Online Poker in PA
Pennsylvania poker players can compete in a wide range of tournaments and cash games at legal sites like PokerStars, BetMGM, and WSOP.com. They offer large sign-up bonuses, comprehensive loyalty programs, and fast, secure payouts when you win.
There are also several land-based poker rooms in the Keystone State, allowing you to play Hold’em, Omaha, and mixed games in-person. This guide breaks down all the options at your disposal if you would like to play poker in Pennsylvania.
Legal online poker sites in PA
Can I play online poker in Pennsylvania?
Yes, you can play online poker for real money in Pennsylvania. Former Gov. Tom Wolf signed the bill that legalized online poker back in 2017, and there are now four licensed online poker rooms in the Keystone State.
Law | HB 271 amended the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act to permit online poker in October 2017. |
Launch date | PokerStars became the first online poker site to launch in Pennsylvania in November 2019. |
Available games | Cash games, tournaments, Sit & Go tournaments, Jackpot Sit & Go tournaments, rush poker |
Age to play | 21 or older |
State population | 13 million |
The best online poker options in Pennsylvania
There are four legal online poker rooms in Pennsylvania: PokerStars, BetMGM Poker, WSOP, and Borgata Poker.
PokerStars PA
PokerStars launched in 2001, and it is now the world’s largest online poker site. A Dublin-based company called Flutter Entertainment owns PokerStars, along with popular sites like FanDuel and TVG.
This was the first online poker room to launch in Pennsylvania back in 2019. PokerStars remains the most popular poker site in the Keystone State, with greater traffic and liquidity than WSOP PA and BetMGM Poker PA.
- No Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Seven Card Stud, mixed games available
- Cash games, tournaments, SNGs, jackpot Spin & Go tournaments, Zoom Poker
- Cash games have blinds ranging from $0.01/$0.02, with a maximum buy-in of $2, to $25/$20, with buy-ins of up to $5,000
- Tournament buy-ins typically range from $0.50 to $500, although higher buy-ins are sometimes available
- Renowned weekly tournaments include Sunday Majors, Nightly Stars, KO Fever, Super Tuesday, and Thursday Thrill
- Notable tournaments include the Pennsylvania Championship Of Online Poker and the Pennsylvania Spring Championship Of Online Poker
BetMGM Poker PA
BetMGM is one of the most popular online gambling providers in Pennsylvania, offering an online casino, poker room, and sportsbook. MGM Resorts International and Entain co-own BetMGM and sister site Borgata Poker.
This online poker room launched in Pennsylvania back in August 2021. Borgata Poker PA launched on the same day.
BetMGM Poker does not benefit from the same level of traffic as PokerStars PA, but it offers impressive software, competitive poker bonuses, and some interesting tournaments.
- Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo available
- Cash games, tournaments, SNGs, Fast Forward cash games
- Cash games have blinds ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$30 with buy-ins ranging from $0.50 to $200
- Tournament buy-ins range from $5 to $535
- Notable ongoing tournaments include the Daily C-Note Tournament
- Major events include the BetMGM Online Poker Championships, March Poker Mania, and the Spring Online Poker Championships
WSOP.com PA
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) offers a high-quality online poker room in Pennsylvania, featuring daily tournaments and cash games. The site launched in June 2021, ending PokerStars’ monopoly in the Keystone State.
This online poker room uses software developed by the team at 888poker. Navigation is smooth and simple, the site is reliable, and it hosts a busy schedule of games and tournaments, including qualifier tournaments for the big annual event in Las Vegas.
Caesars Entertainment, which also owns Caesars Palace Casino PA and Caesars Sportsbook PA, owns WSOP.com.
- No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha available
- Cash games, tournaments, SNGs
- Cash games buy-ins range from $1 to $500, with blinds of $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50 on No Limit Hold’em
- Tournament buy-in range from $1 to $215
- Signature weekly tournaments include GTD Big Sunday
- Hosts satellite tournaments for the WSOP Bracelet Series and WSOP Circuit Online Gold Ring Series
Borgata Online Poker PA
Borgata Poker PA is a sister site to BetMGM. Both sites use the same software developed by Entain, which owns the world-famous PartyPoker brand.
They also share online poker liquidity, so customers of both sites can compete against one another in cash games and tournaments.
- Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo available
- Cash games, tournaments, SNGs, Fast Forward cash games
- Cash games have blinds ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$30 with buy-ins ranging from $0.50 to $200
- Tournament buy-ins range from $5 to $535
- Famous tournaments include the Daily C-Note Tournament
Can I play with players in other states?
No, you cannot play poker for real money against players in other states if you are located in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, the Keystone State has not yet joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).
That agreement covers Delaware, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, and West Virginia. MSIGA allows those states to pool online poker players, meaning someone in New Jersey could compete against players in Delaware and Nevada.
Rep. George Dunbar has filed a bill seeking to add Pennsylvania to the agreement, but it has not yet been approved, so you can only play against fellow Pennsylvanians right now.
However, players in Pennsylvania can sign up with a social poker site, such as Global Poker or Clubs Poker. They do not allow you to play for real money, but you can play ring games and tournaments against players from across the country with Gold Coins or Sweeps Coins. The Sweeps Coins can be redeemed for cash prizes if you win.
Potential online poker sites
PartyPoker is the only licensed US poker site that has not yet launched in Pennsylvania. This online poker room is available in New Jersey, but it has not yet expanded into the Keystone State.
Entain, the co-owner of BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker, also owns PartyPoker. The company may decide its footprint in Pennsylvania is already large enough, but it could potentially introduce PartyPoker in PA in the future.
Retail poker rooms in Pennsylvania
There are currently eight retail poker rooms in Pennsylvania. The Keystone State previously had nine land-based card rooms, but Harrah’s Philadelphia closed its poker room back in 2020, and it never reopened.
These are the five largest poker rooms for players in Pennsylvania:
Underground poker rooms and unregulated poker sites in Pennsylvania
It is risky to play at unregulated poker rooms in Pennsylvania. There are no guarantees that you will be treated fairly, kept safe, or even paid out if you play at an unlicensed poker room.
That applies to underground poker rooms and unlicensed online poker rooms. Sites like Bovada, Ignition, ACR, BetOnline, and Everygame do not have legal authorization to operate in Pennsylvania, so you will not benefit from consumer protection regulations if you sign up.
They may simply decide not to pay you, or they may fail to keep your details safe, and you will have no legal recourse if you are scammed or mistreated. For those reasons, it is important to avoid unregulated poker apps and stick to licensed, regulated sites instead.
Future outlook for online poker in Pennsylvania
Joining the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA) is a priority for Pennsylvania’s online poker industry. Right now, PA online poker rooms can only target a limited pool of players.
That means they cannot offer the same level of traffic and liquidity as poker sites in Michigan, Nevada, and New Jersey, which benefit from MSIGA membership. If Pennsylvania were to join MSIGA, it would be transformative.
Pennsylvania is the most populous state to legalize online poker, so sites like WSOP.com would be able to offer more tournaments and larger guaranteed prize pools if the Keystone State were to join forces with the likes of Nevada and New Jersey.
Rep. Dunbar, who introduced the bill aiming to add Pennsylvania to MSIGA, is not sure if it will move. However, he believes that Pennsylvania’s online poker players could quickly begin playing games and entering tournaments with players in other legal states if HB 2078 is signed into PA gambling law, and he pledged to continue advocating for inclusion in MSIGA.