Pennsylvania (PA)

Following the landmark decision to abolish the federal sports betting ban, gambling is now legal in Pennsylvania. Both retail and online sports wagering within the state lines are now permitted. In 2019, lawmakers in the Keystone State passed a bill that allowed bookies to set up shops and offer sports gambling services.

Shortly afterward, more than 12 licensed Pennsylvania betting apps began accepting wagers on various wagering markets.

Online Sports Betting in Pennsylvania

After a series of discussions that finally bore fruit, online sports betting became legal in Pennsylvania way back in 2019. However, the decision was not an easy one to reach. This is because the legislators in the state had different opinions concerning the diversity that this form of sports wagering has.

However, the lawmakers agreed to legalize it after considering the success of retail sports betting within the borders. After the legalization, sports gambling enthusiasts could place bets on their favorite sports conveniently without any restrictions. These licensed sportsbooks all over the Keystone State are developing apps for easy online sports gambling, and therefore Pennsylvania now boasts more than a dozen sports betting apps with markets tailored specifically for its residents.

Notably, all retail casinos that were operating before the legalization of online sports betting still do so legally. However, sports gambling fans prefer online wagering to retail sportsbooks because of the convenience it brings. The state has pulled in more than $776 million in revenue from online wagering alone. Furthermore, as the online gambling industry in the state grows, punters can expect the launch of more mobile betting apps.

The regulation of all domestic betting within the Keystone State is assigned to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. So far, the board has issued licenses to more than a dozen bookies and retail casinos.

Sports Betting Legislation in PA

In 2018, the US supreme court struck down PASPA to allow individual states to formulate their gambling-related rules. Before this, retail and online sports betting in the Keystone state were prohibited, and at the time, bettors could only participate in daily fantasy sports and horse race betting.

Shortly after, the PA lawmakers began discussions and later approved the sports gambling bill in 2019. The state governor signed the bill to allow sportsbooks to join the Pennsylvania sports betting market. This landmark event saw about ten land-based sportsbooks setting up shops in the state. However, the bill only allowed sports gambling within state lines.

Later on, the lawmakers made amendments to allow online sports wagering in May 2019. The state launched the first round of sports betting apps for punters to enjoy remote wagering in the same year. Fast forward to 2022, sports wagering apps such as BetRivers, DraftKings, and BetAmerica are now live in Pennsylvania. Notably, they are some of the most reputable sportsbooks in the United States.

Restrictions

In Pennsylvania, punters are free to wager on sports in-person and online. For the latter, punters can use sportsbook websites and apps without any restrictions. However, like other states with legal sports betting, the Keystone state has some limitations, and Bettors must keep some of them in mind when wagering.

1. The legal betting age is 21 years and above for online and retail casino gambling.

2. Players in self-exclusion lists should not place wagers.

3. Bettors cannot wager on the sports they are affiliated with.

4. Sportsbooks cannot offer in-state collegiate and high school betting markets. 

Licensing and Taxes

While it is legal to wager on sports in PA, the current betting law stipulates that a bookie must obtain a gaming license. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has the legal mandate of issuing licenses in-state, and Sportsbooks can get the required permits through application at the cost of at least $10 million.

Moreover, the bookies’ gross revenue is taxed at 36% annually. Notably, this makes the Keystone State the most expensive state in the United States concerning in-person and online sports betting. But with the high number of sports gambling fanatics in the state, bookmakers still rake in vast amounts of profit.

How profitable has sports betting been for Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania is climbing its way to the top of the list in terms of most profitable sports betting states. Here we'll take a look at their monthly numbers in terms of handle, revenue, and income tax for the state.

• October 2023:

  • Sports betting handle: $829m

  • Revenue: $73.6m

  • Tax Income for the State: $17.3m

  • Top 3 sportsbook operators in PA right now:

    • 1) Valley Forge Casino & FanDuel (handle: $328.4m, revenue: $29.1m)

    • 2) Hollywood Meadows & DraftKings (handle: $258.2m, revenue: $28.1m)

    • 3) Hollywood Morgantown & BetMGM (handle: $53.5m, revenue: $3.93m)

• September 2023: Handle: $726.3m, Revenue: $66.1m, Tax Income: $12.5m

• August 2023: Handle: $393m, Revenue: $30.6m, Tax Income: $7.92m

• July 2023: Handle: $338.4m, Revenue: $39.4m, Tax Income: $11.5m

• June 2023: Handle: $373.1m, Revenue: $33.8m, Tax Income: $8.3m

• May 2023: Handle: $495.5m, Revenue: $57.5m, Tax Income: $14.7m

• April 2023: Handle: $572.1m, Revenue: $51.7m, Tax Income: $13.3m

• March 2023: Handle: $723.5m, Revenue: $66.4m, Tax Income: $18.2m

• February 2023: Handle: $599.5m, Revenue: $62.2m, Tax Income: $15.5m

• January 2023: Handle: $772.2m, Revenue: $57.9m, Tax Income: $14.1m

2022

• December 2022: Handle: $754.8m, Revenue: $71.2m, Tax Income: $19.6m

• November 2022: Handle: $789.2m, Revenue: $69.9m, Tax Income: $19.03m

• October 2022: Handle: $797.1m, Revenue: $61.5m, Tax Income: $14.5m

• September 2022: Handle $645.2m, Revenue: $75.3m, Tax Income: $18.07m

• August 2022: Handle: $363m, Revenue: $42.1m, Tax Income: $12.2m

• July 2022: Handle: $336.5m, Revenue: $33.2m, Tax Income: $9.1m

• June 2022: Handle: $393.4m, Revenue: $22.8m, Tax Income: $4.5m

• May 2022: Handle: $493.5m, Revenue: $47.8m, Tax Income: $12.6m

• April 2022: Handle: $572.8m, Revenue: $49m, Tax Income: $12.1m

• March 2022: Handle: 714.9m, Revenue: $48.5m, Tax Income: $10.9m

• February 2022: Handle: $597m, Revenue: $22.1m, Tax Income: $159,425

• January 2022: Handle: $793.7m, Revenue: $53.4m, Tax Income: $11.5m

What is legal to bet on in PA?

The licensed sportsbooks in Pennsylvania offer almost all betting markets a bettor could desire. However, the state has restrictions regarding collegiate and high school events. Be that as it may, punters still have many sporting activities to place wagers on.

Beyond that, the state's licensed PA sports betting apps usually offer thousands of wagering lines daily. These betting lines cover all major sporting events in the country, from eSports to international games. Some of the major ones a bettor can wager on include the Super Bowl, NBA, NFL, and golf, to mention a few.

Moreover, the bookies also offer non-athletic contests such as chugging challenges and award shows. On the other hand, the wagering apps in Pennsylvania offer important markets such as daily fantasy sports and horse races. With online sports gambling, bettors in the state can even participate in live betting, allowing them to place wagers as a game progresses.

Gambling news and updates from Pennsylvania

• April 4, 2023: The bill centered around getting e-sports legalized to bet on in the state has been moved forward by Representative Ed Neilson. The process is not completed yet, but Bill HB733 is heading to the state's general assembly.

• March 22, 2023: Bally Casino has received two online gaming licenses from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which allows the online casino to offer slots and table games.

• March 14, 2023: Parx Casino in Bensalem has been approved to build their new 300-room luxury hotel that will attach to the casino.

• February 3, 2023: Parx Casino in Shippensburg officially opened, making it the state's 17th casino.

How do mobile sportsbook apps work in Pennsylvania?

Since mobile sports gambling has been legal in Pennsylvania for quite a while, bettors have many betting apps to choose from for their wagering pleasures. Since a single board regulates the apps, the services offered are often quite similar and work similarly.

The state's first sports betting app was BetRivers, the sister site of PlaySugarHouse, launched in 2019. BetRivers remains one of the most loved gambling apps in the state.

When sports wagering at Penn State was still in its infancy, there weren't many options for wagering applications and sites. Today, there are quite a lot of them for bettors to use. All sports betting apps following BetRivers' lead had to make a few adjustments to grab some market share. As such, they all integrated several payment options to offer flexibility to customers when it comes to banking.

With that said, differences between these betting apps are notable in the banking section since they accept different payment gateways. Otherwise, the apps work similarly from sign-up to the actual placement of bets.

The state of Pennsylvania has no restrictions concerning welcome bonuses and other offers. As such, each bookie is free to offer rewards as they please. The only requirement is that bookmakers should talk more about the bonus types in their terms and conditions.

Getting started - Step-by-step

As it is today, it is pretty easy to get started with PA sports betting. As long as a user's device has enough storage and an internet connection, they are good to go. However, as straightforward as it is, this may be challenging to a few. For that reason, we've compiled a detailed guide on the steps all bettors can follow to start placing wagers online in Pennsylvania.

1. Sign up: The first thing is setting up a sports wagering account using any of the available bookmaker's websites. The registration form requires details such as an SSN, physical address, full name, and date of birth, among others.

2. Download and install the preferred betting app: Next, the bettor should download and install their preferred bookie's app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

3. Make a deposit - fund your account: Using an accepted payment option, the punter should transfer funds to their betting account.

4. Claim offered welcome bonuses: After making a deposit successfully, the next thing is to claim the bonuses and other special offers the bookie has.

5. Start placing your bets: After choosing their betting market, the player can now set a real bet.

Bonuses and PA sports betting offers

As sports betting apps in PA continue increasing in number, competition is inevitable, and that’s why bookies issue bonuses and other offers to grab a market share. In Pennsylvania, here are the most popular types of bonuses and sports gambling-related offers.

Initial deposit bonuses: Sportsbooks in the state usually match every new user’s first deposit up to a predetermined percentage. For instance, the BetRivers app usually offers new users a 100% deposit match up to $250.

Risk-free bets: Here, new bettors who lose their first-ever bet are eligible for some form of refund. The refund is not withdrawable, and the player must use it within a set period. For instance, the BetMGM app will offer all new users a $1000 risk-free bet for the first bet lost worth $1000. Other bonus types include cashback offers and loyalty rewards.

Payment methods for depositing

All sports gambling apps in Pennsylvania support a wide array of banking options. They all allow quick transactions with little to no charges. In addition, security is never compromised. The most popular banking options in PA’s sports betting market are.

1. E-wallets - For their speed of transactions, most bookies in Penn State have at least one e-wallet as one of their available payment gateways. Common ones are PayPal, Western Union, Skrill, and NETELLER. Interestingly, these e-wallets are perfect for deposits and cash-outs.

2. Bank Transfers - They are commonly referred to as e-checks. Bank transfers are ideal for withdrawals in case of a win.

3. Credit/Debit cards - options like Visa and Mastercard are also available, but they are primarily deposit-only methods.

Trusted Pennsylvania sports betting mobile apps in 2023

PA sports betting app has to be reputable and trustworthy to attract more customers. As such, several gambling apps in the Keystone state do all they can to maintain a positive reputation. Notably, a good user experience, safety, convenience, and many sports wagering options are a few essential pointers of a great bookie.

Based on these criteria, here are our recommended trusted sports betting mobile apps in PA:

1. BetMGM: This bookie began operations in the United States in 2018 as a partnership between Entain Holdings and MGM Resorts. BetMGM app's headquarters are in New Jersey. The bookie obtained its license in the state of Pennsylvania in 2019. Also, it operates in other states such as Iowa and PA of course.

2. FanDuel stands out as one of the top sports betting operators in Pennsylvania. It began operations in 2009 but started operating legally in Pennsylvania in 2019. FanDuel’s headquarters are in New York. Its popularity at Penn State is undeniable.

Pennsylvania Sports betting at casinos

The Keystone state is also home to several retail casinos, and this makes it more convenient for sports gambling fans to enjoy in-person wagering at the various casino lounges in-state. Currently, a good number of people prefer sports gambling online because of its convenience and range of betting markets.

However, in-person sports wagering is also fun because of the thrills of watching as different actions unfold. With that said, each retail casino partners with online sports betting apps in PA. Therefore, every punter can use their online betting account to place bets in person at a preferred retail casino location.

Available casinos in PA include Live! Casino and Hotel, Hollywood Casino, Mount Airy Casino Resorts, Valley Forge Casino, and many more. They are all regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.