PA online sports betting is live!
Multiple PA sports betting sites are operating in the Keystone State, and many more expected to come online throughout 2020. Pennsylvania sports bettors also have access to a variety of retail sportsbooks throughout the state.
This complete PA sports betting guide will cover those locations, as well as the online options.
Additionally, the guide includes instructions for new bettors on how to place a bet. You’ll also find information on the betting apps, depositing and withdrawing, types of bet you can place — and the sports you can bet on right now in Pennsylvania.
The daily fantasy sports and sports betting operator has launched a PA sportsbook app for both Android and iOS.
DraftKings is running a sports betting special. All new players get a $25 free bet in addition to two risk-free bets. Receive up to $500 back if your first bet loses, plus an additional 20% up to $500 with your first deposit.
Thanks to a partnership with Valley Forge Casino, the FanDuel Sportsbook app is available in Pennsylvania.
As part of their new player special, FanDuel is offering players up to a $500 risk-free bet. This offer only applies to your first bet. As an example, if you bet $100 on the 49ers (and they lose), FanDuel will refund that bet.
Unibet entered the PA sports betting, utilizing the license of land-based partner Mohegan Sun Pocono. They offer wide-range of markets and a user-friendly sports betting app.
Unibet offers a $20 free when you signup. You also qualify for an additional risk-free bet up to $250 with your first deposit.
SugarHouse was the first online sportsbook to go live in Pennsylvania.
Powered by Kambi, they offer a $250 match bet bonus with a 1x rollover. Regular promos are available in addition to in-play betting and mobile apps.
Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh, which is owned by the same parent company as SugarHouse, has its own app in PA, BetRivers.
It looks and feels like the SugarHouse app, just with different branding.
Caesars — a stalwart in Nevada and New Jersey for gaming — will bring its sports betting app to PA via Harrah’s Casino.
It was a late adopter to mobile betting in NV but has a better presence in NJ. Its Philadelphia location should also help it in the early days.
With sports betting banned under the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) for so many years, this area will be brand new to many people. This section covers what you need to get started with sports betting online in Pennsylvania. This includes the types of bets you can place, how to register and verify your online sports betting account and how to deposit (and withdraw your winnings).
Bets: You can place a lot of different bets at the new sportsbooks. By breaking these down into simple categories, you won’t have to remember the whole list until you get more familiar with the apps and sites.
There are sport-specific bets, and period betting is also available for many sports. If you are brand new to online sports betting, you may want to stick with the simple single bets, e.g., spread or moneyline, while you get used to the platform.
All of the current PA sportsbooks include how-to information, taking you step-by-step through how to place bets. If you are new to wagering and need some basic info first, read our beginner’s guide to sports betting.
No sportsbook has an interest in making the registration process too difficult. At the same time, they need to protect against gambling by minors and add fraud prevention to stop multiple accounts.
Once you decide which books to play at, you’ll need to fill in some basic registration information. Your name, location and email will get things started. The sites might also ask for the last four digits of your Social Security number.
You can register an account via either the responsive websites of the sportsbooks or via the apps.
These steps will work with any of the PA sites listed above.
The benefit to using the links on this page is that you will always receive the best bonus offer at the PA sportsbooks.
Depending on the offer, your bonus might be available for use right away, or it might require you to place your first bet. Remember to read the terms and conditions to understand how the bonus works.
Regulation makes depositing at sportsbooks straightforward and safe. You’ll be able to use many of the regular payment options used for buying goods online. On top of these, there are some extra ways to pay at the license-holding casinos.
Here are your main options:
If it is possible to withdraw onto the same method you deposited with, that will be the default method. This serves as additional protection against money laundering. Common withdrawal methods include e-checks, PayPal (or similar), prepaid cards (branded ones) or via a paper check.
All states have a restriction for betting on high-school sports events, and Pennsylvania is no exception.
The major omission is for bets on non-sporting contests. An example of this is the NFL draft, which you can’t bet on either at live or online PA sportsbooks.
You can’t bet on esports in Pennsylvania.
If you are involved professionally in a sporting league (for example as an official or coach), then you can’t bet on your sport.
Apple recently dealt iPhone users a blow. The company decided to restrict new gambling apps from its App Store until they are re-created in Apple’s programming language.
The only exception to this is FanDuel, which does have a sportsbook app in the App Store. It uses the same app in both NJ and PA.
While Google has some restrictions, there are alternative ways of getting apps onto your Android devices. You can download these directly from sportsbook websites. While you will need to click some warning messages about “unknown sources,” the process is straightforward.
Apple devices don’t have alternative means of downloading apps. This means that until the PA sportsbooks comply with the new rules, iPhone and iPad apps are not available from most companies. You can use some of the apps via a browser with an additional geolocation app.
Pros:
Cons:
There are sometimes advantages to being second. When New Jersey launched its online gambling sites, there were a lot of issues with geolocation. Since the law strictly prohibits the books from allowing bets or real money deposits outside of state borders, it is important to locate app users accurately.
What happened initially in New Jersey was “false negatives.” Players close to the border had their access or deposits blocked.
Fortunately, by the time apps arrived in Pennsylvania, this issue was mostly fixed.
For desktop devices, the technology will triangulate your known location with Wi-Fi data. For mobile devices without Wi-Fi switched on, there might still be the occasional issue next to the border. If this affects you too often, you can download additional software to assess your location more accurately.
You will be able to access your accounts from outside of PA, though bets and deposits are strictly prohibited.
There are options for placing bets at casinos, racetracks, off-track betting (OTB) facilities and, of course, online betting in Pennsylvania. This section covers all of these with locations and opening hours information for each. You will also find information covering betting on horse racing below. The treatment there is different from sports betting; websites plus live betting have been around for a while.
Before getting to the venues, here are the most popular sports, with an emphasis on the local PA teams.
With representation in the major leagues in all the main sports, PA residents and visitors can now enjoy wagers on all of their favorite teams. Below are the opportunities to bet on local NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA games.
Some bets are common to all sports (moneyline, totals and spreads). You will also find many individual bet types covering each sport. You’ll find these by locating your match in a sportsbook app or website, then click the “more bets” or “all bets” link.
Major sports will also see inclusion in the live betting options, which means you’ll be able to place wagers while the match is underway.
Pennsylvania is home to two hockey teams:
With two teams in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, there are regular rivalry matches. This fierce rivalry is known as the “Battle of Pennsylvania.” Things reached fever pitch on four occasions in recent years — when the two teams met in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
You can bet on the conference winners and Stanley Cup results at the start of the season. When it comes to individual NHL matches, you can enjoy period betting for each of the three periods, first (or next) goal scorer and correct scores. Spreads are known as the “puck line” in hockey betting.
The Keystone State is home to two major football teams. Again, these are located in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh:
With the two PA football teams in different conferences, matches between them are rare, only once every four years. Both teams have a rich history, established in 1933.
NFL betting includes many unique wagers. Under the “props” heading you’ll be able to bet the under or over for each quarterback’s yards, or the running back’s yards/carries. Bets on the first team or even player to score are also popular. The NFL is also a popular sport for teaser bets and regular parlays.
As with the football teams, the two Major League Baseball teams in PA play in separate divisions. This means that their rivalries are with out-of-state teams. As with the other major sports, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have one team each:
The large number of fixtures in the MLB season — along with teams in two different divisions — mean that there are a lot of betting opportunities.
There are several bets unique to baseball. These include the popular “run line” bets. This is a variation of point spreads, which appear in many sports. Unlike regular spreads, which try to even up the teams’ chances, run lines are always plus or minus 1.5 points.
Prop bets include the number of strikeouts per pitcher, or hits per batter. You can combine the total number of runs, hits and errors in the popular R + H + E props. Bets on the first five innings are also available.
Totals bets on the entire day’s action are the final unique MLB bet. If you can guess the under / over on the runs for all fixtures on a day, you could win the “grand salami.”
While the other major sports have two top-tier teams, basketball sees Pennsylvania represented only once in the top flight. This is the Philadelphia 76ers — usually known simply as the “Sixers.”
Dating back to 1946, the Sixers play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. They play at Wells Fargo Center, which the Flyers NHL team also calls home.
The high scoring nature of games means there is plenty of scope for totals and spread bets in the NBA. These can be team totals, match totals or even prop bets on totals for individual players. Quarter betting on the game periods is also possible.
A different way of approaching wins for NBA bets is to wager on a big or little win. A big win is 10 or more points, with a little win is 1-9. A fun way to bet is to select whether the total for both teams will be odd or even.
You can bet on horse races in three ways. First, head to the tracks and place a bet there on either live action or simulcasts for other tracks. Second, there are OTBs (many known as turf clubs) dotted around the state. You can also bet online on horse races. Separate sites exist for this, including BetAmerica, TVG and TwinSpires. These sites are legal, and US-based. They give you access to the parimutuel betting pools that operate at the tracks and OTB offices.
Note that the newly regulated PA sportsbooks do not offer betting on horse races.
Below are the racetracks in Pennsylvania:
The most famous horse in PA racing history is Smarty Jones. He won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2004 and finished second in the Belmont Stakes.
Pennsylvania has its own Grade 1 stakes. This is the Pennsylvania Derby. With a purse of $1 million, this event attracts the best 3-year-olds in the country. It is run over 9 furlongs on dirt at the Parx Racetrack.
Other famous races in PA include the Penn Mile Stakes, Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Stakes and Greenwood Cup Stakes.
You can bet on horse races at tracks around the country, via off-track betting venues. Simulcast streams and access to parimutuel betting pools are available at the six horse racing tracks. In addition, there are seven “turf club” venues.
These show races and allow you to bet, and they have bar and dining options. Note that the Valley Forge Turf Club already allows sports betting in addition to horse racing bets.
You can place sports bets in person at 10 locations. The original tranche of licenses was open to current live slots casinos. This leaves four locations that have not taken up their live sportsbook options as yet.
This racetrack and casino location was formerly known as Chester Downs. It is now operated by Caesars Entertainment. As well as harness racing, you’ll find a big casino (2,900 slots), event center and retail — as well as a big live sportsbook.
Located at Grantville, the Penn National is home to thoroughbred racing, including the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Handicap and Penn Mile. Hollywood Casino has almost 2,500 slots, 54 table games and a poker room. It added a live sportsbook in November 2018.
This casino has an impressive 3,000 slots, 107 table games and a 30-table poker room. It added a sportsbook in December 2018. The name comes from its location at the point where three major rivers meet.
The first mover in PA sports betting online also opened its live sportsbook first. The casino itself became an addition to the casino landscape in Pennsylvania when it opened in 2010. In addition to the live sportsbook, the casino includes 3,000 slots as well as dining and entertainment options.
This thoroughbred racetrack is the single biggest casino in Pennsylvania. It offers 3,300+ slot machines, 180 table games, 48 poker tables — along with both a sportsbook and separate race book with simulcast betting. Parx is located northeast of Philadelphia, close to Bensalem Township.
This sportsbook is located in downtown Philadelphia. It is associated with the Parx Casino and Racetrack. South Philly Turf Club has been an off-track betting venue for many years — offering bets on the PA tracks and simulcasts of other tracks. You can now bet on sports at this location, too. Amenities don’t match the casinos, though it does have a bar and restaurant.
Another off-track betting office, run by the Parx Casino and Racetrack. This venue is located in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It has been offering simulcast betting on horse races for many years. You can now enjoy the full sports betting experience too, with plenty of major sport and college action.
You’ll find a FanDuel branded sportsbook at the Valley Forge Casino. This opened for business in March 2019. The casino is a smaller one, with only 600 slots and 50 table games. It is close to King of Prussia and has two attached hotels.
The property quietly opened its retail sportsbook and did so less than a week after rolling out its online sportsbook, Fox Bet.
This is the entry from Churchill Downs and BetAmerica, which will eventually have an app and website as well.
Mohegan Sun debuted its Unibet retail sportsbook Sept. 24, upping the PA brick-and-mortar count to 11. When testing began, there was no timetable for the property’s online sportsbook.
Nine casinos have now applied to offer live sports betting in Pennsylvania. Of these, nine are expected to introduce online betting. Many of these are technology providers, which will have to partner with local casinos to produce their licensed betting sites. Here is the list:
Sports betting was included in the 2017 gaming expansion package, signed by Gov. Tom Wolf on October 30. At that time, New Jersey was challenging a long-standing federal law known as PASPA. This challenge went all the way to the Supreme Court. The court overturned PASPA in May of 2018.
That triggered a clause in HB 271 in Pennsylvania, allowing licensing for both live and online sportsbooks. Betting is legal on both pro sports and college fixtures. The key legal requirements are that bettors have to be 21 or older and inside state lines.
Licensing and regulation are under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. At $10 million per license upfront, plus an effective tax rate of 36%, sports betting is expected to create significant revenue for the state.
Five sportsbooks are currently live. More are likely to follow over the coming months. You can access these books via their websites or Android apps. iOS (iPhone) apps are delayed due to Apples’ new rules on how they are programmed; FanDuel is in the App Store, however. In the meantime, regular websites are effective for mobile phone betting:
Several factors point to sports betting being a win-win for both the state and sports fans. First, the success of live and sports betting in New Jersey has shown that partnerships between technology providers, betting brands and local casinos are effective. Revenues have already beaten expectations in New Jersey. With a larger population, Pennsylvania revenues could be potentially even bigger.
Like any new endeavor, there are some issues to overcome. Difficulty with apps for Apple devices, the future introduction of sports betting in New York and the relatively high tax rate on bets are all factors to consider.
Yes! By virtue of a 2017 state law and the Supreme Court’s strike-down of PASPA, Pennsylvania has legalized sports betting.
While offshore betting sites are legal within the jurisdiction they are based in (usually Caribbean island nations), they are not recognized or regulated by any US jurisdiction. With no safety checks, oversight or means of recourse in the event of a dispute, offshore betting sites are extremely risky.
With regulated, safe sportsbooks now in Pennsylvania, there are no advantages of offshore sites that would balance out those risks.
If you are using an Android device, you’ll be able to download this from the PA sportsbook website.
iPhone and iPad will run into issues. For a while, it looked like no Apple users were able to use the PA online casinos or sportsbooks until the brands recode their apps using Apple’s proprietary programming language.
Now, a handful of sports betting sites have a workaround for iOS or in the case of Fanduel, a native app for iPhone and iPad.
The workaround requires the GeoGuard app. This will verify the player’s location first, and then they can proceed to play and bet.
No. There are opportunities to deposit via the casino cages of Pennsylvania casinos, though not via Atlantic City casinos.
Some online sportsbooks offer the option to redeem bets early, and others do not. You can find more information through our sportsbook reviews.
Yes, you can now bet at the FanDuel Sportsbook. You have two options, bet online using the Fanduel app or by visiting Fanduel at the Valley Forge Casino. You can also enjoy daily fantasy sports contests at FanDuel.
Yes, though betting on horse racing and sports is handled separately. You’ll need to visit a PA horse betting site or download the app. These sites have been running nationwide for many years.
Yes, although, not all betting sites accept PayPal. PayPal is perfect for people who do not want to link their bank or credit cards directly with an online betting site.
Yes, both the live and online sportsbooks cover collegiate sporting events.
Most types of bets and sports are legal to bet on in Pennsylvania.
The only major restrictions are non-sporting novelty contests, esports betting and betting on games of skill (in bars and malls, for example). People directly employed in sports like coaches or officials can’t bet on their leagues.
High school sporting events of any kind are not permitted for wagering. This rule will likely be universal no matter which state you visit. However, you can bet on college sports, even on PA teams playing in the state.
Olympic sports will likely be available. However, there may be some variation in availability on a case-by-case basis.
If you have self-excluded from gambling, then it is the sportsbook’s responsibility to ensure you can’t place bets.
While it is too early to provide an accurate estimate, we can safely say that PA sportsbooks will generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, based on the experiences of Nevada and NJ.
All Pennsylvania online sportsbooks offer players the ability to bet from their smartphones. Some offer apps, while others use website technology that automatically adjusts to your screen size. Apple users will need to wait until apps meet the company’s new guidelines.
