Online Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania
Online poker is legal in Pennsylvania since 2017. PA players can access real money poker sites and play different games with poker players in the state.
- States Where Gambling Is Legal
- Legal Gambling States
- Legal Pennsylvania Online Casino
- Pennsylvania Gambling Law
Legal online gambling has arrived in Pennsylvania! Online casino games, poker, sports betting, iLottery and daily fantasy sports were all part of an expanded gambling bill that passed the PA legislature in October 2017. Best PA online casinos. The law allowed the state to regulate and legalize these activities, but the law does not mean that every online casino site or sports betting app is suddenly legal in Pennsylvania. Only sites vetted, approved, and overseen by the Pennsylvania Gaming. Pennsylvania's legal online gambling status is near complete with casino, poker, and sports gambling supported online by the state. However, some of these online gambling forms have yet to launch. Therefore, we recommend using licensed offshore online gambling sites in the meantime. Yes, online casino gaming in Pennsylvania was legalized in 2017 when Gov. Tom Wolf signed an omnibus gambling bill into law. The statute legalized online casinos, online poker, online sports betting and daily fantasy sports. Are there any legal PA online casinos at the moment? Yes, there are a few legal PA online casinos live now. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf legalized online gambling in Pennsylvania after signing HB 271 in 2017. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) then got busy drawing up additional regulations and reviewing licensing applications. The first PA online casinos launched in July 2019 and more followed suit over ensuing months.
PokerStars PA is the only legal PA poker site right now to play real money poker games online.
If you want to play (and secure a free $30 bonus to start with your first games) continue to this page.
On this page, you are going to learn:
- How to play online poker in Pennsylvania
- What are the best PA poker sites
- Why Pennsylvania gambling laws allow PokerStars to operate in PA
- Lots more
If you want to play the BEST online poker games in Pennsylvania, and you want to do so with the largest bonuses available to PA poker players, you'll love this new guide.
Let's dive right in.
PA Online Poker Sites
PokerStars PA is the best online poker site to offer real money games in Pennsylvania.
You can play legal real money online poker games in Pennsylvania from November 4, 2019.
That day, industry-leader PokerStars celebrated the first-ever 'shuffle up and deal of their PA-focused poker site.
888poker and partypoker are also expected to launch an online poker site in Pennsylvania in 2020 to compete with their arch-rival.
The opening of more PA online poker sites like 888poker PA and partypoker PA represents a great opportunity for all PA poker players.
More competition between international giants like these three is sure to result in great online events, synergies between online and offline operations and (why not) all great PA poker bonuses.
Here's a recap of the best PA online poker sites available to play real money poker games in Pennsylvania right now:
| Poker Site | Status | Play |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars PA | Active | Register Here |
| 888poker PA | Coming Soon | N/A |
| partypoker PA | Coming Soon | N/A |
PokerStars Pennsylvania
PokerStars is the only poker site authorised to offer real money poker games to PA players.
This is the only PA poker site where you play free games to win real money (freeroll tournaments), play all the most popular poker variants, and experience international hits like PokerStars' Spin and Go tournaments.
When you register to play online poker games in PA on PokerStars, you get:
- An excellent bonus package with tickets to play Spin and Go tournaments
- A bonus match bonus on your first deposit
- The best customer support service in the industry
- Unlimited access to the only online legal poker games in PA
PokerStars PA has seen well over 600 players activate an account during the first night of action alone — with that number growing ever since.
The games on PokerStars PA are ring-fenced. Pennsylvania gambling laws do not allow the PA online poker sites to share liquidity (and player pool) with any of the poker sites in NJ, Delaware, and Nevada.
PokerStars' PA online poker site is operated in cooperation with the Mount Airy Casino Resort, the brands' partner in the State.
Games and Tournaments on PokerStars PA
Since this is the only legal poker site in Pennsylvania, PokerStars PA is where you find all the best online games.
The PokerStars PA poker client features an extensive offer of both cash games and poker tournaments.
Cash Games on PokerStars PA
The ring action reaches its peak in the evening when PokerStars PA continues to register the highest number of active players at its tables.
The cash games feature stakes that start at $0.01/$0.02 and go all the way up to $25/$50.
While not many PA poker players can afford the $25/$50 tables, you get a lot of action when you join the $1/$2 NLH games.
The majority of players on PokerStars PA are on the site to play no-limit hold'em games. However, this poker site also features a great range of other options, including:
- Limit Hold'em
- Omaha
- Seven-Card Stud
- H.O.R.S.E
- Razz
- 2-7 Triple Draw
Online Tournaments on PokerStars PA
As a tournament player, you are going to love the offering and the tournament calendar that PokerStars has planned to become the top online poker site in Pennsylvania.
The offer of no-limit hold'em is great and so are some of the guaranteed prizes available every day.
Some of the top daily events run by PokerStars in Pennsylvania include tournaments like the Hot Turbos, the KO Fever, the Moonlight Express, and the Nightly Stars.
You can also enjoy some Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Stud poker action with the Change Up daily events.
But the daily guaranteed multi-table online poker tournaments are events where everyone end up, sooner or later.
| Tournament | Time | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Big $5 | 4 p.m. | $5 | $500 |
| The Big $30 | 5 p.m. | $30 | $1,000 |
| The Big $50 | 6 p.m. | $50 | $2,000 |
| The Big $10 | 6 p.m. | $10 | $1,000 |
| The Big $20 | 7 p.m. | $20 | $1,500 |
All times are EST
The Sunday Majors on PokerStars PA
Now that online poker is legal in PA you can join your share of weekend actions with PokerStars' legendary Sunday poker tournaments.
The Sunday Majors are the best poker tournaments in PA. There you find the most exciting action and, of course, the best real money prizes.
The Sunday action at PokerStars PA begins with the $8,500 GTD Sunday Warm-Up, a $50 buy-in event starting at 4 p.m., and leads to the $500 buy-in Sunday Special, the marquee event of the day where the players compete for a guarantee of $15,000.
| Tournament | Time | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Warm-Up | 4 p.m. | $50 | $8,500 |
| Sunday Storm | 5 p.m. | $10 | $4,500 |
| Sunday Special | 6 p.m. | $200 | $45,000 |
| Sunday High Roller | 7 p.m. | $500 | $15,000 |
| Sunday Supersonic | 10 p.m. | $75 | $5,000 |
PA Online Tournament Series
PokerStars brings to Pennsylvania poker players also some of their most successful annual online tournament series.
This is the site where you find massive multiplayer events like the Pennsylvania Spring Championship of Online Poker (PASCOOP), the Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP), and the Summer Series.
Keep visiting PokerNews.com to know more about these events and their online qualifiers as the respective schedules are released.
888poker Pennsylvania
888holdings is expected to launch their own 888poker PA poker site shortly after PokerStars.
The 888poker PA website will be the result of a cooperation between 888poker/WSOP.com and Harrah’s Casino.
The fact 888 and WSOP.com might merge their player pools could lead to their product being the one with the highest number of active players in Pennsylvania.
However, we do not have an official date for the launch of 888poker PA.
Back in September, 888poker's Head of Commercial DevelopmentYaniv Sherman announced that the company intended to adopt a 'selective approach' to online poker in Pennsylvania and would launch a new product in the state 'as soon as possible.'
Sherman mentioned PA's tax and fee regime as the main reason why the company decided to take a more cautionary approach and intended to work closely with their partners Harrah's and WSOP.com to make sure a jump in the PA online poker market would be as cost-efficient as possible.
partypoker Pennsylvania
partypoker is also expected to join the race and compete for a share of the market contended by the other PA poker sites.
GVC's online poker site intends to enter Pennsylvania in partnership with the Valley Forge Casino.
Like in the case of 888poker, we have yet to receive the official date of partypoker's launch in Pennsylvania.
Other Pennsylvania Poker Sites
PokerStars, 888poker, and partypoker are not the only companies that have decided to shape Pennsylvania's online poker market.
More names in the industry have decided to secure a license to offer real money poker games online to PA players, and so we can only expect other Pennsylvania poker sites to launch soon.
The list of companies that hold a license to launch poker sites in Pennsylvania includes:
- SugarHouse Poker
- Harrah's Poker
- Hollywood Casino Poker
- Mount Airy Poker
- Parx Poker
- Valley Forge Poker
- Wind Creek Poker
Pennsylvania Poker F.A.Q.
Can you play poker online in Pennsylvania?
Yes. PA players can play online poker games for free and for real money. Free-to-play poker apps like the WSOP Poker app are all legal in Pennsylvania.
PokerStars PA is the only poker site authorised by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer real money games online.
Can you play online poker for money in PA?
Yes. You can play real money cash games, tournament, sit-and-go and more on the PokerStars PA website. At present, this is the only real money poker site that operates in Pennsylvania under a license issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
When will online poker start in PA?
Real money online poker in PA started on November 4, 2019, with the official release of the PokerStars PA online poker client.
How to play online poker in PA?
- Select one of the PA poker sites approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Register a free gaming account
- Confirm your identity
- Choose a poker game and play
Where can I play online poker in PA?
To date, the only online poker site authorised to offer real money poker games to PA players is PokerStars. Other PA online poker sites are expected to enter the state between Q1 and Q2-2020.
Is online gambling legal in Pennsylvania?
Online gambling is legal in Pennsylvania. On October 30, 2017, PA governor Tom Wolf signed into law the bill that legalised online sports betting, online casino gambling, and online poker in Pennsylvania.
PA online casinos and sports betting sites started to offer their services to PA players on July 15, 2019. The first real money online poker hand in Pennsylvania was dealt on PokerStars on November 4, 2019.
Home» US Poker Laws » State Laws » Pennsylvania Poker Laws
Relevant State Code: 18§5513 et seq.; 4§325.101 et seq.
If Pennsylvania law had a Facebook relationship with gambling, the status would almost certainly be 'it's complicated.' The state takes a fairly strict approach to unregulated gambling, an approach that is muddled by the absolute lack of a definition of 'gambling' anywhere in Pennsylvania law. 'Unlawful' gambling is defined as gambling 'not specifically authorized by law,' but that's not much help.
Lacking a formal definition enshrined in state law, Pennsylvania falls back on a case law definition of the term. The general consensus seems to be that Pennsylvania requires the classic three elements - consideration (something of value given by the player), chance and reward - to be present for an activity to be considered gambling.
States Where Gambling Is Legal
Just how much chance must be involved remains an open issue in Pennsylvania.
Penalties for illegal gambling in Pennsylvania are comparatively minor. Players do not appear to face any criminal liability as long as they are simply participants in the game. It should be noted that Pennsylvania law does not explicitly exempt players from prosecution - it only (apparently) fails to proscribe any specific charges for players. Operators face several first degree misdemeanor charges (click here to learn more about penalties for various charges in Pennsylvania) along with the potential for additional conspiracy and racketeering charges.
According to statistics provided by the state, there were 276 gambling - related charges filed in Pennsylvania in 2010. Based on a non-scientific search of Pennsylvania media, the exclusive targets of enforcement seem to be operators and those caught cheating in casinos.
Types of Legal Gambling in Pennsylvania
Those in Pennsylvania can try their hand at the State Lottery, betting on races at the state's several horse tracks (many of which also offer slots and table games) and a variety of Vegas-style gambling options at the state's licensed commercial casinos such as Sugarhouse. There is no tribal gambling in Pennsylvania.
Social gambling does not enjoy an explicit exemption from state law. With that said, the limited apparent criminal liability for players suggests that some forms of social gambling - specifically those where no one profits from the game - would potentially be legal in Pennsylvania.
A limited amount of charitable gambling is legal in Pennsylvania. Regulations on this issue are state-level, but licenses appear to be issued at the local level. Bingo, raffles, drawings and a handful of other games are permitted when conducted by qualifying organizations in accordance with the law.
Playing Poker for Real Money Legally in Pennsylvania
Poker players in Pennsylvania have a wide variety of regulated options, with numerous poker rooms hosted at the state's casinos and horse tracks.
Home games are a more complicated issue. With the lack of clear charges for players and the legal ambiguity surrounding exactly what does and does not constitute gambling, it's difficult to find support for the position that home games of poker (where no rake is taken) are illegal in Pennsylvania.
Very similar issues come into play when you consider playing online poker in Pennsylvania. While the game itself may be illegal, it's unclear how those who simply play in the games would be criminally liable under current state law.
Are Online Casinos and Online Poker Sites Legal in Pennsylvania?
No part of Pennsylvania law regarding gambling directly mentions gambling online or online poker sites. That does not mean, of course, that online gambling is legal; Pennsylvania law basically criminalizes all forms of gambling that are not specifically authorized by law.
Having said that, it is very unlikely that those who are acting only as players would face any criminal exposure due to gambling online or playing poker online. There does not appear to be any direct violation of Pennsylvania law inherent in such actions.
Pennsylvania Gambling Laws: Fun Facts
Casinos in Pennsylvania have only been able to offer table games such as poker and blackjack since 2010.
Pennsylvania took in more tax revenue from gambling than any other state in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
Legal Gambling States
Recent Online Gambling News From Pennsylvania
While very active on the land-based gambling expansion front, Pennsylvania hasn't had much to say on the issue of online gambling regulation. The State Lottery Commission came out against Harry Reid ' s poker bill in 2010, but there's been little else of note since.
Is Pennsylvania Close to Regulating Online Poker?
Legal Pennsylvania Online Casino
Somewhat surprisingly, the answer seems to be no. While neighboring states (and direct competitors in the gambling space) Delaware and New Jersey are in the advanced stages of regulating online gambling, there hasn't been a serious legislative push to do the same in Pennsylvania. It's worth noting that the situation could change quickly; residents and lawmakers have shown a willingness to approve massive gambling expansions over the last few years and Pennsylvania could easily pivot on the issue once it starts to see inaction resulting in a competitive disadvantage.
Pennsylvania Gambling Law
Ultimately, it seems as if the state is taking a wait-and-see approach on the issue of online poker. If Delaware or New Jersey - or perhaps even a slightly more distant neighbor such as New York or Massachusetts - finds even modest success with regulated online poker, expect Pennsylvania to rapidly follow suit. Otherwise, the state enjoys only an average chance of seeing regulated poker at any point in the near team.