bill did set the stage for high tax rates in the 2017 bill that was later approved by the House and Senate.

A pair of identical bills were introduced in the House and Senate in 2017, calling for online casinos and poker sites to apply for licenses at an upfront cost of $8 million, and $250,000 per year.

Technology providers would also be subject to hefty taxes and fees: $2 million upfront and $100,000 per year.

These two bills also called for a tax rate of 16%, which was much lower than what some other proposals have called for. Neither bill made it into law, but they did set the stage for what would come later.

Shortly after those two bills were proposed, a third bill came out courtesy of state Senator Jay Costa.

His massive bill consisted of 200+ pages of regulations that would ultimately legalize gambling as well as formally legalize fantasy sports. This one called for a $10 million licensing fee for online gambling sites, $5 million for software providers, and a tax rate of 25%.

Responsible Gambling In Pennsylvania

Gamblers with questions, concerns, or in immediate need of assistance have access to a variety of responsible gambling resources, tools, and helplines in Pennsylvania:

  • 24/7 Pennsylvania Gambling Helpline: Call 1-800-GAMBLER; Text 1-800-522-4700; or chat live
  • Council on Compulsive Gambling of Pennsylvania: Nonprofit organization that provides information, helplines, and other resources for problem gamblers and their loved ones
  • Gambling Provider Locations: Visit this website for a list gambling addiction treatment providers endorsed by the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and and Alcohol
  • National Council on Problem Gambling: Additional problem gambling resources curated by the NCPG
  • Gamblers Anonymous: Find Gamblers Anonymous meetings throughout Pennsylvania
  • Gam-Anon Pennsylvania: Find support meetings for people affected by a loved one with a gambling problem

Pennsylvania Sports Betting And Gambling Self-Exclusion

The PGCB offers several self-exclusion programs for the following types of gambling:

  • Online sports betting and gambling
  • Daily fantasy sports sites
  • Casinos and satellite casinos
  • Video gaming terminals

Pennsylvania gamblers and sports bettors can register for any or all of the above programs online at the PGCB self-exclusion website for a minimum of one year, five years, or a lifetime.

To begin, visit this page to sign up for an account with the Pennsylvania self-exclusion program. After registering, select the type of gambling from which you would like to self-exclude and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the enrollment process.

See these instructions for a step-by-step guide to self-excluding from any form of gambling or sports betting in Pennsylvania.

Anyone who has trouble enrolling in any Pennsylvania gambling exclusion program can contact the Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling at 717-346-8300 or e-mail the office at problemgambling@pa.gov to schedule a call with an employee who can assist with submitting an enrollment request.

Important Pennsylvania self-exclusion points:

  • Online sports betting, iGaming, video gaming terminals, and daily fantasy self-exclusion requests automatically expire at the end of the selected term
  • Casino self-exclusion requests do not automatically expire; players remain excluded permanently but may apply for removal from the program upon completing the selected exclusion term
  • Casino operators may elect to restrict anyone who self-excludes from all properties they own nationwide
  • When you self-exclude from sports wagering, some operators may extend that restriction to all forms of gambling associated with their brand
  • The Pennsylvania Lottery operates a separate self-exclusion program for its online lottery products; readers can learn more here

Pennsylvania Sports Betting FAQ

Yes. Pennsylvania legalized retail sports betting and online sportsbooks in 2017 as a part of a wide-ranging gambling expansion bill. The first Pennsylvania sports betting apps launched in 2019 for bettors 21 or older.

Fans can bet on sports from anywhere in Pennsylvania via licensed betting apps or retail sportsbooks at casinos, race tracks, and off-track betting facilities (OTBs).

No. Nearly anyone 21 or over may bet on sports in Pennsylvania, whether they are residents or just visiting for as long as they are physically located within state lines.

The exceptions are those without a social security number, persons excluded from Pennsylvania gaming, and key sports league personnel.

Bettors must be 21 or older to use PA betting sites and visit retail sportsbooks.

Yes. Pennsylvania law permits licensed sportsbooks to offer bets on college events. And unlike many states, Pennsylvania does not enforce special restrictions on games involving local universities.

However, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board does not authorize prop bets on individual college athletes.

No. Pennsylvania law does not explicitly address esports betting, but the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has stated it does not believe it has the authority to authorize wagers on esports events based on state law.

However, lawmakers have expressed interest in passing legislation to authorize esports betting in Pennsylvania. One state representative introduced a bill in 2021 that would have formally legalized esports betting, but the legislation never advanced beyond the Gaming Oversight Committee.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regulates all gambling and sports betting throughout the Commonwealth. State law grants the Board powers to award and revoke sports betting licenses, issue regulations, and more.

No. Pennsylvania sports betting sites use geolocation technology to prevent customers from placing wagers from outside state lines.

However, fans may still download sportsbook apps, create accounts, view the odds, and make deposits from anywhere. State and federal laws only prohibit wagers from crossing state lines.

Pennsylvania sports betting law authorizes wagers on four types of events:

  • Professional sports
  • College athletics
  • Professional motor races
  • International events such as the Olympics

Additional regulations outline the types of wagers sportsbooks may offer on the above events:

  • Straight wagers such as point spreads, moneylines, and totals
  • Prop bets
  • Parlays
  • In-play betting
  • Exchange betting (peer-to-peer wagering)
  • “Other types of wagers as approved by the Board)

All Pennsylvania betting apps and websites listed on this page are legal and licensed. BettingUSA focuses exclusively on the regulated sports betting market in the USA and will never recommend unlicensed or illegal online sportsbooks.

Readers may confirm the license status of any online sportsbook by visiting the PCGB website.

Pennsylvania legalized sports betting via 2017 Act 42.

Pennsylvania law requires licensed betting apps to provide straightforward methods for customers to self-exclude and set responsible gaming limits. Further, the law requires licensed operators to provide responsible gaming training to their employees.

The three primary types of new player sign-up promotions are:

  • Bonus bets
  • First deposit match bonuses
  • First wager match bonuses

In addition, nearly all PA mobile sportsbooks offer recurrent promotions. These take on many forms, but generally include:

  • Bet and get
  • Odds boosts
  • Parlay insurance
  • Cross-over promos: Wager X in the casino, receive a sports betting bonus
  • Leaderboards
  • Profit boosts

Due to its large population, diverse selection of betting apps, and extrodinarily high tax rate on sports betting, PA generates a healthy amount of revenue for state coffers.

In Q4 2021, Pennsylvania sports betting operators handled $2.288 billion in wagers, and collected over $165 million in revenue.

Pennsylvania sports betting sites pay a 36% tax on revenue, consisting of a 34% state tax and a 2% local share assessment. However, PA sports betting operators may write off promotional credits, so the effective tax rate is markedly lower.

The Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board issued a directive in 2022 requiring operators to enforce two-factor authentication on all customer accounts for enhanced security. Two-factor authentication can take several forms but usually involves the betting site texting a six-digit code to users’ mobile phones that they must input when logging in.

Two-factor authentication aims to prevent unauthorized account access, even if a customer’s password has been compromised. Pennsylvania law requires operators to enforce two-factor authentication at least once every 14 days regardless of account activity.