Michael McKean is an experienced writer with a portfolio that includes work on the subjects of sport, gambling, travel and finance. With a background rooted in journalism, Michael first ventured into the professional writing world based in Switzerland, where he wrote for a number of language and travel sites and magazines before moving into the world of sports writing and gambling sites.
As an avid soccer fan, who follows everything from the Scottish lower leagues to the European elites, he has earned himself a solid reputation as a reliable football betting tipster and predictor. Outside of work, Michael has always gotten involved with grassroutes football everywhere he has worked and lived - UK, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and Brazil - and still isn’t shy when it comes to pulling the boots on himself. As well as soccer, he has also developed a love of North American sports, particularly ice hockey - a love which began in Switzerland and saw him venture across the pond to follow the NHL. Moving away from dry land, he’s also a keen longboard surfer and is happiest when writing with a view of the ocean.
Looking for the best Pennsylvania sports betting sites? Wondering if Pennsylvania legal betting is allowed? We'll show you the best Pennsylvania bookmakers. Pennsylvania is a liberal state when it comes to sports betting and gambling overall, and sports betting is legal all throughout the state. PA is well-known for its casinos and sportsbooks and for giving gamblers plenty of options to pick and choose from if they are interested in wagering.
Introduction into the Pennsylvania gambling industry - all about the top Pennsylvania betting sites
The state is currently busy expanding its gambling opportunities and is working to be one of the premiere gambling destinations for the northeast. Read on to find out more about the best options when it comes to sports betting Pennsylvania online.
Sports betting Pennsylvania online: Pennsylvania got its start with horse betting through horse races back in the 1960’s. Sports betting laws in Pennsylvania have been changing significantly in the last few decades, and the state and modern sports betting has only been around since 2006 with support for six race tracks throughout the state. Today online sports betting and sports betting in person are allowed, making the Pennsylvania sports betting industry into one of the more liberal and accepting industries overall – striving towards Pennsylvania legal betting. We'll help you find a great Pennsylvania bookmaker.
Gambling guide
Sports Betting PA Permitted / Offered?
Notes & Restrictions
Land-Based Casinos
Yes
Online Gambling
Yes
Sports Betting
Yes
Lottery
Yes
Daily Fantasy Sports
Yes
House Gambling
Yes
They are not prohibited as long as they aren’t advertised and fees and rakes aren’t taken.
Minimum Gambling Age
21
Land-based sports betting legal situation - Find the best Pennsylvania bookmakers
Before we consider sports betting Pennsylvania online, land-based sports betting has been legal in Pennsylvania for many years and there are many of the best Pennsylvania bookies to choose from. But betting on professional and collegiate sports has been legal in the state since 2017.
There are many different land-based locations to visit throughout the state, making Pennsylvania a good place to be if you enjoy wagering today at the best Pennsylvania bookies. There are more Pennsylvania bookmaker companies opening in the state and there are locations available in most sections of the state as well for the biggest impact.
Below is an overview of most of the casinos and the Pennsylvania betting locations available.
Hollywood
SugarHouse
Rivers
Parx
Hurrah’s Philadelphia
Valley Forge
Mohegan Sun Pocono
Mount Airy
Online betting PA — The legal situation of Pennsylvania Sports Betting Sites
Play at the best Pennsylvania bookmakers online which are legal
Sports betting Pennsylvania online: Online betting in Pennsylvania has been legal since 2017 and is legal for a wide range of sports betting activities at the best Pennsylvania bookies. Gamblers that would like to take advantage of this can place wagers using one of the several different betting platforms currently available. Pennsylvania sports betting is one of the most successful in the country and is only growing and improving as time goes by - with many of the best online sports gambling sites available in PA. Online wagering at a Pennsylvania bookmaker allows for mobile gambling and in-person gambling as well depending on what the players are interested in. Thus, Pennsylvania legal betting is open to all. If you're wondering about other states, then take a look at the situation of the best online sports betting Philadelphia and best online sports betting New Jersey.
Most of the casinos and best Pennsylvania sports betting sites throughout the state are planning on releasing their own mobile apps in the future as well – making for the best online sports betting Pennsylvania. Below is an overview of the sportsbooks that currently have an online presence in the state and more are expected to add their services as well. The best Pennsylvania bookies that already offer their services to the public have websites and mobile apps available. There are many different ways to access these platforms, but gamblers must be able to prove they are located within the state in order to use the services. If they’re outside of the state they aren’t permitted to wager on the platform at all.
Mobile sports betting gambling situation for Pennsylvania bookmaker sites
Just as online sports betting is legal in the state of Pennsylvania, mobile wagering also forms part of Pennsylvania legal betting activities. Mobile wagering is available at some of the big name locations in Pennsylvania like the top Pennsylvania betting sites. Plus other sportsbooks and casinos are hard at work developing their own apps and mobile features to offer to gamblers around the state. With a good variety of top Pennsylvania betting sites to choose from, there will many different mobile platforms to wager on soon enough - and you can see the current contenders in our best bookmaker apps guide. Because of the Wire Act each mobile platform must verify a user’s location before allowing them to place wagers on the site. This is done through location tracking software and tools at the top Pennsylvania betting sites.
Online sports betting PA operator licensing process for the top Pennsylvania betting sites
Getting a sports betting operator license in Pennsylvania is difficult to do because a limited number of these licenses are given out to the top Pennsylvania betting sites. Interested businesses must pay a licensing fee each year as well as one of the steepest slot machine taxes of 55% of revenue. Poker and table games are only taxed at 14%, but other forms of sports betting comes with a healthy tax as well. Getting started in Pennsylvania is something that many casino operators are able to do each year, but the process can be costly and time-consuming. Most operators entering the industry are experienced and have successful casinos and sportsbooks elsewhere in the world already.
Pennsylvania online sportsbook list 2021 - the best Pennsylvania bookies
History of gambling in Pennsylvania - the rise of the Pennsylvania bookmaker
Pennsylvania has a relatively short history when it comes to sports betting laws, casinos and wagering overall when compared to other states. Sports betting in Pennsylvania, at least horse race wagering, has been legal since 1965 when several tracks were approved. From that point on Pennsylvania has been developing into one of the more dominant racing and gambling states in the northeast — with Pennsylvania sports gambling on the rise ever since. Slot casinos became legal in 2004 and 14 different slot parlors opened up across the country. In 2006 six race track licenses were given out for PA and tracks were developed around the state to draw in visitors from the surrounding states.
Pennsylvania legal betting: In 2018 Pennsylvania began offering sportsbooks for wagering on professional and collegiate sports. Then in 2019 some of those sportsbooks expanded online, giving residents all throughout the state a way to place wagers conveniently without having to make a trip to one of the local sportsbooks. Sports betting in Pennsylvania is quickly expanding and Pennsylvania is easily making a name for itself as a gambling powerhouse in the United States. Even though Pennsylvania is new to online wagering and gambling in general, it’s already bringing in more money from the gambling industry than any other state in the country other than Nevada, which makes it a pretty serious contender and a powerful wagering solution that only seems to be growing over time.
Our most frequently asked questions about online betting PA
❓Can I Try Gambling Online in Pennsylvania?
Yes, there are several different sites that you can use to gamble online in Pennsylvania. Online gambling has been legal since 2019. If you want to find out more about legal sports betting Pennsylvania online, our experts have created some fantastic reviews, comparisons, and guides to help you on your way
✅What is the best sports betting site in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania is a sports betting haven, offering a wealth of popular, legal online platforms to choose from. Here at Captain Gambling, we present extensive, honest, and authentic operator reviews, deciphering the good, the bad, and the ugly.
⭐At what age can I legally place online wagers?
The legal age to gamble across Pennsylvania depends upon the type of online gaming activity you choose. For lottery, bingo, and horse racing enthusiasts, you can begin your online wagering journey at the age of 18. Any bettor whose online preferences steer towards DFS, sports betting, or the casino and poker markets will have to wait a little longer until they are 21.
🎁When did online gambling become legal in Pennsylvania?
Online gambling didn’t become legal in Pennsylvania until 2018 and platforms became available to use in 2019. Today gamblers have many different options to choose from to wager on when enjoying Pennsylvania legal betting activities.
👀Who is responsible for regulating Pennsylvania online gambling?
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is responsible for keeping an eye on sports betting Pennsylvania online and making sure that the operators are offering services that players can make use of safely and reliably.
Responsible online gambling within sports betting Pennsylvania
For some gamblers addiction is a real problem and can take away the fun from wagering online at the best Pennsylvania bookmakers. That’s why it’s important that there is help available to those that need it — this is available for all Pennsylvania sports gambling fans. Gamblers can reach out to the Department of Drug and Alcohol programs and get help with problem gambling. There is a helpline as well as live chat services available to anyone in need of help.
There are other national and state-wide organizations available for the issue as well, making it simple to reach out for help no matter who the person is or what sort of gambling addiction they suffer from. There are deposit limits that can be set for different casinos and even the best Pennsylvania bookmakers. It’s also possible for players to lock themselves out of these sites and the physical locations as well. Getting good help doesn’t have to be difficult, interested gamblers just need to take the time to learn more about these resources. No matter if you are using Rhode Island betting sites, or wanting to bet online in West Virgina, or looking into California betting site - one thing is certain and that is that it's important to practice responsible gambling.
Daily fantasy sports (DFS): win with expertise
Daily Fantasy Sports, like sportsbook wagering is legal in Pennsylvania, making it simple to try sports wagering in a different way. Daily Fantasy Sports is a new take on the more traditional fantasy sports leagues. With daily fantasy sports, there is a pool of players that all build their own fantasy team of players. The player that does the best out of all the different teams ends up with the most points and will win that prize pool. Sometimes there are a few players that win together, but either way, there is a huge amount of money to be won by the lucky player that manages to come ahead with a prize payout at the best Pennsylvania bookmakers.
Using the best Pennsylvania bookies for DFS betting
With daily fantasy sports a team of players from different teams within the sport is assembled. The performance of each of those different players in real life determines how many points they are worth on the fantasy team. Gamblers can win huge amounts if they have players that do really well. Each of the fantasy league sites has its own specific rules, but there are many options to pick from and to play around with when trying to find a place to wager online. Gamblers that are looking for a more strategic wagering option might enjoy a daily fantasy league, though winning is mostly based on luck. The players that want to try for massive prize wins will want to look at daily fantasy sports as a way to come out ahead in a big way.
Social Casinos: If you want to play, but not for real
After the PA sports betting update in 2017 gamblers have been able to participate in Pennsylvania sports betting conveniently. There are several different sportsbooks throughout the state that make wagering simple to do. Wagering with real money isn’t for everyone though. There are some gamblers that prefer to play at social casinos instead. These online casinos are a casual gambling experience that don’t come with real monetary risk. Instead, the gamblers involved with them wager with play money. Each of the different gamblers is given play money to wager with on the different games. Winning in those games, or placing successful sports wagers results in more paid money being given out as a reward.
Over time some players will win play money while the rest lose their money to the sportsbook or casual casino page. Eventually the players can wager a larger amount of money and place more difficult wagers and try more difficult games. Social casinos offer many of the same features that make standard casinos so enjoyable, they just come without the risk of losing any actual money, which can keep them from being as exciting. Gamblers looking for a way to play without paying will enjoy these options ad they can start playing at any time that they want to.
