Pennsylvania is one of the two biggest online casino markets in the US. This guide covers the legal PA online casinos, sportsbooks, poker rooms and horse racing apps, all regulated in-state, plus the sweepstakes and prediction-market apps that reach the Keystone State from outside its licensing system.
Pennsylvania set an all-time record in 2025, with total gaming revenue of $6.80 billion, up 10.7%, and online casinos alone generating $2.78 billion, up 27.2% year over year, per the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Only New Jersey’s online casinos earned more. Add a sportsbook market that took $8.8 billion in bets and one of the largest land-based casino industries in the country, and Pennsylvania is one of the busiest places in America to gamble online. This hub explains what’s legal, what’s worth playing and how to get started safely.
In this article 11 sections
- Pennsylvania gambling: facts and figures
- Is online gambling legal in Pennsylvania?
- What you can play in Pennsylvania
- Sweepstakes casino offers in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania online gambling by the numbers
- Why Pennsylvania is an iGaming leader
- A brief history of Pennsylvania online gambling
- Land-based casinos and racetracks
- How to start playing in Pennsylvania
- Responsible gambling in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania online gambling in 2027
Pennsylvania gambling: facts and figures
| Quick facts | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Online casinos | Yes, since July 2019 |
| Online sports betting | Yes, since 2019 (retail since late 2018) |
| Online poker | Yes |
| Horse racing ADW | Yes, licensed under Act 7 of 2016 |
| Legal age | 21+ for casino, poker and sports; 18+ for pari-mutuel racing |
| Main regulator | Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) |
| Racing regulator | State Horse Racing Commission |
| Online casino tax | 54% on online slots, 16% on online tables and poker |
| Sports betting tax | 36% |
| Gaming tax collected (2025) | $2.98 billion |
| Helpline | 1-800-GAMBLER |
Is online gambling legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Pennsylvania legalized online casino gaming, sports betting and online poker in 2017 under Act 42, with online casinos going live in July 2019, all regulated by the PGCB. You must be 21 or older and physically located in Pennsylvania to play; apps confirm your location by geolocation before any real-money play starts. Pennsylvania has also joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, so PA online poker can share player pools with other member states. Every online brand is tethered to one of Pennsylvania’s licensed land-based casinos.
What you can play in Pennsylvania
Online casinos
The deepest real-money casino market in the country after New Jersey: more than 20 authorized brands under 12 certificateholders, with thousands of slots, live dealer tables and progressive jackpots. Monthly iGaming revenue ran at $249.3 million in September 2026. Our partner here is Stardust Casino, Boyd Gaming’s online casino under the Valley Forge license: 50 Cash Eruption spins on sign-up with no deposit, plus 225 spins and a 100% first-deposit match (21+, NJ, PA and WV only; full terms at Stardust). The Pennsylvania online casinos guide maps every brand to its license.
Pennsylvania’s online casinos carry some of the deepest game libraries anywhere: classic three-reel titles to high-volatility Megaways games, dozens of blackjack and roulette variants, live dealer studios streamed in real time, and progressive jackpots that occasionally pay seven figures. Return-to-player rates vary by game, and table games like blackjack and video poker offer some of the best odds in the building with correct strategy.
Sportsbooks
A competitive field of 11 online sportsbook brands, among them FanDuel, DraftKings, bet365, BetMGM, Caesars, Fanatics, BetRivers and betPARX, produced $602.5 million in revenue in 2025. The Pennsylvania sportsbooks guide lists the casino behind each app.
On the sports side, Pennsylvania bettors have every major league at their fingertips. The NFL’s Eagles and Steelers drive enormous seasonal handle, alongside the Phillies, Pirates, 76ers, Penguins, Flyers and a passionate college-sports following led by Penn State. Whether you want a quick low-stakes slot session or a full Sunday of football betting, there’s a regulated Pennsylvania operator built for it, and because the apps must be tethered to a licensed casino, every one of them is auditable and accountable to the PGCB.
Online poker
Legal and regulated, with BetRivers, BetMGM, DraftKings Poker, PokerStars and WSOP among the rooms on the PGCB list. Poker is a small slice of the market ($2.3 million in July 2026) but multi-state pooling keeps tables busier than in-state traffic alone would.
Horse racing
Pari-mutuel wagering on Parx, Penn National, Presque Isle Downs and the harness tracks, plus national racing through licensed ADW apps. Our partner AmWager accepts Pennsylvania customers (21+). See the Pennsylvania horse racing betting guide for tracks and the Pennsylvania Derby.
Sweepstakes casinos
Sweepstakes casinos use a dual-currency model (free Gold Coins for fun, Sweeps Coins redeemable for prizes) designed to sit outside Pennsylvania gambling licensing. They are not PGCB-regulated, so protections are thinner than at a licensed casino. Several brands accept Pennsylvania adults:
- Funrize: welcome gift of 125,000 coins. No purchase necessary. 21+. Not available in CT, DE, ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, WA, WV, WY; free-coin mode only in CA, IN, MD, ME, OK. Full terms at Funrize.
- FunzCity: welcome wheel of 125,000 Fun Coins. No purchase necessary. 21+. Not available in CT, DE, ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, WA, WV, WY; Fun Coins only in CA, IN, MD, ME, OK. Full terms at FunzCity.
- NoLimitCoins: 100,000 Gold Coins on sign-up plus 10,000 for email. No purchase necessary. 21+. Not available in CT, DE, ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, WA, WV, WY; Gold Coins only in CA, IN, MD, ME, OK. Full terms at NoLimitCoins.
- RealPrize: 100,000 Gold Coins plus 2 Sweeps Coins after verification. No purchase necessary. 18+ (21+ where required). Not available in AZ, CA, CT, DE, ID, IN, LA, MD, ME, MI, MT, NJ, NV, NY, OK, TN, WA, WV. Full terms at RealPrize.
Sweepstakes casino offers in Pennsylvania
Funrize AK · AL · AR · AZ · CO · DC · FL · GA · HI · IA · IL · KS · KY · MA · MD · MN · MO · MS · NC · ND · NE · NH · NM · OH · OK · OR · PA · SC · SD · TX · UT · VA · VT · WI
Welcome gift: 125,000 coins
GET! code applied automaticallyRead our Funrize reviewVisit Funrize →No purchase necessary. 21+. Not available in CT, DE, ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, WA, WV, WY; free-coin mode only in CA, IN, MD, ME, OK. Full terms at Funrize.
- FU
FunzCity AK · AL · AR · AZ · CO · DC · FL · GA · HI · IA · IL · KS · KY · MA · MD · MN · MO · MS · NC · ND · NE · NH · NM · OH · OK · OR · PA · SC · SD · TX · UT · VA · VT · WI
Welcome wheel: 125,000 Fun Coins
GET! code applied automaticallyRead our FunzCity reviewVisit FunzCity →No purchase necessary. 21+. Not available in CT, DE, ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, WA, WV, WY; Fun Coins only in CA, IN, MD, ME, OK. Full terms at FunzCity.
- NO
NoLimitCoins AK · AL · AR · AZ · CO · DC · FL · GA · HI · IA · IL · KS · KY · MA · MD · MN · MO · MS · NC · ND · NE · NH · NM · OH · OK · OR · PA · SC · SD · TX · UT · VA · VT · WI
100,000 Gold Coins on sign-up + 10,000 for email
GET! code applied automaticallyRead our NoLimitCoins reviewVisit NoLimitCoins →No purchase necessary. 21+. Not available in CT, DE, ID, LA, MI, MT, NV, NJ, NY, RI, TN, WA, WV, WY; Gold Coins only in CA, IN, MD, ME, OK. Full terms at NoLimitCoins.
RealPrize AK · AL · AR · CO · DC · FL · GA · HI · IA · IL · KS · KY · MA · MN · MO · MS · NC · ND · NE · NH · NM · OH · OR · PA · SC · SD · TX · UT · VA · VT · WI
100,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweeps Coins after verification
GET! code applied automaticallyRead our RealPrize reviewVisit RealPrize →No purchase necessary. 18+ (21+ where required). Not available in AZ, CA, CT, DE, ID, IN, LA, MD, ME, MI, MT, NJ, NV, NY, OK, TN, WA, WV. Full terms at RealPrize.
More on how the model works is in our sweepstakes casinos guide.
Prediction markets, DFS and lottery
Prediction markets such as Kalshi reach Pennsylvania because the CFTC regulates them federally as event-contract exchanges rather than state-licensed sportsbooks. Their sports contracts behave enough like bets that their legal status keeps being fought out in court, so treat them as a separate, federally overseen category; our prediction markets hub explains the products.
Daily fantasy sports are legal and licensed in Pennsylvania (the PGCB’s monthly revenue totals include fantasy contests), with DraftKings and FanDuel leading the field. The Pennsylvania Lottery also sells tickets and instant games online.
Pennsylvania online gambling by the numbers
The PGCB publishes detailed monthly reports, and the headline figures show how big the state has become:
| Metric | Latest figure |
|---|---|
| Total gaming revenue (2025) | $6.80 billion (record, +10.7%) |
| Online casino revenue (2025) | $2.78 billion (+27.2%) |
| Sports betting revenue (2025) | $602.5 million (+18%) |
| Sports betting handle (2025) | $8.8 billion (+5.2%) |
| Gaming tax to the state (2025) | $2.98 billion |
| Online casino revenue (Sept 2026) | $249.3 million (+6.8%) |
| Sports betting handle (Sept 2026) | $798 million |
Why Pennsylvania is an iGaming leader
Pennsylvania’s scale comes down to population, a huge existing casino industry and a regulator that runs a tight, transparent market. With casino licenses able to host several online brands each, the state has both the licenses and the player base to compete with New Jersey. The flip side is tax: Pennsylvania levies one of the highest online-slot rates in the world at 54%, which is part of why the state collected nearly $3 billion in gaming taxes in 2025. Those taxes fund property-tax relief and economic development, and they mean operators compete hard on game quality and loyalty programs.
It’s also a safe market. The PGCB tests every game’s fairness, audits operators and runs a statewide self-exclusion program, so a licensed Pennsylvania site is worlds apart from an unregulated offshore one, which the board actively pushes residents to avoid.
A brief history of Pennsylvania online gambling
Pennsylvania’s online era began with Act 42 of 2017, a sweeping gambling-expansion law that authorized online casinos, online poker and sports betting in one go. Retail sportsbooks opened in late 2018, online casinos and sports betting followed in 2019, and the market has set records year after year since. A major moment came in July 2024, when bet365 entered Pennsylvania through Churchill Downs’ Presque Isle casino, one of several deals that have widened player choice. Eleven of the state’s land-based casinos now provide the licenses behind its online casino apps, alongside Golden Nugget’s online-only certificate.
The trajectory has been steady. Online casino revenue has climbed every year, and in 2025 it grew 27% while slot machines on casino floors slipped 0.6%. With online poker pooled across state lines and sports betting revenue up 18% year over year, Pennsylvania has cemented itself as one of the most valuable online gambling markets in the country. For players, that maturity means more operators and more games than almost anywhere else.
Land-based casinos and racetracks
Pennsylvania’s casino map runs from Rivers Casino and Live! in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to Parx in Bensalem, Wind Creek in Bethlehem, Mohegan Pennsylvania near Wilkes-Barre, Presque Isle Downs in Erie and a string of Hollywood mini-casinos in York and Morgantown. Six of the casinos are also racetracks: Parx, Penn National and Presque Isle Downs (thoroughbreds) and Harrah’s Philadelphia, The Meadows and Pocono Downs (harness).
How to start playing in Pennsylvania
- Choose a PGCB-licensed site; check the Board’s list of authorized websites if in doubt.
- Register and add a promo code only where one is listed (most apply automatically via the link).
- Verify your age and location: 21+ and physically inside Pennsylvania, confirmed by geolocation.
- Deposit by PayPal, online banking, debit card or at a Pennsylvania partner casino cage, and claim your bonus.
- Play responsibly and withdraw your winnings once any wagering is cleared.
Responsible gambling in Pennsylvania
Betting in Pennsylvania should stay entertainment, not a way to chase money or claw back losses. Every licensed Pennsylvania operator gives you deposit, wager and time limits plus cool-off and self-exclusion tools, and the trick is to set them when you open the account rather than after a rough night. The PGCB’s self-exclusion program covers casinos, online gaming and sports wagering. If it stops being fun, that is your cue to step away: confidential help is a free call to 1-800-GAMBLER, around the clock.
Pennsylvania online gambling in 2027
Skill games return to the agenda
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in July 2026 that skill games are illegal slot machines, and the 2026-27 budget passed without a framework to tax them. Bills such as House Bill 2557 and Senate Bill 1079 are the starting point for a 2027 fight.
A year-end scorecard in January
The PGCB’s 2026 year-end release in January 2027 will show whether online casinos kept growing at double digits and whether sportsbook revenue held up despite lower handle.
More brands under existing licenses
New online casinos arrive by partnership, not legislation: Monopoly Casino joined under Bally’s, while Mount Airy’s online casino dropped out of the July 2026 report. Expect further reshuffles on the PGCB list.
How old do you have to be to gamble online in PA?
21 for online casino, poker and sports betting. Pari-mutuel horse betting is 18+ under state law, though some racebooks, including AmWager, require 21+.
Do I have to live in Pennsylvania to play?
No. You just have to be physically inside the state when you play. Geolocation confirms you’re in Pennsylvania before any real-money game or bet goes through.
Is Pennsylvania's online casino market the biggest in the US?
It’s one of the two biggest. Pennsylvania’s online casinos earned $2.78 billion in 2025; New Jersey’s earned $2.91 billion.
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Pennsylvania?
They operate in Pennsylvania through a dual-currency model that sits outside PGCB licensing, so they’re not regulated like the state’s online casinos. Several, including Funrize and RealPrize, accept Pennsylvania adults.
How are gambling winnings taxed for PA players?
Winnings are taxable income under Pennsylvania’s flat 3.07% personal income tax and federal tax. Keep records of wins and losses and consult a tax professional.
Where can I get help for a gambling problem in PA?
Call 1-800-GAMBLER, free and confidential 24/7, or use the deposit limits, cool-off periods and self-exclusion tools in every licensed Pennsylvania app.