Online gambling in PA is all set to launch. On April 17, PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) Executive Director Kevin O’Toole revealed the official launch date for legalized gambling for July 15, 2019. There are currently eight PA casinos intent on launching online poker sites in the state, but only one is up and running. The era of PA online poker began on Nov. 4 when PokerStars PA opened up for business.
Pennsylvania online casinos are alive and well with hundreds of options. Curious where to play to take advantage of the conveniences of online gambling in PA? Check out our list below of the top Pennsylvania online casino sites.| Rank | Online Casino | Key Info | Bonus Info | Visit Casino |
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Why Are These the Best Pennsylvania Online Casinos?
With many great real money Pennsylvania online casino sites to choose from, we get the ability to be picky. Our goal is to ensure we’re only recommending the best Pennsylvania online casinos.
No one came here with second-best in mind. When you gamble online with your hard-earned money, you want the best experience possible.
To ensure that happens, we’ve commissioned an expert team of reviewers to review, rate, and rank the top Pennsylvania online casino sites. Below, you’ll see a sneak peek at the three most important criteria they look at when making their determinations.
Secure and Safe Online Casinos
Number one and two on their priority list are security and safety. Pennsylvania online casinos won’t get within 100 miles of our recommended list if they can’t guarantee the protection of your money, bets, and personal information. Period. End of discussion. There are zero acceptable excuses when it comes to keeping you safe when gambling online in Pennsylvania.
Here are the critical questions we ask of all Pennsylvania online gambling sites we review:
- Do you treat security and safety as priorities?
- Do you utilize a proactive or reactive approach to threats?
- Have you installed proper security encryption site-wide?
- Are your banking partners trustworthy?
- Does your technical team regularly upgrade servers and systems?
The Right Casino Games PA Players Want
Residents of Pennsylvania love to gamble! Let’s look at a few numbers:
| Number of Gaming Machines by State (2017) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 25,685 | ||
| Nevada | 172,295 | ||
| Oklahoma | 74,562 | ||
| California | 73,605 | ||
| Louisiana | 42,725 | ||
| Illinois | 38,283 | ||
| New York | 33,159 | ||
| Washington | 32,448 | ||
| Michigan | 31,176 | ||
| Mississippi | 30,944 | ||
| Gross Gambling Revenue by State (in million U.S. dollars) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 3,251.2 | ||
| Nevada | 11,917.37 | ||
| New Jersey | 2,903.48 | ||
| New York | 2,587.74 | ||
| Louisiana | 2,561.46 | ||
| Indiana | 2,240.84 | ||
| Mississippi | 2,142.06 | ||
| Ohio | 1,863.94 | ||
| Missouri | 1,754.47 | ||
| Maryland | 1,746.36 | ||
| Lottery Ticket Sales by State (in billion U.S. dollars) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 4.14 | ||
| New York | 9.69 | ||
| California | 6.28 | ||
| Florida | 6.06 | ||
| Massachusetts | 5.22 | ||
| Texas | 5.07 | ||
| Georgia | 4.56 | ||
| Ohio | 3.93 | ||
| New Jersey | 3.29 | ||
| Michigan | 3.1 | ||
Digging deeper into the numbers, we found that the Pennsylvania gambling demographic has a particular love for three games—slot machines, roulette, and blackjack. The top Pennsylvania online casinos must deliver high-quality gaming experiences for all three of these games. Why? Because they’re important to you! All of the Pennsylvania casino sites recommended here scored exceptional marks with all three of these casino games.
What happens if those aren’t your favorite games? We’ve still got you covered.
Pa Legal Online Casino
Yes, we want to see special attention paid to the games PA gamblers love the most, but we also want to see other high-quality game options available.
Regardless of your casino game preference, the best Pennsylvania online casino sites listed here have what you need.
Quality
One of the most time-intensive sections of our review process is the quality control check. As we already stated, we’re not here to recommend the second-best options. Our review teams are highly skilled in determining which Pennsylvania casinos demonstrate genuine quality across the board and which are the imitators trying to peddle second-best garbage.
We’ve attached our quality control checklist that we apply to online casino sites below to share some insight into the process:
| Newest Casino Games Available | ✔️ or ❌ |
| Collection of Classic Casino Games Available | ✔️ or ❌ |
| Best Game Graphics | ✔️ or ❌ |
| Game Animations – Smooth and Seamless | ✔️ or ❌ |
| Server Speed – Fast and Sufficient | ✔️ or ❌ |
| Fairness in All Games | ✔️ or ❌ |
| 24/7 Customer Service Options Available | ✔️ or ❌ |
Are Pennsylvania Online Casino Sites Legal?
Yes! Pennsylvania online gambling is exciting because it’s one of the few states with a clear-cut stance on the subject. Pennsylvania online casino sites are legal. House Bill 271 passed in October of 2017, providing sweeping legalization of online gambling within the state.
Here are the major takeaways of HB 271:
- Online poker, slots, and table games are legal.
- Video game terminals at truck stops, online lottery, and daily fantasy sports are now permitted.
- Sports betting is legalized statewide (dependent on compliance with federal statutes).
- 12 PA online casino licenses were issued to land-based casinos in the state.
- After 120 days, any license not claimed by a land-based casino can be purchased by qualifying entities from out of state.
- Tax rates were established for all games:
| Game | Tax Rate |
| Online Poker | 14% |
| Table Games | 14% |
| Slots | 52% |
| Local Share Assessment (Applies to all three licenses) | 2% |
The bottom line is Pennsylvania online casinos are legal.
PA Brick and Mortar Casino Laws
Pennsylvania’s relaxed stance toward online casinos extends to the brick and mortar side of the house. With 34 licensed casinos, 35,872 slots and gaming machines, 1,507 table games, and 289 live poker tables, it’s an easy slam dunk to say the law supports brick and mortar gambling in PA.
For those of you looking for more information, here are some details and resources that can help.
- Pennsylvania’s definition of gambling: “Elements of gambling are consideration, element of chance, and reward.”
- Gambling in AP is governed by code sections 18§5513 et seq. and 4§325.101 et seq.
- Licensed horse and harness racing are permitted.
- Daily drawings, pull-tabs, and tavern raffles for a charitable purpose are legal.
- Bookmaking, punch boards, private wire for gambling information, cockfighting, and bullet play are illegal.
- Bingo, small games of chance sponsored by charitable organizations, and antique slot machines are permitted.
- The minimum wager allowed is $0.01, and the maximum is $15,000.
The Future of Pennsylvania Online Casinos
It should come as no surprise that the future for online gambling in the state of PA is exceptionally bright. When legislation in favor of gambling online passed a few years ago, it paved the way for explosive growth.
We predict more Pennsylvania online casino sites entering the market over the next few years. Additionally, we predict the number of patrons using online casinos over brick and mortar locations to grow.
Big things are coming for the world of online gambling in the state of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Online Casino Sites – FAQ
Yes! As one of the few states in the US with fully regulated online casinos, the experience is safe. We would advise you to follow a few guidelines to ensure the safest experience possible:– Stick to reputable Pennsylvania online casino sites.
– Create a strong password and keep it protected.
– Never gamble from a shared computer or public device.
– Avoid casino play when you are intoxicated or emotional.
– Never chase losses. Seek help if you have a problem.
