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Look, we know you’ve come here looking to find out all of the essential information about Pennsylvania sports betting sites – and that’s exactly what we’re here to deliver.
From letting you know how everything works in relation to sports betting in Pennsylvania to helping you find the best PA sportsbook, we’ll take you through the whole journey. And of course, we’ll also help you find the most awesome bonuses and give you some advice on how to bet as safely as possible in PA.
First and foremost, you’ll be wanting to know if sports betting in Pennsylvania is legal, and we’re happy to let you know that it is. In person sports wagering was legalized back in 2018, the same year that the federal ban was lifted on online sports wagering. This meant that in 2019, less than a year on from the in person launch, Pennsylvania sports betting sites were launched online.
Today in 2024 there are a decent number of top US and global gambling brands operating online in the Keystone State. As a gambler, this gives you plenty of choice when it comes to shopping around to find the right PA sports betting site for you. Too much choice can sometimes get confusing though – and that’s why our experts are on hand to help you to find the best Pennsylvania sportsbook and bonuses today and one such bonuses offers from Pittsburgh steelers, we have dedicated page to know more information.
Pennsylvania was only behind New Jersey when it came to North Eastern US States that legalized online sports wagering the quickest. Speaking of which, if you’re from NJ, or find yourself there on vacation – even if you’re just hopping on over from New York City – check out the best New Jersey Sportsbook here! For all things regarding sports betting in Pennsylvania, stay right here and read on!
As we mentioned above, when sports betting in Pennsylvania was first launched in 2018 following the federal ban, it was only available in-person. Face-to-face PA sports betting sites and wagering were available at racetracks and inside the licensed casinos in the state. By 2019, online and mobile Pennsylvania sports betting sites were launched.
Although admittedly there were a few teething problems at first, they quickly smoothed things over, and today in 2024 online and mobile sports betting in Pennsylvania is a properly regulated, available, and finely tuned product that’s open to anyone within the state borders. Many of the best sportsbook USA brands operate as Pennsylvania sports betting sites as well as some well-trusted gambling brands from across the world. You can find a list of the best Pennsylvania sports betting sites below – but we’ll explain how to find the best one for you in more detail further down the page!
We won’t bore with the legal jargon and all that claptrap here – we’ll just hit you with the cold hard fact that you came here to find out! So let’s start off with what you want to hear – yes sports wagering online and via mobile is legal for Pennsylvania sports betting sites.
The law technically got passed in 2017, in-person wagering came to life in 2018, and mobile and online wagers followed in 2019. At first, there were some problems with Android and iOS apps, but you don’t need to worry about that in 2024 – outside Nevada perhaps only NJ can rival PA’s legal sports wagering market. The legal age for Pennsylvania online sports betting, as you probably guessed, is 21 years and over.
Everything to do with sports betting in Pennsylvania falls within the remit of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). Therefore if you want to make sure that the site you’re using is safe and legal in the state of PA, then make sure Pennsylvania sportsbook sites you’re looking at have a valid PGCB license. Once you’re happy that it does check for the listed HQ address and make sure it checks out. Reading expert and user reviews also help to give you some peace of mind. Below, we’ve provided you with some safety tips for online sports betting.
PGCB is responsible for everything related to Pennsylvania sports betting sites, from issuing the sports betting licenses to putting the sites through a very strict testing process before they go live. Once the sites go live, the PGCB is responsible for ensuring the sites are compliant and making sure they adhere to responsible gambling behavior acts.
Thinking of setting up your own Pennsylvania sports betting site? All you need to do is go through all of the above and pay 36% taxes on your total income. Oh – and there’s the small matter of the one-time $10million licensing fee for your best PA sportsbook site.
All of this means that the gambling industry in PA is airtight – only trusted and reputable betting brands have the money and resources to be able to set up here. Just remember, and we can’t stress this enough, that the Pennsylvania sportsbetting site you’re using must have a PGCB license. Overseas and out of State betting sites are illegal in Pennsylvania, so accept nothing else than a PGCB license!
In order to be able to legally participate in Pennsylvania sports betting you just need to meet two simple criteria. Firstly, you need to be aged 21 or over; secondly, you need to be physically within the Pennsylvania state borders in order to place your bets. Pretty open conditions right? Just don’t try to cheat them with a VPN if you’re out of state – trust us, that doesn’t end well!
We’re going to give you a (hopefully) pleasant surprise here – you don’t need to be a PA resident in order to place a legal online wager. As long as you’re within PA state borders and aged over 21, then you’re legally allowed to make online and mobile sports bets. It doesn’t matter if you’re from Sunny California, The Great White North of Canada or Siberian Russia – As long as you’re in PA you can do it! By the same token though, if you’re a PA resident and you’re out of state on vacation, then you won’t be able to legally place bets until you get back home – sorry about that!
Like New Jersey, sports betting in Pennsylvania is open to non-residents thanks to their cutting edge technology that ensures those signing up to the sites are doing so within PA borders. If you’re outside of Pennsylvania and are thinking about using a VPN, then don’t bother – they’ve invested a lot in combating this problem and can see right through it.
This technology also aids the operators in verifying your identity even if you’re from out of state, or out of the use. When you sign up by inputting your information they are able to cross-reference it with several other platforms on the internet in order to get your age and ID verified quickly and efficiently. If there’s an issue, or you enter some info incorrectly, then you may be asked to provide a copy of your passport/ID card and proof of address (bank statement or utility bill).
Pennsylvania has some of the most lenient rules when it comes to what sports are included with the remit of their legal online betting industry. As well as US pro sports and international sporting leagues and events, you can also wager on college games in PA – not even New Jersey has that! There are some restrictions on Pennsylvania online sports betting, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. The most notable thing mission from the legal sports wagering list in PA is esports – sorry gaming fans!
Seems like a silly one, but in Pennsylvania, sports betting really means sports betting. That is to say, betting on things not directly related to the happenings on the field cannot be wagered on – so no betting on the NFL draft or offseason transfers. Additionally, there are no novelty market bets, such as the Oscars and TV, which you can’t find elsewhere in the world and in other legal US gambling states.
Sorry gamers, but the remit of sports betting in Pennsylvania doesn’t extend to cover esports. That means that you can’t legally bet on any major CS GO leagues or engage in skins betting of any kind in PA. There is some hope for the future though, as it could potentially get regulated and treated differently, just like horse racing is in PA.
Those who work directly within certain sports, including players, coaches, referees and officials cannot bet on the sports they are involved in. They are, however, free to be on other sports – so for example, Nick Sirianni could bet on the NBA or NHL to his heart’s content, but not the NFL.
No, don’t worry – betting on horse racing is legal in PA, it’s just kept separate from other sports. To legally bet on horse racing online in Pennsylvania, you need to use one of the three licensed sites which are dedicated to horse racing only. You can also bet in-person at one of the PA racetracks on the day. As horse racing was always something of an exception in the US, even when sports wagering was illegal everywhere except from in Nevada, this is quite common practice across the country.
As of 2024 there are over ten Pennsylvania sports betting sites available, made up of both trusted American and global betting brands. The amount of choice out there on the market means that you are afforded the opportunity to shop around, and you’re almost certain to find a site that suits your specific needs – no matter how niche they might be. And of course, great betting sites bring with them amazing bonuses. You can find a list of the top five Pennsylvania sports betting sites below as well as their current welcome bonuses.
If you’re a fan of your American pro and college sports, then you’ll be pleased to hear that both FanDuel and DraftKings are available as PA sports betting sites. Having begun life as fantasy sports league platforms, FanDuel and DraftKings both grew into legal online sportsbooks to coincide with law changes in the USA. If you’re looking to expand your horizons, it’s worth checking out Unibet, a British based betting brand that’s awesome if you like betting on European soccer and other such sports, as well as American pro and college leagues.
Alongside online betting, mobile wagering has been active and legal among Pennsylvania sports betting sites since 2019. At first, there were some teething problems with regards to the lack of app availability for Apple iOS and Android devices, meaning people had to rely on mobile-optimized sites.
Fast forward to 2024 and almost all of the available, online Pennsylvania sportsbook sites now have awesome and finely-tuned apps. This means that anyone over the age of 21 can easily and quickly place a sports wager at their convenience from anywhere inside PA’s borders. FanDuel and DraftKings have pretty impressive betting apps that we definitely recommend checking out while in Penn State.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s regulatory rules allow PA sports betting sites to offer betting bonuses and other offers. In all Pennsylvania sports betting sites, you’ll therefore find some quality welcome packages, most of which consist of either matched deposits bonuses or risk-free bets.
In addition, most of the Pennsylvania sportsbook sites also offer some great bonuses to their existing customers, such as weekly cashback and even free bets in some instances. You can also find some genuine no deposit bonuses in Pennsylvania – which are a true rarity in the gambling world. Check down below for the best betting offers available at PA sports betting sites today!
And so the time has come for us to summarize the main points about Pennsylvania sports betting sites. The headlines are as follows – it’s legal to anyone over the age of 21, it’s extremely well regulated, and an overall well polished product. Additionally, you don’t have to be a PA resident in order to bet – you just have to physically be within Pennsylvania State borders.
The things you have to look out for in order to ensure a safe and secure PA sports betting experience includes, above all, a valid PGCB license, proper security measures and a solid range of payment methods. If it’s horse racing that you’re after, just remember that there are three seperate online sportsbooks that are dedicated to horse betting only. And once again, sorry gamers, but no esports betting – yet at least!
The time has now come for you to check our expert reviews and comparisons of the best PA sportsbooks, so that ultimately you can find the betting sites that’re right for you!
Some legal US gambling states only allow residents of their states to place in person or online wagers within their borders. Others allow both to everyone, so long as they’re physically within the state borders. This is possible due to cutting edge technology that tracks location. Some legal US gambling states meet halfway, and allow non residents to bet in person but not online. We went to PA to tests this out as non residents – you can find the results by visiting our PA betting guide at Betting.co.uk.
Sports betting is legal in PA and is regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board who are very thorough in their licensing and testing. There are some restrictions when it comes to what types of sports betting is permitted in pennsylvania. If you want to make sure you do your sports betting legally and safely in PA, then check out the Legal Betting Guide here at TheGruelingTruth.com.
In person, online and mobile sports wagering is legal in the Keystone state. If you want to find the best online sportsbooks, casinos and horse betting sites in PA, then check out the gambling reviews here. Our experts thoroughly test and review the sites themselves based on a number of criteria. You can also find out where to do in person betting and gambling in Pennsylvania 2024.
There are essentially two main ways in which you can place a bet in Pennsylvania – either online or in person. There are of course more details of how to do each that you need to know. You can find a step by step guide to placing a safe and legal sports bet in PA right here at our TheGruelingTruth.com sportsbook guide.
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