Andrew O'Malley 18. November 2019 | UPDATED ON: 19. December 2022 Are you looking to play your favorite casino games online in Pennsylvania? Lucky for you, the first licensed online casinos in the state have been up and running since July 2019. Top 3 PA Online Casinos of 2024 If you don’t have time to read our guide in full, here’s a list of our top-rated online casino sites available to players from Pennsylvania: SugarHouse Online Casino – Ideal welcome bonus requirements Hollywood Online Casino – Top quality game developers on show Parx Online Casino – Large selection of games Are Online Casinos/Gambling in Pennsylvania Legal? Yes! Commercial casinos have long been very popular in Pennsylvania, being second only behind Nevada in terms of annual casino revenues. With online gambling becoming more and more prevalent, it was a natural step for Pennsylvania to embrace this burgeoning sector. While there were numerous delays while the proposal made its way through the legislature, it was eventually approved and the licensing process began. It has been an interesting few years for those living in Pennsylvania when it comes to gambling expansion. It was on October 31, 2017, that the state Governor Tom Wolf signed House Bill 271, which made online gambling legal in the state. The licensing process began, with the initial round of licenses being open to the dozen commercial and racetrack casino facilities in the state. These establishments could then partner with an external online casino operator. After a lot of back and forth, the first licensed online casino in Pennsylvania launched in July 2019. Numerous more followed in the next few months, settling in as time goes on. As time goes on, online casinos will begin to be legalized in more and more states. For Pennsylvania players, there are new online casinos and poker sites entering the market regularly. This means that you have more and more choices when it comes to your preferred online casino offerings. This guide will walk you through the options available today for online gambling in Pennsylvania. This includes looking at the pros and cons of the available platforms, giving you an objective look to see which platform will be best for your requirements. Note: As well as online casinos being more convenient, there are a lot of additional benefits people can reap. These include loyalty programs that offer all kinds of perks, regular promotions and different types of banking methods. How are these Pennsylvania Online Casinos Ranked? In order to accurately and fairly compare the various aspects of different offerings, it is important that a uniform ranking process is used. All of the key variables that make up a quality online casino will be looked at, so none of the strengths or weaknesses of a given platform are going to be hidden for long. Here is a list of some of the variables utilized when conducting and compiling these reviews: Quantity of games on offer Quality of games on offer Type and size of the welcome bonus package Existence of a loyalty program Extent of the customer support Performance and selection of games on the mobile offering Ease of use of the desktop platform Options for adding and withdrawing funds, as well as processing times Licensing and security of the platform Top Pennsylvania Online Casinos Legal in 2024: 1. SugarHouse Online Casino - Ideal welcome bonus requirements The SugarHouse Online Casino was the first licensed party to launch in Pennsylvania. The platform is under the management of Rush Street Gaming, which has two commercial casinos in Pennsylvania. The software used to operate the SugarHouse online casino is a proprietary offering from Rush Street Interactive. This caters for smooth gameplay on both the desktop site and the mobile apps. At launch, there were only 22 different games that were part of this offering, which were all from NetEnt. As time goes on, more and more titles are being added to this online casino, aiming to have upwards of 450 in the future. All of these titles can be played for free, as well as with real money. Some of the other developers that work closely with the SugarHouse online casino include NYX, WMS and IGT. These are all premium developers that are staples of the leading online casinos in Europe for example. As well as the slots offering, which will make up the majority of the platform, there are also traditional casino games on offer. These include baccarat, casino poker, video poker, roulette and blackjack. One of the quirkier types of games on offer currently is bingo. As time goes on, more variants of these popular table games will be added. There is also a live dealer casino offering on offer that will be a key part of this offering. Already the games have decent limits, with players being able to stake as much as $1,000 in a single round if they wish to do so, which will be welcomed by high roller players. Lower stakes players are also catered for, with bets per round starting as low as $0.10. Currently, there is a nice array of payment methods available through the SugarHouse casino, including debit and credit cards, prepaid cards, online transfers and even depositing via cash at one of the two partner casinos. The email customer support team can be contacted around the clock and there is also a toll-free telephone number, a comprehensive FAQ section and a live chat function that can all be used to resolve any issues you may be having. For new signups to the platform, there is a 100% deposit bonus of up to $250. This is a solid way to kick off a new account. You only need to wager these funds once before cashing out, which is ideal. Overall, the SugarHouse online casino is probably the leading platform in Pennsylvania at the moment as its list of quality games continues to grow and it has a stellar welcome bonus offer. Pros Very good welcome bonus offer Smooth gameplay Variety of betting limits Top-quality game developers Cons Live chat is not available 24/7 Visit SugarHouse Online Casino Now 2. Hollywood Online Casino - Top quality game developers on show The Hollywood Online Casino was another one of the initial batches of licensed platforms to launch in Pennsylvania. Throughout the entire licensing process, it was very eager to get up and running, being the first retail sportsbook to launch in Pennsylvania. The platform is powered by IGT software, which has operations in more than 100 nations. It is the IGT PlayCommand software, in particular, that is used to such good effect, leading to a simple yet rewarding gameplay experience. There is a growing selection of slots games on offer on the site, with some top quality developers supplying games, such as NetEnt and IGT. As well as slots games, there are also different variants of blackjack, roulette, video poker and baccarat to choose from. The welcome package for new players is a two-pronged one that will please a lot of people. The first part of it is a no deposit bonus of $25, which means you can have no risk attached to using these funds. You also only need to wager these funds once before they are cashable, which is ideal. Then you will have your first deposit matched 100% up to $500, with the wagering requirements being x20. While there is no live dealer offering as of yet on the Hollywood online casino, it is something that is expected in the near future. Committed players can partake in the loyalty program which allows you to rack up a variety of different rewards. For mobile players, there are dedicated apps for both iOS and Android users. Currently, the iOS app is a bit limited, but the Android version has a good selection of titles. The banking methods are a bit limited at the moment, with only ACH transfers, Visa, MasterCard, prepaid card and PayNearMe being options. Thankfully, the customer support is open 24/7 via live chat, as well as having email and phone options. Overall, the Hollywood online casino continues to go for strength to strength thanks to its great partners. The offering is continually growing and with a solid welcome package and quality games, this is certainly going to be a favorite for many people. Pros No deposit bonus offer IGT-powered platform Quality games on offer 24/7 customer support Cons Limited payment options No live dealer offering as of yet Visit Hollywood Online Casino Now 2. Parx Online Casino - Large selection of games The Parx Online Casino was also part of the first batch of platforms to launch in Pennsylvania. It is partnered with GAN to provide the software that runs the Parx platform. GAN has massive amounts of experience in the iGaming space across the world, so it is a great fit for Parx in that regard. All of the gameplay experience is seamless and the process of navigating around the platform is simple and intuitive. At the time of writing, there were more than 200 slots titles on offer. These cover a wide variety of themes and developers. Some of these titles are dedicated to high rollers, whereas others are ideal for lower stakes players. For table game lovers, there is a selection of different blackjack variants, as well as solitaire, casino poker, video poker, keno and roulette options to select from. Another highly popular aspect of the Parx Casino offering that is coming soon is the live dealer option. This is an offering that has taken the online casino space by storm over the past few years. For new players, you can get your first deposit matched 100%, up to a max bonus of $500. Once you wager these bonus funds 20 times, you can then cash them out. This is a pretty standard promotion in the online casino space. There is a Parx Casino loyalty program where you earn points each time you play on the platform. You can also sync up your existing XClub loyalty program from the commercial Parx Casino and link it to your online casino account. The mobile offerings do its job amicably, but you can only download the iOS and Android apps from the Parx Casino website. In terms of payment methods, there is a decent variety available at the Parx online casino. For contacting customer support, you can call the toll-free phone number between 8 AM and 8 PM ET or you can send the team an email, the inbox being monitored during the same hours as to when the telephone lines are manned. Overall, the Parx online casino has a great selection of different games from some leading developers which makes it ideal for slots fans. While there is a lot of blackjack variants also on offer, the other casino game selection is slightly lacking. As time goes on, this offering will gradually improve as more games and features are added, so it is well worth keeping an eye on. Pros Platform is powered by GAN Great selection of slots titles Strong loyalty program Decent welcome bonus Cons Customer support is not 24/7 Selection of non-blackjack table games could be better Visit Parx Online Casino Now Bottom Line on PA online casino At the moment, the online casino industry in Pennsylvania is still in its growing stages. This means that there may be some teething problems that need to be resolved as time goes on and the current market leaders may be replaced as new entrants come into the market. There are always some key tips to keep in mind if you are struggling to choose one of the online casino options in Pennsylvania. First and foremost, you want to be sure that your favorite casino games are going to be offered. If you are not satisfied with the game selection, then there is no point in you wasting your time looking at other aspects of the offering. Another key consideration is ensuring that your preferred payment methods are on offer. Don’t be fooled by flashy advertising and promotions. While some newer sites try to outdo their competitors by large, flashy bonus offers for new players, the reality is often a lot starker. If you dig down into the terms and conditions of these flash offers, you often see that things are not as rosy as they appear on the surface. Overall, once you know what your most important needs are in an online casino, you can use these conditions to guide your selection process. Key Aspects of Online Casinos in Pennsylvania With legal online gambling, people can play their favorite casino games from the comfort of their own homes. No longer do they have to visit a physical casino in order to get their fix. Now they can play through their desktop or mobile device wherever in the state they may be, once they have an internet connection. People who are looking to play at these online casinos do need to be at least 21 years old and be within state lines. A geolocation feature is used on all licensed online casino platforms in Pennsylvania which tracks the location of the player. If at any time during a playing session the person crosses outside of Pennsylvania state lines, then their game will be immediately frozen. Another important feature utilized in Pennsylvania to prevent underage gamblers from using these online casinos is the verification check that takes place during the registration process or before making the first withdrawal. This requires the player to submit a copy of a photographic ID, as well as some form of proof of address. This process is usually quick and easy to complete. Where Else is Online Gambling Legal in the US? AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY DC FAQ Are online casinos legal in Pennsylvania? Yes, they have been legal since October 31, 2017, with the first licensed online casino launching in July 2019. Who can use online casinos in Pennsylvania? You need to be at least 21 years old to use an online casino and be within state lines while playing. What games are allowable through online casinos? All of the popular casino games are allowable, including slots, poker, baccarat, blackjack, roulette, progressive jackpots and craps. What is the link between land-based casinos and online casinos? For the time being, in order to launch an online casino in Pennsylvania, you have to be partnered with one of the dozen casinos. How can you check to see if an online casino is safe to use? It is vital that you ensure the online casino you are thinking of using holds a license in Pennsylvania. You can quickly see if this is the case by visiting the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s website. About Andrew O'Malley Alex has been writing about the gambling industry for more than five years, covering everything from sports betting to casinos and poker. With the sector constantly evolving, he loves nothing better than staying up to date with the latest movers and shakers in the space. View all posts by Andrew O'Malley →