Pennsylvania Online Casinos – Breaking Down The Status Of Online Gambling In The Keystone State
As of 2022, there are 16 casinos in Pennsylvania, several of which are actually new PA casinos that only opened for business in the last few years. Additionally, thanks to the PA expanded gambling law passed in 2017, these venues all now offer legit online Pennsylvania casino games (as well as PA online sportsbooks and PA online poker options). But there are some limitations to playing with a domestic Penn. casino, and – for many players – legal online PA casinos operating offshore are the better option by far.
That’s where our guide comes in. If you want the biggest selection of games, the most possible online casino free plays and perks, and the ability to bet with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies – all at just 18 and up – the international Pennsylvania betting sites we recommend are the trump card you didn’t know you had. Local venues are all well and good, but the keystone of online Pennsylvania gambling has always been offshore!
★ Top Rated Pennsylvania Online Casino For 2024
Bovada Casino – Best Casino Option For PA Players Since 2011
If you want a state-of-the-art casino in the State of Independence, Bovada Casino is your best bet. Since 2011, Bovada has been serving PA gamblers at just 18 and up, providing players with hundreds of the best RNG (random number generation) online casino games.
But Bovada doesn’t just boast the best online Pennsylvania slots, PA online blackjack, PA roulette, PA bingo, and more – Bovada LV is also a fully fledged online Pennsylvania sports betting site and online PA poker room. There’s even an international horse racebook for fans of the ponies!
New members who join Bovada today can score a standard welcome bonus of up to $3000 or an enhanced Bovada Bitcoin Bonus worth up to $3750!
- Established 2011 (Currently in Costa Rica)
- Bitcoin + crypto accepted
- Bovada Vouchers + MatchPay
- 250+ online slots, table games
- Dozens of live-dealer casino games
- Bovada Mobile works on iPhone, iPad, Android
- All PA residents welcome (18+)
Is Online Casino Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania?
Yes! Pennsylvania gambling laws explicitly allow for online gambling in all its forms, including online casino gambling, sports betting, poker, and horse racing betting.
However, the minimum Pennsylvania gambling age at in-state online casinos (and for most other online gambling markets) is 21 and up. Additionally, PA online casinos and other gaming markets are all geofenced, which means you can’t bet with local PA operators unless you’re physically inside PA borders.
But if you want to gamble freely and legally with zero geographic limitations and many more games to choose from – and especially if you want to bet with Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies – offshore PA casinos are where the action is.
There are no PA casino laws barring the use of these sites, nor are there any federal USA betting laws that make real-money online gambling with offshore vendors a crime. Most of the sites we recommend have a PA gambling age of just 18+, and signing up is fast, free, and 100% legal.
Uncle Sam will never put coal in your stocking for gambling offshore in the Coal State!
Are Legal PA Online Casinos Safe To Join?
Well, that all depends on whether or not you join a reputable site! Naturally, all the state-regulated Pennsylvania casinos are safe and operate with the level of transparency you expect out of any domestically licensed betting venue.
But just because a casino isn’t regulated by a state-based government agency or doesn’t operate under a PA- or US-issued gaming license, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s unsafe. Yes, there are online casino scams out there. It is the Internet, after all. But if you stick with reputable offshore casinos, you really have nothing to worry about.
The brands we recommend here have been serving PA gamblers for years, and they have the highest ratings across the board. These are legit online casinos through and through, and you can feel confident signing up with any of them.
All the sites we recommend abide by the strictest industry best practices, including the following:
Pennsylvania Mobile Casino Apps
Online gambling in Pennsylvania wouldn’t be a compelling proposition bet if you couldn’t access all the games on the menu through your smartphone or tablet device. Since most online traffic is mobile these days, it’s no surprise that most online casino traffic is, too. To that end, in PA, you have two options.
Option 1: If you’re playing with a domestic PA casino online, you can download their official Pennsylvania casino apps from the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play store (Android). But remember, these are geofenced. If you travel outside of PA, you can’t use these services to gamble online.
Option 2: If you want more freedom (and more mobile casino game variety), the mobile-optimized PA online casinos we recommend don’t require any app downloads or updates, and they aren’t GPS-restricted to PA itself. Because these legit online casinos use web apps instead of native apps, they also work on every device regardless of make, model, or screen size.
As long as you have an active Internet connection and an up-to-date mobile web browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.), you can hit the road, burn coal, and play from anywhere inside – or outside – the Coal State!
Pennsylvania Online Casino Games
Online PA casino games are – obviously – the heart and soul of any legitimate online casino. As such, the best offshore PA casinos have made it their mission to provide Quaker Staters with the biggest selection of legal PA online slots, online blackjack games, online roulette wheels, baccarat tables, and more.
You can even play online bingo in Pennsylvania, saving you a trip to your local crowded PA bingo hall!
All the games on offer are designed using industry-leading random number generation (RNG) software made by the most respected casino game developers in the business (Realtime Gaming, Betsoft, Dragon, Nucleus, Rival, etc.). All these games are also regularly audited to ensure that you get fair payouts, real-world win rates, and that no game can ever be hacked or altered.
- Online Slot Machines (3-Reel, 5-Reel, 6-Reel)
- Online Specialty Slots (3D, iSlots)
- Online Progressive Slots
- Online Blackjack Games (1-Deck, 2-Deck, 6-Deck, 8-Deck)
- Online Roulette Games (American + European)
- Online Baccarat Games
- Online Super 6 (aka Online Mini-Bac)
- Online Video Poker Games
- Online Keno + Online Craps
- Online Bingo (30-ball, 50-ball, 70-ball, etc.)
- Online Lotteries + Raffles + Scratch-Offs
- Online Live Casino Games
Pro-Tip: Most of the PA online casinos we recommend actually let you play online casino games for free! This is one way that the offshore industry is far ahead of the domestic gambling industry. Local casinos offer no free online casino games of any kind – their titles are strictly “pay to play.”
Pennsylvania Online Live-Dealer Casino Games
Online electronic slots and electronic casino games (i.e. blackjack, video poker, etc.) are the way most PA gamblers enjoy the gaming pastime, but online live-dealer games are growing in popularity lately.
In the early days of online casino gambling, local brick-and-mortars always had a big edge because they offered live casino tables in addition to their electronic gambling kiosks. If you wanted to sit in front of a real dealer or croupier, in-person casino gambling was the only option.
Today, though, the technology is there to give online gamblers access to live casino tables through real-time video streaming. When you enter a live table game, you’ll take your seat at the felts and watch a real casino attendant flip the cards and spin the wheel. You can even chat with your dealer and fellow players during these live casino gaming sessions.
Just remember to mind your manners, because even though you’re playing online, the standard rules of PA casino decorum still apply.
- PA Live Dealer Blackjack
- PA Live Dealer Roulette
- PA Live Dealer Baccarat
- PA Live Dealer Super 6
Note: Pennsylvania live casino games are paid games only – there are no free casino gambling options for live online blackjack, live online roulette, etc. Also, most legit online casinos do not allow live table games to contribute to casino promo rollover/playthrough requirements.
Pennsylvania Brick-And-Mortar Casinos
Pennsylvania online casino gambling is the most popular way to play, both domestically and internationally. State gambling revenue has borne that out convincingly.
However, there are times when you just want to get out of the house and hit up a real Philadelphia casino or Bethlehem casino or Pittsburgh casino. In fact, it doesn’t even matter where you are in PA – just consult your trusty Pennsylvania casino map and you’ll find that there’s a gambling house nearby.
For the best experience, we recommend visiting a proper Pennsylvania resort casino for a weekend. But if you’re only up for a few hours of gaming, any PA racino has plenty to offer. And, of course, there are those Pennsylvania satellite casinos to consider.
These latter venues are small casinos operated as “remote” facilities for various bigger commercial brands in PA, and more PA satellite casinos are in the works. So, be on the lookout for new Pennsylvania casinos in the near future!
If you’re a fan of tribal gaming, there are unfortunately no Class II or Class III Pennsylvania Indian casinos or PA Indian bingo halls. While there is movement on the tribal recognition front in PA, the state currently has no federally recognized tribes, and we don’t expect Indian casinos in Pennsylvania to launch anytime soon.
That said, the Mohegan Tribe (Connecticut) operates the Mohegan Sun Pocono, while the Poarch Band of Creek Indians (Alabama) operates the Wind Creek Bethlehem. But again, these are non-PA tribes operating commercial casinos – not tribal casinos – in the state.
Pennsylvania Gambling Resources - Learn More About The Legal PA Casino Industry
Because the PA gaming industry is so large, the associated regulations are necessarily lengthy and complex. To learn more about PA gambling laws in general and Pennsylvania casino laws in particular – especially Pennsylvania online casino laws – the following resources will get you going in the right direction.
All formal PA gaming laws can be found within the most recent edition of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes (PCS).
• PCS Title 4: Amusements – PA online casino laws, PA online sports betting laws, PA online poker laws, PA horse racing betting laws, Pennsylvania Lottery laws, Penn. online gambling rules and regulations, PA gambling tax laws, etc.
• PCS Title 18-5513 et seq. – “Gambling devices, gambling, etc.”; Criminal penalties for illegal gambling in PA
• Pennsylvania Expanded Gaming Act (2017) – Signed into law as Act 42. Legalized local Pennsylvania online slots and other online casino games. Also legalized PA online poker and PA sports betting/online sports betting (pending the overturn of PASPA, which occurred in 2018).
• Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board – PGCB, aka the Pennsylvania gambling commission; state agency in charge of overseeing all domestic gambling regulatory compliance, licensing, etc.
Gambling is intended strictly for entertainment. Please play responsibly and never risk more than you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, state residents have several options. To get help, we recommend contacting the PA branch of the National Council on Problem Gambling.