Pennsylvania online sports betting has been legal since 2019 and offers some of the biggest sports betting operators in the US such as FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM.
Ever since, it has become one of the US’s main legal sports betting markets, with over a dozen legal sports betting apps on offer. Moreover, it keeps on growing and the future of PA sports betting is looking bright!
The Best Pennsylvania Sports Betting Sites in 2022
Some offer sports betting bonuses of $1,000 risk-free bet, others offer the best markets and odds – but here are our favourite PA sports betting sites right now.
1. DraftKings Sportsbook
First on our list of top PA sportsbooks is DraftKings, which has a great welcome bonus that helps get those customers on the site. However, that’s not just it. It also has a slick, smooth and seamless sports betting platform. As well as the basics it also offers betting pools, live betting and props bets. What we love the most is its Flash bet feature and the $1,050 welcome bonus.
2. FanDuel Sportsbook
Another one well worth a spot at the top of the list is Fanuel, for very obvious reasons. This works well whether you want to bet on desktop or mobile. The user experience is great, offering everything you might be looking for just one click away. It offers new features such as same-game parlays as well as a generous welcome bonus. A few more regular customer promos would be great though. Our favourite features are its Same game parlays and its $1,000 welcome offer.
3. BetMGM Sportsbook
This sports betting site has been steadily becoming ever more popular in Pennsylvania – and is generally one of the top three when it comes to sports betting handle. It has an excellent selection of sports to bet on and is a great site for existing customer promotions. The usability is good – but it works even better on app than desktop.
Its best feature is its easy parlays system and its generous welcome bonus of $1,000.
4. BetRivers Sportsbook
This will certainly be a familiar name to US bettors – and particularly to residents of Pennsylvania. However, there’s also a lot more to it than that. It has an excellent rewards program – one of the best out there. There is also an excellent selection of sports and markets to choose from. The usability of the site is good but could be better.
Ultimately, its best feature, in our opinion, is its rewards program and, of course, its $250 welcome bonus.
5. Fox Bet Sportsbook
Any sports fan in the US will be familiar with the name ‘Fox’. And it doesn’t let down its popular brand with its sportsbook offering. It’s quick and slick and super simple to use. There are also plenty of decent bonuses for existing players. It looks a little cluttered in places but other than that it’s a very good product.
Its best feature is definitely the range of daily promotions available for existing players and its very nice $500 bonus for new players
6. Betway Sportsbook
This online sportsbook brand may be reasonably new in the US, but it has a great record in Europe. New players will see that there is an excellent selection of sports and markets – as well as fairly generous odds. It also has a great results feature on the main site, which we like. A few more features wouldn’t go amiss, but it does the job.
In our opinion though, its best feature is the Cash Out option and the great $250 welcome bonus for new players.
PA Sports Betting Right Now
March 2022
- 4th March 2022: PointsBet partnered up with NBS Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Philadelphia to present a dedicated Betcast for the Chicago Bulls v Philadelphia 76ers game.
- 16th March 16 2022: The Parx Casino relaunches its gaming and online betting product. Now, the betPARK app in Pennsylvania and New Jersey is powered by Playtech.
- 22nd March 2022: Sportsbooks in Pennsylvania reported a negative revenue for February.
February 2022
- 8th Feb 2022: PointsBet launched just in time for Super Bowl LVI, making it the 14th sports betting app available in the state.
- 21st Feb 2022: Pennsylvania sports betting set a new revenue for its sports betting handle – boasting $794 million in bets
January 2022
- 20th January 2022: PointsBet secured a PA sports betting license but had no confirmed date for the launch.
- 21st January 2022: Pennsylvania sports betting sites reported a decline in sports handle for the second straight month. December was $750.4 million – a drop of 1.5% from November.
December 2021
- 22ndDec. 22, 2021: Sportsbooks in Pennsylvania posted $8.49 million in November revenue, which was a huge jump on its previous record of $49.3 million, posted in January.
Top PA Sports Betting Apps
There are now lots of online sports betting sites to choose from in the state – all of which have their own advantages and disadvantages. However, what sportsbook you choose very much depends on what you are looking for and your own preference. Here are the ones that perform the best in some of the main categories:
Best Sportsbooks For Major Events: FanDuel and DraftKings
These two sports betting sites are always at the top of the tree when it comes to sports betting handle in Pennsylvania. They are excellent for the major events and games, offering features such as FanDuel’s same-game parlays and DraftKings’ Flash Bet feature.
Best Sportsbooks For Market Selection: BetRiver and BetMGM
Obviously, all of the major sports betting sites have a very good selection of sports and markets to choose from. However, BetRivers and BetMGM have even more – offering games such as handball and snooker.
Best For Generous Odds: Unibet and Betway
Because of the number of sports betting sites available, Pennsylvania is a competitive market. As such, they all need to offer competitive odds. Two betting sites always on their A-game are Betway and Unibet. They are always paying close attention to their odds and betting lines – pre-game and all throughout the game
Top Sites for Customer Rewards: BetRivers
BetRivers has a great iRush Rewards program for loyal players. It allows customers to gather points and climb up the rungs easily. You can also use the online points at their land-based betting establishments, Rivers Pittsburgh and Rivers Philadelphia.
Best Sportsbooks for NFL: Fox Bet and BetMGM
Obviously, all sports betting sites in PA will offer bets for the NFL – including special offers for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers games. However, they don’t all roll out the red carpet for fans. Those that nearly always do are Fox Bet and BetMGM with regular promos such as bet boosts and more.
New PA Sports Betting Apps
The newest sports betting site to launch in Pennsylvania as of now is PointsBet – which opened its doors in February 2022. There are now a total of 14. If there are any new sports betting sites that launch, we’ll keep this page updated. Here are ones that may launch in the future:
- Betfred
- Golden Nugget
These might possibly launch sometime in 2022.
How to Register with the Best Pennsylvania Sports Betting Bonuses
In order to play at a legal online sports betting site in Pennsylvania, you will first need to register for a new account. You can do this even if you are not within Pennsylvania state lines. However, you will need to be in the state to make a bet.
The registration process, however, is pretty easy – simply click on register, follow the instructions and enter the necessary information and then claim one of the top bonuses available.
A welcome bonus is an excellent incentive to try out a new sports betting site. However, you need to make sure you understand the bonus and how it works. Here are the most popular bonuses available:
Match Deposit Bonus
This is where the sportsbook matches your first deposit up to a certain amount – i.e. 100% up to $1000. If you deposit $1,000, you will receive $1000 in bonus credits. However, these have a playthrough requirement that you will need to meet before you are able to withdraw your winnings.
Odds Boosts
Sometimes a sports betting site will enhance odds on a specific bet. Because of this boost, a winning bet will pay out even more than it normally would should the bet come in.
Risk-free Bets
Some sports betting sites go all the way up to a $1000 risk-free bet – which means that if your bet falls through, the betting site will refund that bet in the form of free bets.
The sign up process and bonus claim process takes just a few minutes and when this is done, you’ll be able to play on the top sports betting sites in Pennsylvania.
10 Facts About Sports Betting in PA
- They agreed to legalize sports betting in Pennsylvania in 2017 – pre the overruling of PASPA, providing the federal law changed.
- The first legal retail sportsbook in Pennsylvania opened in November 2018.
- Online sports betting was launched the following year in May 2019.
- Pennsylvania sportsbooks recorded their for $100 million handle month in August 2019
- Their all-time record to fate is $794 million in handle, which was recorded in January 2022
- You need to be 21 or older to bet on sports in Pennsylvania.
- You can bet on college football and sports in Pennsylvania, including in-state teams and events, but not player props bets.
- It isn’t permitted to wager on entertainment events or high school sports.
- Although you don’t need to be a resident of Pennsylvania to bet on sports in the state, you need to be located in state lines.
- Anyone that has a close affiliation with a team or league cannot wager on that particular sport.
What To Look For at a Legal Pennsylvania Sportsbook
The great news for sports bettors in Pennsylvania is that they have plenty of safe and legal betting options – and can do so whenever and wherever they like. Because of this, the state enjoys plenty of tax revenue that wouldn’t otherwise be available. The industry also provides plenty of job opportunities.
Betting in Pennsylvania is overseen by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This means that there are numerous protections in place for customers that mean they are treated fairly and that their money is completely protected at all state sportsbooks. In addition to sportsbetting, the state also allows casino and poker betting – with many sports betting apps even offering integrated casino apps.
Pennsylvania Sports Betting Regulations
Although Pennsylvania ruled to legalize sports betting in 2017, it never started to move forward until May 2018 when the US Supreme Court struck down PASPA. This led to the opening of Retail sportsbooks in November 2018 and the launch of online sports betting in May the following year.
However, state lawmakers had disputes over tax rates, budget deficits, licensing fees and other issues – finally settling with HB 271. Eventually, sports betting law became part of a wider gambling expansion package. This would include online poker, casino games, mobile and tablet gaming etc. It also included one of the higher tax rates in the US for sports gambling.
Here are the key factors of sports legislation in Pennsylvania.
- Sports betting revenue is subject to a hefty tax rate of 36%
- All applicants are required to pay a one-off licensing fee of $10 million for sports betting.
- An online sportsbook must be tethered to a land-based casino – which is allowed to have one online skin.
Current Legal Sportsbooks in PA
At the time of writing, there are 14 legal online sports betting sites in the state of Pennsylvania:
- Barstool Sportsbook
- BetAmerica Sportsbook
- Betfred
- BetMGM
- BetRivers
- Betway
- Caesars Sportsbook
- DraftKings
- FanDuel
- FOX Bet
- Parx Sportsbook
- PointsBet
- SugarHouse Sportsbook
- Unibet
Most Popular Sports to Bet On in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a long history of professional sports – and has at least one team in all of the major leagues. However, in some cases, the state has more than one team, with Pittsburgh and Philadelphia all having major pro teams.
1: NFL Betting in Pennsylvania – The Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles
2: NBA Betting – The Philadelphia 76ers
3: NHL Betting – The Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers
4: MLB Betting – The Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies
In addition, it is also legal to bet on college sports in Pennsylvania and they don’t even impose restrictions on in-state teams. However, bettors aren’t allowed to stake money on individual player props bets. Top NCAA basketball teams include Temple and Villanova, whilst top NCAA football teams include Pitt and Penn State.
There is also wagering on other sports including UFC, soccer and golf, that are popular within the state. However, most of the top Pennsylvania sports betting sites also offer more niche sports betting including darts, cricket and even lacrosse.
The law does only allow for actual sports competitions, although lines can get blurred at times – especially around the Super Bowl – and props bets can include the flip of a coin and other non-game-related bets. However, wagering on events like reality TV, the Oscars, elections and weather etc is not legal in Pennsylvania – or in the US as a whole.
PA Online Sports Betting History
The momentum towards legal sports betting in Pennsylvania started back in 2015. There were a lot of discussions regarding the legislature, but eventually, matters were settled and it became legalized in 2017 as an addendum to a wider gambling expansion bill.
However, there was no real progress until 2018, when the US Federal Government overturned PASPA. This led to the opening of the first retail sportsbook in November 2018 – with the online sports betting sites following on in May 2019.
When compared to its neighbor, New Jersey, it was a little hesitant to start online sports betting. However, despite this, Pennsylvania is now one of the top US markets for legal sports betting. Here are the main milestones.
2017: The Governor, Tom Wolf signed HB 271 into law. This would ensure that sports betting would be legal in Pennsylvania as soon as the federal laws changed.
2018: The US Supreme court overturned PASPA, which means that each individual state could choose whether or not they wanted to legalize sports betting. This led to the opening of the first retail sportsbook in November 2018.
2019: Online sports betting was launched in May 219. The first site to launch was SugarHouse, with many others joining them as the year progressed.
2020: Nearly 90% of all Pennsylvania sports betting was being made on Mobile by May 2020. Although the industry growth slowed down due to Covid lockdown measures, it soon regained reactions after the restrictions softened.
2021: Pennsylvania sports betting recorded a record handle of $776 million – a personal best, in October 2021.
Pennsylvania Sports Betting FAQ
Is Sports Betting Legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, sports betting has been legalized in Pennsylvania. Retail sports betting was initially launched in November 2018 and this was followed by mobile and online betting in May 2019. This was due to Governor Tom Wolf signing a comprehensive gambling expansion bill in 2017, which would include the introduction of sports betting.
Where Can I Bet on Sports in Pennsylvania?
The quickest and easiest way to bet on sports in Pennsylvania is via one of their online betting sites. However, you will need to be located within state lines as mobile sports betting sites use geolocation tracking to confirm.
There are also retail sportsbooks at state casinos and racetracks. There are also a handful of off-track betting premises including: Harrah’s Philadelphia, Hollywood Casino at Penn National, Live! Casino and Hotel, Mohegan Sun Pocono, Mount Airy Casino, Parx Casino, Presque Isle Downs, Rivers Philadelphia, Rivers Pittsburgh, South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook, The Meadows Casino and Racetrack, Valley Forge Casino and Wind Creek Casino.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Wager on Sports in Pennsylvania?
In order to legally bet on sports in person in Pennsylvania you need to be 21 years or older and you will need to verify your age to register your account.
Is Horse Racing Legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, horse racing betting in Pennsylvania is legal. The state has a number of operating racetracks that offer live racing throughout the year. These include: The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono, Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, The Meadows, Parx Racing and Presque Isle Downs.
You can also bet on horse racing via approved ADW sites like PABets, which is powered by TVG.
Are Daily Fantasy Sports Contests Legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes, Daily Fantasy Sports contests are completely legal in Pennsylvania and there are a number of top operators in the states including FanDuel and DraftKings.
Can you Bet on College Basketball in Pennsylvania?
Yes, at any retail or PA online sportsbooks you can on any college basketball team, including in-state teams such as Villanova. You can bet online on all NCAA sporting events apart from individual college athlete player props bets.
In fact, college sports betting is very popular within the state of Pennsylvania.
