Legal Online Sports Betting in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is home to one of the largest online sports betting markets in the US, with locals able to wager on a huge variety of sports at the best sports betting sites. In this guide to the best legal Pennsylvania sports betting sites, we’ve covered everything from the local laws to subjects such as odds, mobile betting, and more.

Top Pennsylvania Sports Betting Sites

With so many great Pennsylvania sports betting sites to choose from, how do you know which site will be best for you? In this section, we’ve listed a hand-picked selection of some of the top bookies in the state. These online sportsbooks are known for offering fair odds, top markets, and regular bonuses.

It’s worth pointing out that any PA online sports betting site listed on our page has been carefully reviewed and compared to ensure that our readers only join regulated, premium sites. Furthermore, all the sites are legal and have been licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. You can find links to each recommended PA betting site’s welcome bonus below:

While all of the recommended Pennsylvania sports betting sites have strong reputations among bettors and experts, some bookies may suit you more than others. For example, some may offer more markets for particular international sporting events, while others may offer better promotions. It’s important to understand your own individual needs before selecting an online sportsbook.

If you’re not sure what it is to look out for when choosing a new PA legal online sports betting operator, we have dedicated the upcoming sections of this guide to explain our grading criteria. If you are completely new to online gambling, we have also covered how to open an account and claim bonuses.

Our Criteria for Finding the Top PA Online Bookies

To find the best legal online sports betting PA options, we rely on strict grading criteria. This covers topics such as the sports leagues available, the quality of the odds, the bonuses and promotions, the web platform, and the mobile app. We also look at topics such as safety, security, and responsible gambling features.

PA Sports Betting Laws & Regulations

Pennsylvania legalized sports betting as part of a large gambling expansion bill in 2017. At the time, sports betting was banned at the federal level by an act known as PASPA. However, the bill included a clause that stated that if PASPA were to be overturned, both online and retail sports wagering would be allowed.

When PASPA was overturned by the Supreme Court in May 2018, sports betting was officially legalized in PA. The first legal bet was taken in November the same year at the Hollywood Casino in Grantville, with online sports betting launched in 2019. The law requires that all players must be over 21 years old to wager.

Wagers are permitted on all professional sports leagues and collegiate division games. However, bets aren’t allowed on events such as the Oscars or political outcomes. Gamblers can use PA online sports betting sites as long as they are within state lines, and there is no requirement that users must be state residents.

Gambling Commission & License

There are several requirements that PA betting operators must meet if they are to legally offer online sports betting in Pennsylvania. Firstly, operators must be affiliated with a legal casino in the state. They must also pay a one-time license fee of $10 million, and revenues are taxed at a hefty 36 percent.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is responsible for licensing and regulating the retail and online markets of both sports and online casinos in PA. Before a site can launch, it must prove that it meets the PGCB’s safety and security standards, offer responsible gambling mechanisms such as self-exclusion, and only offer games that are verified to be fair.

Other States

Pennsylvania was one of the first states in the US to legalize online sports betting and is one of only a select few that also offers retail wagering options at brick-and-mortar locations. There are roughly 25 states that offer legal sports betting in some form, with the number expected to grow in the next decade.

Sports and Leagues

Top PA online sportsbooks will offer a large selection of top sports and leagues to wager on, whether they be season-long tournaments or international events such as the Olympics. This ensures that there are betting options all day long, all year round. The following sports are the most popular amongst PA bettors.

American Football

American Football is by far the most popular sport to wager on amongst local players. Whether they be on collegiate division games or NFL events, there are plenty of football options available at the top PA online bookies. In particular, games including the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers generate a lot of NFL betting, as does the Super Bowl.

Basketball

Basketball is another popular PA sports betting option. This is aided by the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers are proudly representing the state in the NBA. While this league generates huge revenues for the state, the March Madness collegiate division tournament is one of the biggest sports betting events of the year.

Baseball

Pennsylvania has two teams in Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates. For this reason, locals are regularly drawn to betting on the sport. Locals are also able to wager on smaller leagues such as the Triple A division, ensuring that there’s always something to bet on in baseball.

Ice Hockey

Philadelphia has a long, proud history in Ice Hockey. The state is represented by the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League, as well as three teams in the American Hockey League. The Stanley Cup championship game tends to draw the largest betting crowds each year.

Soccer

The Philadelphia Union is the only PA team represented in Major League Soccer. Considering the team secured its first Supporters’ Shield in 2020 for outstanding performance, there’s never been a better time to back the team with your bets. If not betting locally, the English Premier League and Champions League are always exciting options.

Golf

With so many great events to wager on all year round, golf is always an exciting betting option. In particular, the Grand Slam events are always a worthy bet, which includes the Masters, the US Open, the Open Championship, and the US PGA.

Other Sports

Above, we have only highlighted the six most popular events to wager on at a PA online sports betting site. That said, many betting sites offer dozens of popular leagues and events. These include tennis, motorsports, and of course, the Olympics. Many sites also offer markets for horse racing.

Before you sign up for a new bookmaker, check its betting lobby to make sure that it offers the sports that interest you the most. You should also be able to see the leagues and events that are available for each sport type. This is an important step, as it’s no use signing up with an online sportsbook that doesn’t offer the sports that you’re interested in.

Restricted Betting Options

The only thing that can legally be bet on at PA legal online sports betting sites is sports, whether they be major league, college, or international events. This means that Pennsylvanians cannot wager on things like politics, draft picks, or awards ceremonies. Unfortunately, betting on eSports is also illegal for the time being.

Type of Bets

There are plenty of different betting options available at our featured top PA betting sites. It’s essential that you understand what each bet type is before you wager on it as they are not as straightforward as simply betting on the winner of a game. The following is a list of some popular betting types that are available at legal online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania.

• Moneylines
• Futures
• Parlays
• Head-to-heads
• Handicaps
• Over/Unders
• Same Game Multi
• Player Props
• Accumulators

Some bet types are better for different events and may be more statistically likely to land. A moneyline bet, for example, is simply a wager on which team or player will win the match. You don’t even need to guess how much they will win by! On the other hand, Over/Under bets are great for games such as soccer.

These allow you to guess whether more than (over) or less than (under) a certain amount of goals will be scored in the entire match by either team. Multi bets are also permitted, though to be successful at winning a multiple bet, all of your individual wagers must be successful. Therefore, we suggest newcomers only start with single bets.

Futures bets are great if you’re interested in a league, and can allow you to wager on which team or player will win the championship. When you become more familiar with betting, we recommend trying out different bet types. Not only will this increase your enjoyment, but it may also open up more opportunities to win.

Live Betting & Streaming

The most exciting and fast-paced type of bet is the live bet. Many PA betting sites will offer live platforms that give you the chance to place wagers on events as they unfold in real-time. You will be given useful infographics and live stats, though keep in mind that odds will constantly fluctuate.

The very best Pennsylvania sports betting sites will also allow you to live stream events as you bet on them. As you watch, infographics may appear to recommend certain bets or remind you of statistics. This is by far the most immersive way to wager on sports at home or on the go.

Fair Odds and Payouts

All PA online sportsbooks will offer different betting odds for each market and event which will usually be based on its payout percentages. Before you place a bet, it’s always worth doing an odds comparison with competitor bookmakers. If you make a wager with the most favorable odds, you will receive a higher return on your investment.

At each betting site, you should be able to look at the payout percentages for each sport. For example, one bookmaker may offer payouts of 97 percent for NFL and 75 percent for tennis. This means that 97 percent of the money bet on the NFL will go into the prize pool for NFL games.

Consequently, only 75 percent will go to the tennis prize pool, with the remaining 25 percent going into more popular sports’ prize pools. The higher the payout percentage, the better the odds that can be offered. Therefore, it’s best to choose a PA sports betting site with the most favorable payouts for the sports that you’re most interested in.

Bonuses and Promotions

All of the PA online sportsbooks we have recommended offer a welcome bonus to new players. These promotions can come in many different shapes and sizes for online betting sites. The most common tend to be free bets, deposit matches, and odds boosts. Free bets, as the name suggests, give you first-time risk-free wagers.

Odds boosts can give you the chance to increase the odds on different popular markets so that your rewards will be bigger if you’re successful. Deposit matches will give you an additional percentage of your first-time deposits as bonus funds. For example, a 100 percent match up to $500 will give you an extra $500 if you deposit this amount.

You may also be given the chance to earn your money back if you lose with moneyback bets. Often, the top bookies will also reward loyal players with special reload bonuses or announce special promotions for events such as the Super Bowl. These are great as you won’t need to join new sports betting sites just to earn perks,

It’s essential that you read the terms and conditions of bonuses before you claim them. Here, you will find out important information such as how long bonuses will be valid for, how many times you must wager funds to receive them as cash prizes, or any other limitations.

US Sports Betting History

For almost three decades, online sports betting was illegal in most places in the US due to a series of laws. The first of these was the Federal Wire Act, which outlawed inter-state sports betting through telephone lines. Later, this was interpreted to mean sports betting through internet connections.

The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA) then essentially outlawed sports betting in all US states except for Nevada and Delaware. In 2006, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed, which banned all forms of online gambling across the US unless states mandated otherwise.

In 2009, the state of New Jersey challenged PASPA on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. After a long flight, the Supreme Court eventually sided with New Jersey and in 2018 opened the gates for states to decide whether or not they wanted to legalize sports betting. In three years, more than half of US states have legalized some form of sports betting.

In many states, only retail betting is allowed, while several others such as Tennessee only permit mobile betting. It is estimated that the industry may be worth more than $30 billion by 2030, which would make it the largest sports betting market in the world. The PA sports betting market is currently the third-largest in the US.

Safety and Security

The safety and security of a website is undoubtedly the most important criterion to consider before you join a new site. Fortunately, as long as you sign up with a licensed bookmaker, you can be certain that the operator will be trustworthy. This is because regulators require strong safety and security features from all license applicants.

For example, all betting sites must use SSL encryption technology provided by reputable security firms to protect players’ private information and financial data. This technology prevents hackers from stealing your funds or having access to details that could help them commit identity fraud. Licensed bookies must also implement mechanisms to guarantee users are over 21 years old.

Sites must offer odds above a minimum payout percentage and are required to pay out all owed winnings in a timely manner. Furthermore, sites must implement responsible gambling mechanisms such as self-exclusion lists and timers to ensure that problem gamblers can limit their spending. They must also partner with harm minimization organizations such as Gamblers Anonymous.

Websites to Avoid

Due to Pennsylvania’s strict licensing process, it’s essential to only gamble via operators that hold a sports betting license. Not only is it against the law to bet online with unauthorized sites, but it is also highly dangerous. Licensing ensures that bookmakers follow responsible gambling protocols and protect players, as well as ensures that you will always receive your owed winnings.

You can check each Pennsylvania sports betting site’s licensing details at the bottom of its homepage. If the online sportsbook does not share any licensing information, it is likely illegal and should be avoided at all costs.

Mobile Betting With PA Sports Betting Apps

No matter which of our top bookmakers you choose to sign up with, you will always be able to make sports bets while on the go. Each of the PA online sportsbooks recommended on our page has created a mobile app that can be downloaded on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, giving you all of the same markets and sports to wager on as the desktop version.

Alternatively, you can simply sign in through your mobile web browser to bet on your device. Many bookmakers will even allow you to make live bets and stream sporting events on your phone or tablet.

The best mobile sports betting apps are those that are fast, stable, intuitive, and facilitate essential features such as deposits and withdrawals.

Payment Methods

Reputable online sportsbooks in PA tend to support a wide variety of payment methods for both deposits and withdrawals. This is important, as it indicates that sites are working to appeal to as many types of players as possible, and also acknowledges the limitations of some methods.

Essential methods include credit cards, debit cards, bank transfers, and eWallets such as PayPal. Before you make your first deposit, be sure to check the limits, fees, and transaction times of your chosen payment method. You may find that credit cards are the fastest method, but your provider may charge transaction fees.

The Website Functionality

The website functionality refers to how the website’s design. The best Pennsylvania sports betting sites will facilitate easy navigation and will be intuitive to use. They will also be responsive and fast. There’s nothing more frustrating than using a clunky site that constantly crashes. We’ve considered the functionality of each PA online sportsbook and found all to be high-quality platforms.

The Customer Service

It’s an unfortunate fact of even legal online gambling that sometimes confusion may arise that requires professional assistance to resolve. This could be anything from an issue with a bet or a transaction, to any other general inquiries. For this reason, it’s essential that PA sportsbooks offer helpful, fast, and regularly available customer support.

Support tends to be offered in the form of email, phone, contact form, FAQ, or live chat services. In our expert opinion, the top customer support is live chat, with some bookies offer 24/7 assistance. Some of these top customer service bookies have been featured on our recommendations list.

The Online Sportsbook Reputation

As many retail casinos have partnered with major PA sports betting sites to also bring their sportsbooks online, you will find that all licensed bookies in the state have strong reputations. That said, we recommend you do your own research on betting forums and social media to check the reputation of each online sportsbook among other local bettors.

How to Open an Account at PA Legal Online Sports Betting Sites

If you’ve never made an online sports betting account, don’t be worried. The account setup process is extremely straightforward. Start by selecting the state you want to register for and follow the instructions. While each online sportsbook may slightly vary, they will usually be as follows.

1. Enter your name, contact details, and address.
2. Provide legal documents to verify your age and identity.
3. Wait between 24 and 48 hours for your account to be verified.
4. Make your first deposit and claim your welcome bonus.
5. You will now be ready to make your first bet!

It is a legal requirement in PA that you provide photo identification to verify your age and identity. Fortunately, you do not need to be a resident to hold a PA betting site account, though you will need to be within state lines to wager. Once you have been verified, you will be free to make your deposits and start betting in Pennsylvania.

Conclusion: Great Online Betting in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvanians are spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing high-quality, reputable sports betting sites that have regulator approval. There are a huge variety of sports, markets, and odds on offer all year round, with players able to wager on everything from collegiate level events to major professional sporting leagues.

Whether you want to bet on your desktop computer or while on the go, you will be catered to with our top Pennsylvania sports betting sites. Be sure to claim a new player welcome bonus to get your betting started with a decent budget or risk-free bet. And although each PA betting site has its own perks that will appeal to different players, we guarantee that you can’t go wrong with any of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have queries about the top PA sports betting sites and are looking for concise but accurate answers? In the upcoming section, we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about online sportsbooks in PA so you don’t have to read the whole guide.