Pennsylvania Gambling Guide
Pennsylvania introduced gambling in the form of state lottery in the 1970s which was initially managed by the government. The passing of the lottery bill led to several attempts by legislators to pass bills that would legalize riverboat and casino gambling but without much success.
The state finally legalized gambling through Act 71 in 2004. Act 71 (also known as the Pennsylvania Racehorse Development and Gaming Act) legalized casinos and racetracks within the state while also establishing the Gaming Control Board.
ACT 71 basically only legalized slot machines while table games were legalized in 2010. This development is great for the state as it generates more jobs and increases tax revenue.
Online Gambling in Pennsylvania
Governor Tom Wolf legalized online gambling in late 2017 by signing off on House Bill 271 which expands the growing industry and makes Pennsylvania the fourth state in the country to have online gambling.
The state legalized all forms of online gambling, including casinos, poker, sports betting, and daily fantasy sports. All live and online gambling is regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Types of gambling available in Pennsylvania
| Type of Gambling | Legalized | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Casino Gambling | ✅ Yes | There are currently 12 fully licensed casinos in the State offering table games and slots. One of the casinos is run by an Indian tribe (the Mohegan Sun) |
| Live Poker | ✅ Yes | Live poker players can pick between 10 different live poker rooms across the state |
| Live Sports Betting | ✅ Yes | Sports betting is legalized in the state of Pennsylvania and there are currently eight operators accepting sports betting |
| Lottery Gaming | ✅ Yes | The lottery is legal and has been since the 1970s |
| Bingo Gaming | ✅ Yes | Bingo games are legalized in the state |
| Online Casino | ✅ Yes | Online casino gambling was legalized in late 2017. Several operators are currently in the process of rolling out their online gambling operation which is expected to happen in Q2 2019 |
| Online Poker | ✅ Yes | Online poker was legalized in late 2017. Several operators are currently in the process of rolling out their online gambling operation which is expected to happen in Q2 2019 |
| Online Sports Betting | ✅ Yes | Online sports betting was legalized in late 2017. Several operators are currently in the process of rolling out their online gambling operation which is expected to happen in Q2 2019 |
| Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) | ✅ Yes | DFS was legalized in late 2017 along with other online gambling. Regulated DFS was officially launched in the state in May of 2018 |
List of casinos and sportsbooks with estimated launch dates in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS)
Since the legalization of Daily Fantasy Sports in May of 2018, eight different operators have opened up shop in Pennsylvania generating additional tax revenue for the state.
It comes as no surprise that FanDuel and DraftKings market shares are significantly larger than the remaining operators but nevertheless, they are still in the market to challenge these two big operators.
The DFS operators are taxed at 15% which is significantly lower than the 36% casino, poker and sports betting operators will have to fork up to operate in the sixth most populous state in the country.
It’s an intimidating list but after reading this, you’re going to be a bonus connoisseur who never makes a bad decision on a bonus again.
Pennsylvania Gambling Timeline
What I just said may sound too good to be true and the casinos are crazy to let you do that for “free” but when it comes to bonuses you’re not the only one gambling, the operators are too…