Caesars Online Casino Pa

Online casinos launched in Pennsylvania in July 2019. This made Pennsylvania just the third US state to offer state-regulated, legal online casinos.

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Caesars Casino software and features. Caesars Online Casino PA was developed in conjunction with NYX Gaming. As part of the NYX Open Platform, this site is able to function on all desktop and mobile devices. As a licensed operator, the software is required to be secure and all games certified as fair by third-party agencies. Caesars ticks these. Caesars Casino & Sportsbook Pennsylvania is owned by Caesars Interactive Entertainment, LLC. Chester Downs and Marina, LLC, licensed by the PGCB (#1368), located at 777 Harrah's Blvd, Chester, PA 19013. The New Jersey version of Unibet Casino went live in June 2019. Caesars Online Casino. The legendary Caesars brand went live with an online casino in Pennsylvania in April 2020. Licensed under Harrah’s Philadelphia, Caesars Online Casino is integrated with Caesars Sportsbook on mobile apps. On the desktop, the casino operates as a standalone. The healthy PA online casino market continues to grow with BetMGM casino joining in early December. The newest iGaming option in PA is Borgata online casino which launched Feb. Many PA casino sites also now have live dealer games available, including BetMGM. PA now has a brand new casino as Live! Philadelphia is officially open to the public. Pennsylvania now offers legal online casinos. The PA online casino market is now up to ten operators, all attached to a land-based casino.; You can keep up with the best online gambling sites in PA here, and get the latest updates on online casino games using our game tracker.

As of January 2021 Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and West Virginia are the only four states where online casinos are live. Michigan will launch online gambling soon.

All of Pennsylvania’s online casinos operate in partnership with the state’s land-based casinos. Of the state’s 12 retail casinos, more than half currently offer online casino platforms.

Best Pennsylvania Online Casinos

• FanDuel Casino
• BetRivers Casino
• BetMGM Casino
• Borgata Casino
• DraftKings Casino
• Unibet Casino

Legal Online Casinos In Pennsylvania

FanDuel Casino

Launched in January 2020, FanDuel Casino became an instant contender for the title of top-earning online casino in Pennsylvania. In its first full month of operation, FanDuel Casino eclipsed all other state-regulated mobile casinos in revenue.

Licensed under Valley Forge Casino Resort, FanDuel Casino operates as part of a hybrid online sportsbook and casino. FanDuel Casino emerged as a favorite for Pennsylvania players immediately upon launch. It looks poised to be a major part of the state’s online gambling market.

BetMGM Casino

One of the most recent online casinos to launch in Pennsylvania, BetMGM is another industry-leading choice with an excellent welcome bonus.

BetMGM Casino officially went to market in December 2020 in partnership with Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course. BetMGM’s sportsbook, which is also accessible as part of the all-in-one app, is the official sports betting partner for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Borgata Casino

Visit: Borgata PA to claim $20 free on sign up plus a $1000 deposit match bonus – Use Code SHARP

Roar Digital already entered the PA casino market with both BetMGM Casino and the Bet MGM Sportsbook app in 2020. They continued their expansion into Pennsylvania by launching the Borgata Casino app in February 2021. All apps operate as licensed partners of Penn National Gaming.

Players may recognize the Borgata name as one of Atlantic City’s premier casinos. The Pennsylvania launch is the second for the Borgata online casino brand. They launched in New Jersey prior.

DraftKings Casino

DraftKings Casino launched in Pennsylvania in May 2020. Much like FanDuel Casino, DraftKings Casino is a major player in the Pennsylvania online casino industry.

DraftKings Casino operates under the Hollywood Casino license. Players can find the casino through a link on the DraftKings Sportsbook platform.

BetRivers

BetRivers, like SugarHouse Online Casino, operates under the Rivers Philadelphia license. BetRivers debuted in the Pennsylvania market in January 2020.

In the first year of Pennsylvania’s legal online casino industry, Rivers Philadelphia emerged as the state leader in revenue by operator. The BetRivers platform offers a $250 deposit match bonus for new players.

Rivers Philadelphia is a top performer in the Pennsylvania market, showing excellent revenue throughout 2020 and leading the iGaming space in the state.

SugarHouse Online Casino

SugarHouse Online Casino debuted among the first wave of online casinos to launch in Pennsylvania. The platform went live in July 2019, two days after Hollywood and Parx launched their mobile casino sites.

One of two online casinos licensed under the Rivers Philadelphia interactive gaming license, the SugarHouse brand is the first to operate mobile casinos in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Rivers Philadelphia leads Pennsylvania in online casino operation revenue.

Unibet Casino

The US expansion of Unibet continued with the launch of Unibet Casino in Pennsylvania. The international gaming powerhouse went live in Pennsylvania with the hybrid online casino and sportsbook in November 2019.

Operating as a license partner of Mohegan Sun, Unibet Casino is the second mobile casino platform to debut in the US from the brand. The New Jersey version of Unibet Casino went live in June 2019.

Caesars Online Casino

The legendary Caesars brand went live with an online casino in Pennsylvania in April 2020. Licensed under Harrah’s Philadelphia, Caesars Online Casino is integrated with Caesars Sportsbook on mobile apps. On the desktop, the casino operates as a standalone site.

The Pennsylvania platform launched with a small selection of games, but with the Caesars name on the product and some time to mature in the market, that library has already expanded.

Hollywood Casino

Hollywood Casino went live in Pennsylvania in July 2019. The launch made the platform the first state-regulated, legal online casino available to Pennsylvania players.

The Hollywood Casino online platform operates under the interactive gaming license of its parent company, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course.

For its first foray into online casino gaming, Hollywood Casino partnered with International Gaming Technology (IGT), a well-known brand in gaming technology.

PokerStars Casino

The launch of PokerStars Casino in Pennsylvania marked a significant moment in the history of online gambling in the US. The hybrid mobile casino and poker site is the first to offer online poker outside of Nevada, New Jersey, or Delaware.

PokerStars Casino debuted in November 2019, under the Mount Airy Casino Resort license. In addition to poker, the platform offers a full slate of casino games.

FOX Bet Casino

FOX Bet is a joint venture between FOX Sports and The Stars Group (operator of PokerStars). The FOX Bet online casino is available to Pennsylvania players thanks to a partnership with Mount Airy Casino.

By leveraging the reach of FOX Sports and the industry knowledge of The Stars Group, FOX Bet stands to be a strong competitor in Pennsylvania.

TwinSpires (formerly BetAmerica)

Owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated, the TwinSpires iGaming brand (formerly known as BetAmerica) launched its Pennsylvania online casino in November 2019. The platform operates as a hybrid mobile casino and sportsbook site.

Presque Isle Downs is the interactive gaming license partner for TwinSpires’s Pennsylvania platform.

Parx Online Casino

The land-based version of Parx Casino is the biggest-grossing retail casino in Pennsylvania. Parx Online Casino is licensed to its parent company.

Parx Online Casino launched in Pennsylvania just hours after Hollywood Casino in July 2019. The debut made Parx Online Casino the second legal mobile casino to go live in the state.

Much like its retail counterpart, Parx Online Casino offers one of the biggest selections of games among Pennsylvania’s online casino platforms.

Stadium Casino, Live!

Pennsylvania’s 13th retail casino plans to open its doors sometime in 2021, with an online platform expected sometime after that.

The land-based Stadium Casino (formerly known as Live! Hotel And Casino) is expected to begin welcoming guests to its Philadelphia property by 2021.

The state-approved Stadium Casino for an internet gaming license, with the launch of its iGaming platform pending.

Top 3 PA Online Casinos By Gross Revenue

Coming Soon To Pennsylvania

888 Casino

888 Casino is expected to launch in Pennsylvania by summer 2021. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board approved the Mount Airy Casino Resort to license 888 Casino.

The 888 brand is an international gaming giant and a big player in the US online gambling scene. 888 operates an online casino, poker, and sports betting hybrid platform in New Jersey. The brand also operates Delaware’s integrated online poker and casino network of sites.

Golden Nugget Online Casino

Golden Nugget is a huge online casino competition in New Jersey. The operator is gearing up for a launch in Pennsylvania, which should happen in 2021.

Golden Nugget has a strong industry reputation, and its online casino boasts an impressive game library. Once it launches in Pennsylvania, Golden Nugget will certainly be a competitor to keep an eye on.

Bonuses Available At Pennsylvania Online Casinos

Free Sign-Up Bonus

Several of Pennsylvania’s online casinos offer a small bonus just for signing up, with no deposit required. Players just have to register an account, with proof of identity and age, and the casino puts money on the player’s balance.

These no-deposit bonuses usually range anywhere from $10-$35. Platforms like DraftKings, Unibet Casino, and FOX Bet Casino offer a free sign-up bonus, among others. Borgata offers $20 free on sign-up using code SHARP.

Risk-Free Day

New players can take advantage of risk-free day bonuses at some Pennsylvania online casinos. This kind of bonus offers a rebate on losses, up to a certain amount, in the first 24 hours after deposit.

FanDuel Casino gives new players a $200 risk-free day bonus upon initial deposit. On deposit amounts up to $200, these casinos will refund losses incurred within a 24-hour period after the deposit.

If that same player deposits $200 and ends the initial 24-hour period with $125, the casino will refund $75. If a player records a net win at the end of the 24-hour period, no refund is awarded.

Deposit Match Bonuses

Many of the US-facing legal online casinos offer deposit match bonuses for new players. Upon first deposit, the casino awards an amount of bonus money that matches some or all of the deposit.

For example, Unibet Casino offers a 100% match bonus on deposits up to $500. With that offer, players can earn up to $500 in bonus money if they initially deposit $500.

Deposit match bonuses generally require players to wager a certain amount to unlock the bonus.

Pennsylvania’s Biggest Online Casinos By Earnings

Rivers Philadelphia emerged as Pennsylvania’s top revenue-earning operator in the early months of the industry’s launch. With a pair of popular platforms under its license, that position comes as no surprise.

SugarHouse Online Casino and BetRivers both operate under the Rivers Philadelphia license. Pennsylvania’s online casino industry went live in July 2019. In January 2020, Rivers Philadelphia became the first state operator to add a second platform with the introduction of the BetRivers skin.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reports online casino revenue by operator, making it impossible to know how each of the Rivers Philadelphia skins performs individually. The combined revenue of SugarHouse Online Casino and BetRivers, however, puts Rivers Philadelphia in the lead in terms of revenue by operator.

The latest reports show that rivers Casino has held onto its leading position. In September 2020, the operator brought in more than $16 million in online casino revenue. It leads the market by nearly $6 million.

DraftKings’ entry to the market through a new competitor into the mix. Penn National saw more than $10 million in online casino revenue via its DraftKings partnership, catapulting the operator to second-highest revenue for September 2020.

As a license partner of Valley Forge Casino Resort, FanDuel Casino continues to make an impact. September saw the platform bring in just over $9 million, making it the third-highest online casino revenue earner for the period.

Best Game Selection At Pennsylvania’s Online Casinos

Pennsylvania’s online casino industry debuted in July 2019. The first year of the new industry saw no less than 10 different mobile casinos launch in the state.

With the industry still in its infancy, Pennsylvania’s online casinos don’t yet offer the same number of games as some of the online casinos operating in New Jersey. Many of New Jersey’s mobile casinos offer several hundred different games, as legal online casino gaming launched in 2013 in the state.

Most of Pennsylvania’s online casinos offer around 100 games each, with game libraries expanding every month. Like other retail and online casinos, slots dominate the catalogs of each Pennsylvania mobile casino.

Number Of Casino Games Offered

Parx Casino leads the pack in terms of the overall number of games. Powered by a catalog of more than 100 slot variants, Parx Online Casino is living up to the reputation of its parent company. Parx Casino is the biggest and highest-earning retail casino in Pennsylvania.

The other mobile casino platforms available to Pennsylvania players aren’t far behind with their game selections.

Hollywood Casino, Unibet Casino, and SugarHouse Online Casino all have a similar number of games available. Unibet Casino has the biggest video poker selection, while PokerStars Casino tops the field in the number of table games offered.

Are Live Dealer Games Available At Pennsylvania’s Online Casinos?

Live dealer games are a popular option in the well-established online casino markets of New Jersey and Delaware. Combining the best of both live and online gaming, live dealer games allow online players to interact with a live dealer and other players.

These games allow online players to look in on a live casino table via live stream. There are a real-life dealer and physical table located in a secure studio. These games are starting to become available at Pennsylvania’s online casinos.

Live dealer games include:

Blackjack

Live dealer blackjack gives players the thrill of the live experience and the comfort of playing from a desktop or mobile device.

Baccarat

Another favorite from the live casino world, live dealer baccarat offers the social experience of the live game, but with the convenience of playing from anywhere within the state.

Roulette

Another ideal game for the live dealer format, multiple versions of live dealer roulette are going live at Pennsylvania’s online casinos.

Casino Table Games

Games like Casino Hold’em and Three-Card Poker are available as live dealer games at some Pennsylvania online casinos.

Progressive Jackpots At Pennsylvania Online Casinos

Slots rule the landscape at retail and online casinos. As such, Pennsylvania’s mobile casino platforms offer more slot variants than any other game.

Much like their retail counterparts, the biggest jackpots to be won at online casinos come from progressive jackpot slots. Some of these grand prizes can reach six figures and beyond.

Divine Fortune

Much like in the New Jersey online casino industry, the Divine Fortune progressive slot finds a home on multiple platforms in the Pennsylvania market.

Divine Fortune resides at Hollywood Casino, SugarHouse Online Casino, FanDuel Casino, Unibet Casino, and others. The slot’s progressive grand prize, the Mega Jackpot, can yield jackpots of $375,000 or more.

Mercy Of The Gods

The progressive slot sequel to Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods offers big jackpots up into six-figure totals. Like Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods offers these grand prizes at several online casinos in Pennsylvania.

BetRivers, FanDuel Casino, and Hollywood Casino are all mobile platforms that host the Mercy of the Gods progressive slot.

PA Online Gambling Options

Game options in Pennsylvania include hundreds of different varieties of slots. This includes online versions of popular classic and progressive jackpot slots that are often seen in retail casinos.

Other games on the online casino platforms include blackjack, roulette, baccarat, craps, video poker, and casino card games like Caribbean Stud and Pai Gow Poker. Live dealer table games, in which online players interact with a live dealer and other players, will be introduced in the future as well.

Players 21 and over can access Pennsylvania’s legal online casinos from anywhere in the state. All of these platforms use geolocation software to determine a user’s location.

With this geolocation technology in place, players can enjoy the casino gaming experience from anywhere in the state.

Online casino gaming offers Pennsylvania players the ease and convenience of playing, depositing, and withdrawing from any mobile device or desktop. Many of the games enjoyed by players on a physical casino floor are found on these legal casino apps.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regulates all of Pennsylvania’s online casinos, like their retail counterparts.

Pennsylvania’s Online Gambling Industry

Some of the biggest players in Pennsylvania’s online casino industry include FanDuel Casino (operated in partnership with Valley Forge Casino), SugarHouse Casino (Rivers Casino), PokerStars Casino (Mount Airy Casino), Parx Casino, and Hollywood Casino.

FanDuel Casino surged to the top of the market immediately after it launched in January 2020. Rivers’ online casinos, however, have recently drawn the most revenue. Still, with online casinos and sportsbooks live, operators have multiple areas where they must compete.

The PGCB breakdown of overall revenue from the state’s online casinos can be read here.

Pennsylvania’s Online Gambling Options: The Breakdown

Online Casinos

Pennsylvania’s online casinos have already made a major impact on the state’s overall gambling revenue. The launch of FanDuel Casino in January 2020 sparked the biggest month yet for online casinos.

In February 2020, FanDuel Casino’s first full month in operation, saw the state’s online casinos (excluding online poker) bring in more than $17.6 million in revenue. That number represents a nearly 50 percent increase for the industry over January, in which overall revenue from online casinos totaled just over $11.8 million.

More platforms are set to launch in 2020 and 2021, as Pennsylvania’s online casino industry appears slated for more growth. With New Jersey and Delaware as the only other US states offering legal online casinos (for now), Pennsylvania is poised to be a big part of the overall US online casino market.

Online Sports Betting In Pennsylvania

In October 2017, Pennsylvania State House Bill 271 legalized online gambling options. The state first launched mobile sports betting.

The state legalized both retail and online sports wagering with the house bill in October 2017. The state’s casinos couldn’t begin to launch sports betting operations, though, until the fall of the federal mandate, PASPA, in May 2018.

See our full Guide To Online Sports Betting In Pennsylvania.

The Fall Of PASPA

Since 1992, PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) banned states from regulating sports betting. In May 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned PASPA. This cleared the way for states to establish their own rules as it pertains to sports betting.

The PASPA Supreme Court ruling was the catalyst for a new era of sports betting in the US. Pennsylvania’s sports betting legislation was already in place after the passage of HB 271 in October 2017 The first of the state’s retail sportsbooks went live late in 2018.

Mobile sports betting officially launched in May 2019. As of early 2021, Pennsylvania bettors have numerous online sports betting platforms to choose from.

The state’s land-based casinos, in partnership with companies like DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and FOX Bet (owned by the Stars Group) operate Pennsylvania’s online sportsbooks.

PA Online Poker

The legislature passed in Pennsylvania in October 2017 outlined a significant gambling expansion for the Keystone State. Online poker was among the forms of mobile gambling legalized in the package of bills.

Pennsylvania became the first US state outside of Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware with state-regulated online poker in November 2019. PokerStars PA debuted in the state operating as a license partner of Mount Airy Casino Resort.

The launch of PokerStars PA could be just the start of a burgeoning online poker market in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has approved seven retail casinos are approved to operate online poker in the state.

PokerStars PA is limited to an in-state player pool, as players on the site can only compete against other Pennsylvania players. Even with that provision, however, Pennsylvania’s population of 13 million could make the state a major hub for legal online poker in the US.

Learn more about playing Online Poker In Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Online Horse Race Betting

Pennsylvania is home to a long-standing tradition of horse racing. Many of the state’s retail casinos began as horse racetracks that expanded to eventually incorporate full-scale casino operations.

Federal laws like the 1961 Wire Act and the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) stalled the online gambling industry in the US Horse race wagering, though, was exempt from those mandates. As such, online horse race betting has been around for decades.

In 1983, Call-A-Bet introduced online horse race betting in Pennsylvania. It still exists today under the Xpressbet name.

Several options are available for online horse race betting in Pennsylvania, including PABets. PABets is a mobile platform operated by industry leader TVG.

Other platforms include BetAmerica and TwinSpires, both owned and operated by Churchill Downs.

See our comprehensive Guide To Online Horse Betting In The US.

Pennsylvania Online Lottery

The Pennsylvania Lottery started in 1972. In 2017, HB 271 authorized online lottery in the state.

When first implemented, Pennsylvania’s online lottery options were limited to purchases of instant win tickets. Players now have more than 50 instant win games to choose from. They are available for purchase at all times.

Pennsylvania online lottery options recently expanded to include the ability to purchase tickets for draw games. These draw games include in-state drawings, as well as multi-state games like MegaMillions and Powerball.

The expanded list of online lottery games can be seen at pailottery.com. Players 18 and over can play these online lottery games from anywhere within the state.

See our full guide to the Pennsylvania Online Lottery or use our Lottery Numbers Generator to choose tickets for online lotteries.

Daily Fantasy Sports

Daily fantasy sports (DFS) sites are available to players in about 40 US states. DFS is explicitly legalized in about half of those states. This includes Pennsylvania.

House Bill 271 started regulating DFS in 2017. Before that, though, DFS sites like FanDuel and DraftKings were already popular in the state.

Pennsylvania’s 12.8-million population, as well as its history as a major sports market, makes the Keystone State host to one of the most successful DFS markets in the US.

The fiscal year 2018-2019 numbers show DFS sites bringing in more than $23.5 million in revenue. Like most of the US, DraftKings and FanDuel are the overwhelming leaders in the market. They bring in more than 95 percent of the state’s DFS revenue.

Sweepstakes Casinos

Online gambling sites that operate as sweepstakes casinos include sites like Chumba Casino, the biggest of the sweepstakes casinos, and LuckyLand Slots. Sweepstakes sites are available to players in most states, including Pennsylvania.

Players can purchase “Gold Coins” for use in play money games on Chumba Casino. With the purchase of Gold Coins players also receive “Sweepstakes Cash,” aka “Sweeps Coins.” Players use Sweeps Coins to play in sweepstakes games, separate from the Gold Coins play money games.

Sweeps Coins are redeemed for cash prizes on Chumba Casino. These Sweeps Coins games at Chumba Casino legally operate as mini-sweepstakes games.

Blackjack, roulette, slots, video poker, and an array of other classic casino games are available at Chumba Casino.

Sweepstakes Poker Sites

VGW Malta Limited, the same company that owns Chumba Casino, also operates sweepstakes poker room Global Poker.

The sweepstakes casino model is the same for both Chumba Casino and Global Poker. Players purchase “Gold Coins” for play money games and they come with a corresponding amount of “Sweeps Coins.”

Players use Sweeps Coins in sweepstakes to play in sweepstakes poker games. They are redeemed for cash prizes. Sweeps Coins on Global Poker cannot be purchased directly and come as a gift to players with the purchase of Gold Coins.

Both Chumba Casino and Global Poker are available to Pennsylvania players.

Global Poker runs tournaments and cash games at a variety of stakes around the clock. They have, by far, the highest traffic of any US-facing poker site that uses the sweepstakes model.

Pennsylvania’s History Of Online Gaming

Pennsylvania put big plans for gambling expansion in motion in October 2017. Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 271 into law. The bill laid out the legislature’s plans for Pennsylvania to potentially become one of the biggest online gambling economies in the US.

House Bill 271 legalized sports betting (both land-based and online), online casinos, and online poker. It also formally legalized Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS).

Pennsylvania is one of five states (along with New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, and West Virginia) to legalize all three verticals of online sports betting, casinos, and poker. As of November 2020, Michigan is the only one still awaiting launch, though it’s expected to go live in early 2021.

Overturning PASPA

The state legislation for online sports betting went into place in October 2017, with one hurdle still left to clear. That final obstacle was overcome in May 2018, when PASPA (Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act) was overturned.

PASPA, originally put into law in 1992, was a federal ban on sports wagering. With the exception of Nevada and sports lotteries in a handful of other states, PASPA mandated that sports betting was illegal in the US.

In May 2018, however, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that PASPA was unconstitutional. This gave states the power to legalize sports betting on an individual basis.

The Launch Of PA Online Gambling

The first of Pennsylvania’s online sportsbooks went live in May 2019, when PlaySugarHouse Pennsylvania launched. As of early 2021, Pennsylvania bettors have 11 different mobile sports betting platforms to choose from, with more to come.

Online casinos are up and running in Pennsylvania as well. Hollywood Casino and Parx Casino both debuted their mobile products in July 2019.

November 4, 2019, was a landmark day in the history of online poker in the US, as PokerStars PA debuted. PokerStars PA is the first US online poker network to launch outside of Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Pennsylvania’s Live Gambling Industry History

Of the 50 states, Pennsylvania is second in casino revenue, trailing only Nevada. Legalized horse racing started in Pennsylvania in 1959. And the PA State Lottery started operations in 1971.

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act established legal casino gambling in the state.

The legislation allowed for legalized slot machines at five of the state’s racetracks. It also permitted the development of five stand-alone casinos and two resort casinos. The state legalized table games in 2010.

The state’s 12 land-based commercial casinos brought in $3.4 billion in revenue in 2019, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

State legislators introduced a plan for massive gambling expansion in the state with House Bill 217. This bill, passed in October 2017, legalized online casinos, sports betting (both live and online), and online poker. It also officially legalized Daily Fantasy Sports.

Pennsylvania Gambling At A Glance

Retail Casinos

Of Pennsylvania’s 12 casinos, seven are near the eastern coast of the state. Four of these venues are in the greater Philadelphia area, including Parx Casino. This is the largest-grossing casino in Pennsylvania. Hollywood Casino at Penn Racetrack is located about 120 miles west of Philadelphia.

The state’s other four casinos are all located in western Pennsylvania. Two of these (Rivers Casino and The Meadows Racetrack & Casino) are in the Pittsburgh area.

Pennsylvania Casinos At A Glance

The origins of Pennsylvania’s land-based casinos go back to the state’s long-standing horse racing industry.

The 2004 Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act authorized seven of the state’s horse racing venues to install slot machines. It also authorized licenses for up to five more stand-alone casinos and two resort casinos.

From those original expansion plans, the Pennsylvania gaming industry evolved into the current 12 land-based casinos.

The Pennsylvania Casinos

Parx Casino is the largest and most popular casino in the state. Located just northeast of Philadelphia in Bensalem Township, Parx Casino was one of the original seven horse racing venues to expand into casino gaming after the state passed the 2004 legislation.

Then known as Philadelphia Park Racetrack and Casino, the property grew into the state’s highest-earning casino property, with $639 million in revenue in 2019.

According to 2019 figures from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), Wind Creek Bethlehem ($522 million), Rivers Casino Pittsburgh ($392 million), and Rivers Casino Philadelphia ($339 million) follow Parx Casino with the highest revenues for 2019.

Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, Inc., owns Parx Casino. Wind Creek Hospitality owns Wind Creek Bethlehem, the state’s second highest-earning property. The Poarch Band of Creek Indians operates Wind Creek.

Rush Street is the parent company to Rivers Casino Philadelphia and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, in addition to two additional Rivers Casino properties outside of Pennsylvania.

Gaming and Leisure Properties is another company operating multiple Pennsylvania casinos. They operate Meadows Racetrack and Casino and Hollywood Casino. Caesars Entertainment is another player in the PA casino industry. They operate Harrah’s Philadelphia.

Due to PGCB regulations, a maximum of 14 land-based casinos can operate within the state. Currently, 12 are in operation. A thirteenth casino, Live! Hotel and Casino Philadelphia is slated to open in early 2021.

Other Gambling In Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Lottery

The Pennsylvania Lottery started in 1971, with the first state lottery tickets sold in 1972. The state first established the lottery to provide tax breaks for the state’s seniors. To this day the program applies all proceeds to programs that assist the state’s elderly population.

The state lottery began with a weekly drawing game that cost 50 cents. It awarded a grand prize of $1 million.

In the nearly half a century since then, the Pennsylvania Lottery evolved to include a massive selection of draw, scratch-off instant win, fast-play, and Xpress Sports games.

The 2018-2019 fiscal year saw the state lottery sell more than $4.5 billion in games and produce $1.14 billion in revenue. All of those proceeds went to programs to benefit Pennsylvania’s senior population. This makes the PA lottery the only of its kind.

Pennsylvania also participates in multi-state lottery games like Powerball and MegaMillions.

The passage of HB 217 in October 2017 legalized online lottery sales in the state. As of January 2020, the Pennsylvania iLottery platform allows players to play numerous in-state games. They can also purchase tickets for Powerball and MegaMillions.

Horse Racing In Pennsylvania

Horse racing is another longtime tradition in Pennsylvania. As of 2021, at least six tracks remain active. All of these tracks actively run events and take wagers.

Because Pennsylvania’s earliest land-based casinos evolved from horse race venues, all six major racetracks are on casino grounds. This makes them one-stop-shops for all forms of gambling.

In addition to these racetracks, no less than seven off-track betting (OTB) facilities operate in the state.

Legal Pennsylvania Online Casinos Versus Illegal Online Casinos

As one of just a handful of states with legal online casinos, Pennsylvania offers access to a growing number of mobile gambling platforms. Each of these casinos expands its game libraries every month, which allows Pennsylvania players to enjoy the best of mobile casino gaming.

State-Regulated And Secure Online Casinos

Pennsylvania’s land-based casinos own all of the state’s online casinos, in partnership with approved technology partners. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) oversees and regulates all of the state’s online gambling sites.

The PGCB, a government agency, also regulates Pennsylvania’s retail casino industry. Playing on a legal, state-regulated online casino platform in Pennsylvania ensures the same level of safety as playing at one of the state’s retail casinos.

Legal retail and online casinos in Pennsylvania operate with a vested interest in providing fair games and prompt payouts. These platforms also provide the highest level of encryption to protect personal information.

Risks From Offshore Gambling Sites

Offshore gambling sites can’t guarantee this same level of fairness, transparency, and personal protection. Playing from Pennsylvania on any gambling site not regulated by the PGCB doesn’t have the same oversight as the state’s legal casinos.

Offshore gambling sites in the US are also operating illegally, possibly exposing players to criminal penalties.

Looking for more information on online gaming in PA? Check out our comprehensive Guide To Online Gambling In Pennsylvania.

More On Pennsylvania Gambling

Pennsylvania Gambling FAQ

Yes. Pennsylvania legalized retail casino gambling in 2004. As of 2021, the state is home to 12 land-based casinos.

The Pennsylvania casino industry is one of the most prolific in the U.S. And Pennsylvania is second only to Nevada in annual casino revenue among the 50 states.

The state taxes gambling winnings at 3.07 percent. For state residents and non-residents alike, the state taxes gambling winnings from in-state gambling institutions and the lottery at the state personal income tax rate of 3.07 percent.

This tax rate applies to all gambling winnings, except non-cash prizes won in the state lottery. All gambling winnings, from retail or PA online gambling platforms, must be reported. You can find more about PA gambling tax lawshere.

Players must be 21 for most forms of gambling. To legally play any game at a retail casino, or play at an online casino, sportsbook, or poker room, players must be age 21 or over.

Exceptions to this law are lottery and horse racing, both of which carry a minimum age of 18.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which itself is a government-regulated agency, regulates all legalized gambling in Pennsylvania.

State casinos must adhere to fairness of play regulations set forth by the PGCB. For slot machines, state laws dictate that all slots must payback at least 85 percent to players.

Casinos violating these payback laws, or in any way colluding to rig games or deceive players about the rules of a game, are subject to penalty by law.

Yes. Passed in 2017, HB 417 legalized online sports betting, casino games, and poker. These Pennslyvania online gambling platforms can be accessed from anywhere within state borders.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regulates all legal online gambling platforms. All games must display the PGCB seal on the site.

Yes. The minimum age requirements to play on Pennsylvania’s regulated online gambling sites are the same as they are at retail casinos.

You must be 21 to play at an online casino, sportsbook, or poker room. The minimum age for online horse race betting and online lottery is 18.

Yes. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), a government agency, regulates all Pennsylvania’s online gambling platforms.

The state’s land-based casinos own and operate all of the online gambling platforms. Playing online comes with the same level of safety as gaming at a legal land-based casino.

Yes. The state legalized both retail and online sports betting in Pennsylvania in October 2017.

All of these legal online sportsbooks are available to bettors 21 and over, as long as they’re located within state borders when playing.

Yes. Pennsylvania’s state-regulated online gambling sites operate on secure https connections. All of these platforms use high-level encryption to protect customer’s personal information.

Protecting customer information is the highest of priorities for Pennsylvania gaming sites. State-regulated online gaming sites use encryption technology on par with that of banks and major retail vendors, like Amazon for example.

Per the PGCB, disputes that involve an online casino are directly filed with the operator of that casino.

The PGCB website has aseries of formsfor use when filing a complaint or dispute. Should a dispute with an online casino need to be resolved by the PGCB, the requisite form will need to have a complaint number from the original filing with the casino.

Yes. DraftKings Casino is one of Pennsylvania’s legal, state-regulated online casino platforms. It launched in May 2020.

DraftKings Casino operates as a technology partner of Hollywood Casino. The casino is integrated into the DraftKings Sportsbook Pennsylvania site. It’s available to players anywhere within Pennsylvania borders.

A variety of slots and table games, as well as blackjack, roulette, craps, and other casino table games, reside on the DraftKings Casino platform.

Yes. FanDuel Casino went live in Pennsylvania in January 2020 and is licensed to Valley Forge Casino Resort.

Upon launch, FanDuel Casino immediately took a place as one of the most popular mobile casino platforms in the state. The platform is found as part of the hybrid sports betting and casino site at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Players 21 and over can access FanDuel Casino from anywhere in Pennsylvania.

PA online casinos are up and running, and growing fast.

If you are 21 years or older and inside Pennsylvania state lines, you can now enjoy online slots, table games, and video poker from your desktop computer or mobile devices.

This page contains all the information you need to start playing at online casinos in PA.

Below is a guide to the games you can play for free and for realmoney at PA online casinos. After that, you’ll find information on apps, bonuses, safety, and geolocationtechnology.

Regulated casinos also include protection for problem gamblers, which we cover at the end of this page.

Best online casinos in Pennsylvania 2021

Real money and free online casino games in Pennsylvania

You can play most games at PA casinos online for fun. Playing games in demomode, or with play-money chips, allows you to find the titles you like before you gamble.

The only category of games that are notavailable for free play is live dealer table games. You can watch them, though you will not be able to wager on them – at least yet.

The current offerings on real money online casinos in PA are growing, and fast. Casino sites regularly add new games as they are approved by the PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

We offer an overview of how diverse these casino game categories are. Keep in mind that the most prominent New Jersey online casinos offer more than 600 titles.

Play PA online casino games for real money

The number of Pennsylvania online casinos is now in double-digits. All of the PA casino apps are available 24/7 and offer online slots, video poker, and table games such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. Use this table to compare the real money casinos in PA.

PA online slots

Slots are the biggest category of games for any online casino. You can expect to see over 200 games listed on some sites and you’ll need some way to sort the list of slot titles.

Firstly, casinos will feature their most popular games. You can use filters to search by, e.g., the number of reels, game developer, progressive jackpots, and so on.

If you enjoy live casino slots, then you will be able to play a lot of these online. You can search by name, or browse the listings for IGT, Bally, or another live slot studio.

Many online casinos feature classic games, e.g., Wheel of Fortune, Cleopatra, and WolfRun. You can also find traditional three-reel slots. Online slot studios like IGT created these.

When you browse the tiled graphics for slots to enjoy, you’ll see progressivejackpots listed underneath many of them. These pools can get massive, up to $1 million or more.

Table games at PA online casinos

Tablegames are a broad category, although it mostly covers all the casino games played on the greenfelt.

While most are card-based, dice and roulette wheels also fall under table games. Live dealer games are in this category; however, we will cover them separately.

This list is for the software-based versions:

• Blackjack: There are a lot of variations of basic blackjack rules. These include games with side bets, multi-hand games and entertaining variants like Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, and Spanish 21.
• Roulette: You can bet your favorite numbers or try complex betting systems with online roulette. Where available, choose the European roulette wheel because the single zero reduces the house edge.
• Casino poker games: A lot of card-based table games use poker-hand rankings. Online casinos have Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, and Casino Hold ’em.
• Baccarat: Two of the three bets you can place in baccarat have a very low house edge. As long as you avoid the “tie” bet, this favorite among high rollers can be entertaining.
• Craps: With two betting phases and the chance to go on a hot streak as long as no 7s are rolled, craps is a lively live casino game. This appears at some online casinos, which gives you a chance to learn the complex bets.

Live dealer casinos in Pennsylvania

In other states, live dealer table games have become the go-to for many players and soon, they’ll be available in PA. With these, you’ll bet online although the action will be dealt in real-time from studios in PA live casinos. Bets will settle automatically.

Games available include blackjack (where you play on a seven-handed table), roulette, three-card poker, Casino Hold ’em, and baccarat.

Keep in mind, you need to act before the timer runs down in these games. Otherwise, your hand will be folded (or you’ll stand), depending on the game.

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You can chat via text with the dealers and other players while you play. The added social element, plus the ability to watch the cards being dealt, make these increasingly popular games.

Video poker and novelty games

PA casinos allow you to play video poker games online. These include bonus poker and multi-hand variations, as well as traditional titles.

Pennsylvania online casino apps

There are pros and cons to online casino apps compared to mobile-friendly websites.

With apps, you often find only a limited number of game titles, along with account and cashier functionality. Compared to the hundreds of games you can play on your browser, this is a significant drawback.

On the positive side, having the graphics stored on your phone helps the games initialize faster. If you have ever had to wait for a bonus game to load on your mobile device after you hit it on a slot, you know how frustrating this can be.

Are the online casinos in Pennsylvania safe?

All online casinos in PA are licensed and under the jurisdiction of the PennsylvaniaGaming Control Board (PGCB).

Players are protected by know your customer (KYC) guidelines and responsible gaming laws. The games are tested for integrity and fairness. A complaint and dispute process is available if necessary.

When it comes to Pennsylvania online casinos, you really can’t get any safer.

The PGCB stated early in the licensing process that they have a deliberate, slow approach. This includes testing periods for new apps and websites. With the licenses for online casinos in Pennsylvania held by local live casinos and racetrack casinos, you’ll have trusted brand names behind each of the apps.

A major concern for players new to casino games is the fairness of the spins or deals. At regulated casinos, games are regularly audited and the expected return-to-player (RTP) percentages are published. While each game has a small edge in favor of the house, you can be sure that you are getting a fair shot at winning and it’s in line with the published figures.

Casino bonus offers in Pennsylvania

With a lot of real money online casinos opening in PA in quick succession, you can be sure they will be competing to attract new players.

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This means 2021 is a perfect time to take advantage of their marketing budgets. Casino bonuses take four primary forms, and not every casino will offer them all. If not, the bonuses they do offer will need to be generous.

Here are the main types of casino bonuses:

• No-deposit welcome bonus: A popular way to attract new players is to offer free play for registering. This bonus is usually a small amount (between $10 and $25). You’ll need to wager it a number of times before you can withdraw it. These offers can start your casino bankroll, if you get lucky. If not, then you’ll have a chance to check out the real-money slot titles without any personal risk.
• Matched deposit bonuses: This is the most common form of a casino welcome bonus in PA. Your first deposit will be matched 100%, usually up to around $300, though sometimes much higher. You then get 30 to 60 days to meet the specified playthrough (wagering) requirements.
• Loyalty/comp point schemes: Some casinos will tie their online comp point schemes together with their live casino. Others have separate schemes, with complex tier systems unlocking progressively bigger bonuses. For high rollers, these loyalty schemes often have a VIP level, too.
• One-off promotions: How active a casino is with promos can make a big difference to your bankroll over time. These vary widely, and include double points deals, reload bonuses, promos linked to new games and free chips for sharing on social media.

While nothing is stopping you from taking up several casino bonuses, keep in mind that these are restricted to one per household for each casino. Many players have been tempted to sign up their entire family for a free-play offer only to find their accounts to be closed down quickly.

Licensed and legal PA casinos vs. offshore casinos

For many years, the only way to play online casino games in Pennsylvania was to risk your money at offshore casinos. While there were some limited legal options with sweepstakescasinos, the new legal PA internet casinos effectively remove the need to take this risk.

Offshore casinos are usually based in the Caribbean or Central America and their legal status is uncertain. While their host nation licenses them, they are not recognized or licensed by any US authority and our banks are legally obliged to block payments to them.

A greater concern is the lack of oversight and controls. Many offshore casinos have disappeared over the years, and many players have faced significant issues getting their winnings paid. If you have a dispute with an offshore casino, there is no industry body or organization to help you.

With PA casinos under the watchfuleye of the PGCB, they are licensed to accept conventional payment methods and thoroughly tested. There is no longer any reason to risk playing at an offshore site.

Geolocation and PA casinos

You will be able to access the PA online casinos fromanywhere. However, playing games for real money and making deposits can only be made within PA state lines.

Pennsylvania casinos will not allow real-money play if there is any doubt about your location. In New Jersey, this led to a lot of “falsenegatives.” Players who were on mobile devices near state borders were sometimes flagged as being outside of the state.

Fortunately, those initial problems were ironed out and geolocation technology is more reliable.

If you are using a VPN or proxyserver, you might still experience issues. Mobile users on 4G and close to the state border who experience problems can download additionalgeolocationsoftware in some cases.

Wi-Fi data is difficult to fake, and if you are not using a VPN, desktop players are unlikely to experience geolocation issues.

PA casinos eligible to offer online gambling in Pennsylvania

In total, there are 13 licensed casinos that can legally offer online casino games, including slots and blackjack.

• Harrah’s Philadelphia
• Hollywood Casino
• Meadows Casino
• Mohegan Sun Pocono
• Mount Airy Casino Resort
• Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
• Parx Casino
• Presque Isle Downs
• Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
• Rivers Casino Philadelphia (formerly SugarHouse Casino)
• Wind Creek Casino Resort (formerly Sands Bethlehem)
• Valley Forge Resort Casino
• Live! Casino Philadelphia

In the first month of 2020, FanDuel Casino, BetAmerica, and BetRivers Casino launched just before the Super Bowl. The long-awaited Caesars Online Casino in partnership with Harrah’s Philadelphia followed in April.

Rivers Philadelphia (Formerly SugarHouse Casino) was the first brick-and-mortar casino to offer two different online casino skins under its casino license: PlaySugarHouse and BetRivers. The latter is integrated with the Rivers Pittsburgh online sportsbook that carries the same BetRivers name. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh did not obtain an online casino license.

On May 1, 2020, DraftKings Online Casino went live, becoming the second interactive gaming site under the Hollywood Casino license. Meadows, DraftKings’ land-based partner for online sports betting, does not hold an online casino license. But both Meadows and Hollywood are owned by Penn National Gaming, which has a market-access deal with DraftKings.

FanDuel and DraftKings originally launched online casinos that were integrated with their sportsbooks. Now, both have stand-alone online casino apps live in PA.

In late July 2020, Wind Creek Bethlehem dove into the online betting scene, launching the Wind Creek online casino through a partnership with Pala Interactive. PlayLive! online casino followed in August, and BetMGM online casino and sportsbooks debuted in PA in December 2020.

Borgata online casino went live in PA, the first market for the brand outside of NJ, in February 2021 in partnership with Rivers Philadelphia.

Live Pennsylvania casinos

There are currently 14 licensed gambling properties in the state of Pennsylvania with the latest additions of Live! Pittsburgh and Live! Philadelphia.

According to PGCB, this includes 11 stand-alone and racetrack casinos (Category 1 and 2), two smaller resort casinos (Category 3), and one Category 4 “mini-casino” – Live! Casino Pittsburgh. These gaming establishments employ approximately 18,000 people and generate close to $1.4 billion in tax revenue annually.

Mini-casinos: The next phase of Pennsylvania casino development

As part of its gambling expansion law passed in October 2017, the state had the ability to issue up to tenCategory 4 licenses. These licenses allow for mini-casinos with 300-750 slots. A supplemental license costing $2.5 million allows these satellite casino properties to offer up to 30 table games as well.

The process for the issuance of mini-casino licensing involves a series of auctions. The preliminary auctions began in January 2018 and were limited only to the licensed Category 1 and 2 casinos. The first license went to Penn National, who spent $50.1 million to secure a location 50 miles south of its existing Hollywood Casino. During the first round of auctions, PGCB awarded five licenses.

The PGCB ran a second round of auctions on Sept. 3, 2019 but there were no bidders. In Sept. 2020, the PGCB opened bidding for one license and Ira Lubertwon it for $10,000,101. He plans to build in Centre County, near State College, PA. In all, $124 million in license fees were raised.

Pennsylvania problem gambling support

A system for self-exclusion for problemgamblers is available at live casinos in Pennsylvania.

This program involves filling out some forms, providing a photo ID, and voluntarily requesting one-year, five-year or lifetime exclusion.

A list of excluded people is distributed to all live casinos. Then it is the casinos’ responsibility is to prevent those people from entering gaming areas.

Removal from this list (for the shorter periods) does not happen automatically. After the period expires, individuals must request their removal personally.

Online gambling prevents new challenges when it comes to the management of problem gambling. For the majority to enjoy safe gambling online, support systems need to be in place for players who experience issues.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Commission manages this support program.

Here is what legal Pennsylvania online casinos must provide:

• A prominentlink to their responsible gambling information page.
• Tools for time-out, self-exclusion and betting limits.
• A list of questions to assess whether you or someone you know has a gambling problem.
• Links to support organizations and therapists.

Support programs in the state include:

Overview of Pennsylvania’s casino industry

The Pennsylvania casino industry is relatively young. Casinos only became legal in 2004. Yet, in the dozen or so years in existence, the industry quickly became a powerhouse. Now it is the second-largest commercial casino industry in the country judging by gross revenue, trailing only Nevada.

Thanks to steep tax rates, Pennsylvania casinos actually generate more tax revenue for the state than Nevada does. That number has gotten even bigger thanks to the gambling expansion law passed in the fall of 2017.

Here is a look at the history of the Pennsylvania casino industry, starting with the latest news and moving back towards the casino industry’s more humble beginnings:

The year began on a high, but that soon changed as the spread of COVID-19 led to the shuttering of all retail casinos and racetracks in PA by mid-March. That meant furloughs for casino employees and falling casino stock prices.

Online sportsbooks were also hit hard, with most sports sidelined for a lengthy period of time.

On a positive note, three more online casinos joined the market before the Super Bowl. The FanDuel online casino made quite a splash, surging to highest handle and revenue earner after its first full month in February.

The long-awaited Caesars sportsbook went live on March 10 in partnership with Harrah’s Philadelphia, bringing the state’s online sports betting apps to a total of nine. The Caesars online casino followed on April 23, making it nine internet casinos too. An online poker room under the WSOP.com name is expected to follow.

On May 1, DraftKings added an online casino product to its established online sportbook. Its online casino product is under the Hollywood Casino license, while the DraftKings sportsbook partners with Penn’s other PA property, The Meadows. Both FanDuel and DraftKings later debuted standalone online casino apps in June and July, respectively.

Wind Creek launched its first online product with an online casino in late July, and Live! Casino brought PlayLive! online casino to PA in mid-August. Live! was the only casino to launch iGaming ahead of retail openings which followed in early 2021.

BetMGM also launched an online sportsbook and online casino in December 2020, the former in partnership with Hollywood Casino Morgantown and the latter under the Hollywood Casino at Penn National license.

Online wagering sparked and sportsbooks blossomed.

With sportsbooks, there were just three operations at the beginning of the year, and all were retail. By the end of the year, the Keystone State had 12 retail sportsbooks.

But eight online sportsbooks were also running by year’s end, with around 84% of all sports wagering done online. Taken together, sports betting took in more than a billion bucks in 2019.

Five online casino sites went live, the first ones launching in July, though a new Wire Act opinion likely slowed that market segment at the start.

And at long last, an online poker site finally launched. On Nov. 4, FOX Bet was joined by PokerStars Casino and PokerStars PA, making poker a reality in the Keystone State.

In October 2019, SugarHouse changed its name to Rivers Casino Philadelphia, but not before launching the first PA online sportsbook in May. PlaySugarHouse sportsbook and online casino still retain the SugarHouse name.

After a summer of bickering, the state legislature drafted a new version of the gambling expansion package, which both the House and Senate passed. Gov. Tom Wolf signed it into law on Monday, Oct. 30, 2018. The new law allows for a wide range of new gambling ventures, including:

• Online casinos
• Video gambling terminals (VGTs)
• Daily fantasy sports (DFS)
• Satellite casinos
• Sports betting

It also offered a new class of license eliminating the amenity fee in place at Valley Forge and Lady Luck Nemacolin. Valley Forge paid the fee immediately after the bill became law.

New licensing fees brought in more than $311 million for the state.

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The PA Lottery launched several new games and created the online platform iLottery.

A US Supreme Court ruling allowed sports wagering to begin and nine of 12 properties immediately applied for licenses.

Total gambling revenue topped $3.4 billion.

Legislation which would legalize and regulate online gambling in Pennsylvania, and offer online gaming licenses to the state’s 12 casino properties first, was passed by the Senate. In June 2017 it was amended and passed by the House, sending it back to the Senate.

The law was approved at the end of October.

The law ushered in sportsbook wagering and video game terminals at truck stops, and a new category of “mini-casinos” was created. As part of the expansion, horse racing money from casino slot revenue was encumbered in a trust fund. The slot money was originally set aside as part of the deal which led to the 2004 approval of casinos.

Casinos set a revenue record of $3.227 billion.

Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin opened in July 2013.

Valley Forge Casino Resort opened its doors in March 2012 becoming the first Category 3 licensed casino in Pennsylvania.

After several ownership changes and failed financing plans with no construction to date, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted to revoke the Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia gaming license in December 2010.

SugarHouse Casino opened its first phase in Philadelphia in September 2010.

Pennsylvania passed a law in January 2010, authorizing table game operations at the state’s licensed racino, casino, and resort casino properties. The law also clarified the size and scope of gaming and other operations at the state’s three different categories of gaming licensees, including:

• Allowing up to 250 table games and 5,000 slot machines at Category 1 racino facilities
• Allowing 250 table games and 5,000 slot machines at Category 2 stand-alone casinos. These properties were also authorized to operate amenities including restaurants, spas, and entertainment options, but not hotels.
• Allowing up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games at Category 3 resort casinos. These gaming facilities can include attached hotels.

Parx Casino standalone gaming facility opened its doors in December .

Rivers Casino opened in Pittsburgh, PA’s Chateau neighborhood along the Ohio River in September.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened on the Bethlehem Works development site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in May 2009. Table games were added in July 2010. The property officially changed ownership to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in June 2019. The casino is now known as Wind Creek Bethlehem.

Hollywood Casino opened at Penn National racetrack in February 2008.

Mount Airy Casino Resort officially opened in the Poconos in November 2007, becoming the first Pennsylvania casino with lodging.

The Meadows Casino began as a temporary casino adjacent to the racetrack in Washington County, PA in June 2007. The permanent casino opened in 2009.

Presque Isle Downs casino and horse racing track near Erie, Pennsylvania opened in February 2007.

A slots parlor began operation at Harrah’s Philadelphia racetrack on the Chester waterfront. Table games went live at the property in 2010.

Parx Casino opened as a temporary gaming facility at the former Philadelphia Park racetrack in December 2006.

Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia is granted one of five stand-alone casino licenses for a soon-to-be-built property located along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. The project fell apart, resulting in PGCB revoking the license in 2010.

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Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs became the state’s first slot parlor after opening its doors in November 2006 at a harness track near Wilkes-Barre.

State lawmakers made a number of amendments to horse track security bill authorizing both the use of 61,000 slot machines at racetracks and other new casino locations across Pennsylvania. Lawmakers rushed the bill through the House and Senate over the Fourth of July weekend, then quickly became law before any real opposition to casino gambling had a chance to oppose it.

The bill ultimately authorized the issue of three separate categories of slot machine licenses. These included:

• Category 1 for existing racetracks.
• Category 2 for designated tourist areas, including two in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh.
• Category 3 for resorts.

Former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell runs for Pennsylvania Governor. He wins on a campaign that includes support for the idea of allowing slot machines at racetracks in an effort to lower property taxes.

Under Then-Governor Tom Ridge the State Legislature came close to legalizing riverboat casinos. The state’s anti-gambling movement began to grow and Gov. Ridge said he would veto any gambling bill not approved by referendum. Eventually the entire idea was scrapped.

A statewide survey found 48 percent of Pennsylvania residents supported legalized riverboat gambling and just 38 percent were opposed. However, Then-Governor Robert P. Casey claimed to be opposed to gambling and threatened to veto any gambling legislation passed in the state.

First developed under Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode, and championed by mayoral successor Ed Rendell, a proposal to allow riverboat gambling in Philadelphia made it to the state legislature. The claim was it would create $25 million in new revenue for the city and 11,500 new jobs. However, the House of Representatives voted against it in November by a margin of 118-81.

Resorts Casino Hotel opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey, becoming the first legal casino in Atlantic City. Resorts and the rest of the Atlantic City Boardwalk is within 60 miles of Philadelphia. It quickly become evident that Pennsylvania residents are some of the budding Atlantic City casino industry’s best customers.