Pennsylvania is the most populous US state with legal, regulated online gambling in 2020.

The omnibus expansion package Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law in 2017 authorized interactive gaming across multiple verticals — including lottery, casino, fantasy sports, sports betting, and poker.

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The first PA online casinos launched in July 2019, and it didn’t take long for a variety of options to become available to gamblers in the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania online casino bonuses

PA online casinos

These 12 online casinos are licensed to operate legally in Pennsylvania:

• BetAmerica Casino
• Party Casino (coming soon)
• Wind Creek Casino

Each PA online casino features a variety of slots, table games, and video poker — with many additionally including other novelty games among their many selections.

BetAmerica

• Land-based partner: Presque Isle Downs
• Date launched: Jan. 28, 2020

Operating through a partnership with Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie, BetAmerica is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated — home of the Kentucky Derby.

BetAmerica has over 50 different types of slot games, including popular titles such as Blood Suckers, Fairy Tale Legends Hansel & Gretel, Jack Hammer, Lucky Angler, Spinata Grande, and Twin $pin. Available table games include blackjack androulette.

One drawback, though: unlike other online casinos in Pennsylvania, BetAmerica has no mobile option and is only available via a web-browser.

BetRivers Casino

• Land-based partner: Rivers Pittsburgh
• Date launched: Jan. 30, 2020

Although affiliated with Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, the BetRivers online casino technically operates under Rivers Casino Philadelphia’s gaming license. The casino is essentially a skin of PlaySugarHouse, also operated by Rivers and similarly run on a platform provided by Rush Street Interactive.

BetRivers features games from several different studios, withmore than 70 different kinds of slots from which to choose. Popular titles include Cats, Double Jackpot, Guns ‘N Roses, Jimi Hendrix, Jingle Spin, Tiger 7s, White Orchid, and Wild Life.

Table and card games include blackjack, baccarat, and multiple roulette games. There is also a variety of video poker games powered by Game King.

Caesars Casino

• Land-based partner: Harrah’s Philadelphia
• Date launched: April 23, 2020

Harrah’s Philadelphia was among the last of Pennsylvania’s casinos to launch its online products. The sports half of Caesars Sportsbook & Casino launched in March 2020, with the online casino component following in April.

At launch, the casino had just 12 slots available and no other games. The launch titles were: 88 Fortunes, Bruce Lee, Mad Mad Monkey, Raging Rhino, Starmania, Zeus (and Zeus III), Celestial King, Kronos Unleashed, Spartacus: Gladiator of Rome, Monopoly: Mega Movers, and Montezuma.

The selection of games should expand soon. The app and website both follow closely the design of Caesars Casino New Jersey, which has over 300 games available. Pennsylvania players can probably expect to have a similar array of options in time.

DraftKings Casino

• Land-based partner: Meadows
• Date launched: May 1, 2020

If there was any doubt before, there is little question now that DraftKings is a full-scale gambling company. In addition to sports betting, the once-small DFS site has now pivoted all the way into online casino gambling as a newly public corporation.

DraftKings Casino made its debut in Pennsylvania in May 2020 on the back of the Meadows license, additionally relying on an alliance with Scientific Games for the platform and content.

Fox Bet Casino

• Land-based partner: Mount Airy
• Date launched: Nov. 4, 2019

Longtime online poker giant PokerStars partnered with Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mt. Pocono to launch the first online poker room in Pennsylvania in early November 2019, also launching its online casino at the same time. A great option for poker players who also like to play other casino games, everything — along with sports betting, too — is housed in one handy standalone client.

There are around 50 different choices of slots available, with Frog of Fortune, The Imperial Kitchen, Lion Storm, Turn Your Fortune, and the exclusive Stars Classic Slot among the most popular.

Unsurprisingly given the poker connection, there’s a wide range of table and card games in the PokerStars online casino. There’s blackjack, baccarat, and roulette, of course, but also many different “single hand” games like Jacks or Better, Joker Poker, Aces and Eights and more. There are multiplayer versions of these games, too, at a variety of stakes, as well as video poker.

Hollywood Casino

• Land-based partner: Hollywood Casino
• Date launched: July 15, 2019

After being the first to launch an online sportsbook in Pennsylvania, Hollywood Casino in Grantville was the technically the first to launch an online casino as well, beating Parx by a few hours.

Parent company Penn National Gaming partnered with multinational gambling company IGT to power the site which after a few small hiccups early on has become a go-to option for online casino game fans in the state.

There are more than 50 kinds of slots available, with Butterfly 2, Cash-o-Matic, Cleopatra, Da Vinci Diamonds, Double Stacks, Electric Tiger, Jumanji, and Wheel of Fortune among those featured.

Table and card games include blackjack, baccarat, and several different roulette games, plus video poker.

FanDuel Casino

• Land-based partner: Valley Forge
• Date launched: Jan. 24, 2020

Daily fantasy sports giant FanDuel jumped into the retail and online sportsbook market in a big way starting in 2018 and now has branched out to other casino games as well, starting in Pennsylvania. With Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia as its land-based partner, FanDuel has joined forces with IGT for its platform and GAN for account management.

FanDuel Casino got off to a fast start after launching a little over a week before Super Bowl LIV, using a number of promotions to hit the ground running and quickly become a leading revenue gainer among all the online casinos in the state.

The FanDuel online casino includes only a modest offering of slots, with favorites Cleopatra, Da Vinci Diamonds, Dead or Alive, Divine Fortune and others among the choices. Table games include the usual blackjack and roulette varieties.

Parx Casino

• Land-based partner: Parx
• Date launched: July 15, 2019

Parx Casino in Bensalem was one of the very first in the state to launch an online casino, partnering with industry vet GAN to provide a robust selection of casino games on its online platform from the get-go.

Like other online casinos in the state Parx offers slots, table games, and video poker, and intends to introduce live-dealer games as well. The slots selection is particularly large with around a 100 different choices, including all the Vegas classics like Atomic Meltdown, Cleopatra, Crown Egypt, DaVinci Diamonds, Pixies of the Forest, Tiger 7’s, Triple Diamond, Wheel of Fortune, Wolf Run and many more.

There are more table games at Parx than elsewhere, too, including blackjack, baccarat, several different roulette games and Jacks-or-better, as well as video poker.

PlayLive! Casino

• Land-based partner: Live! Hotel & Casino Philadelphia
• Date launched: Aug. 11, 2020

PlayLive! was the first online casino in the state to launch without an active land-based casino partner at the time. Although its owner, Cordish Companies, is an in-state licensee, its two properties in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh were still under construction when it launched its online product.

It launched with a fairly robust selection of games for a first-time operator, including a standard set of table games and video poker titles, plus nearly 100 slots. Its platform is provided by GAN.

PlaySugarHouse Casino

• Land-based partner: Rivers Philadelphia
• Date launched: July 17, 2019

Rivers Casino Philadelphia’s online casino is similar in all respects to the skin at BetRivers described above, with both run on a platforms provided by Rush Street Interactive.

Here players will find the same variety of options from several different game studios, with Dead or Alive, Divine Fortune, Double Ruby, Sparkling Roses, and Triple X Threat among the most popular slot selections. Table games (blackjack, baccarat, and roulette) and video poker are also favorites here.

Unibet Casino

• Land-based partner: Mohegan Sun Pocono
• Date launched: Nov. 13, 2019

European gaming giant Unibet partnered with Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre to bring online casino games to Pennsylvania. The platform is the result of a collaboration between Unibet parent company Kindred and Scientific Games.

More than 70 different slots games are on offer, including all the favorites and popular ones like Cleopatra, Dead or Alive, Divine Fortune, Gonzo’s Quest and Siberian Storm. Among the table games there is blackjack (including an exclusive “micro stakes” version), baccarat, and a half-dozen routlette variants.

There is a jackpot game as well plus several video poker options, among them exclusive varieties of Deuces Wild and Jacks or Better.

Wind Creek Casino

• Land-based partner: Wind Creek Bethlehem
• Date launched: Aug. 5, 2020

Wind Creek launched Pennsylvania’s 11th online casino early in the state’s second year of iGaming. It took a little bit longer to get off the ground than others as a newcomer to the state, having only just acquired its land-based property in June last year. The casino’s former owner was Las Vegas Sands Corporation, controlled by SheldonAdelson, a noted opponent of online gambling. Sands sold the property to Wind Creek Hospitality, a tribal operator based in Alabama, who had no such qualms about launching an online product.

Wind Creek’s technology partner for the online casino is California-based PalaInteractive. The casino launched with 77 slots titles, 7 table games and 2 video poker titles. Wind Creek holds a poker license and Pala has a poker platform, but it remains to be seen whether they attempt to launch an online poker product.

PA online casino apps

While all Pennsylvania online casinos are available via web-based browsers on your laptop or desktop, nearly all are also accessible on mobile devices as an online casino app.

These Android and iOS (Apple) apps are free to download and in many respects feature the same functionality as the web-based versions of the online casino. They do, however, sometimes feature fewer games to choose from than their web-based counterparts.

Android users cannot download apps from the Google Play Store since it does not allow gambling apps. However they can download apps directly from the casino’s websites using their device’s browser.

Meanwhile iOS users face a different obstacle since Apple instituted a policy requiring gambling apps to be built on the native iOS (and not coded in HTML5). That forced new online casinos to build their own iOS apps.

As a result, some Pennsylvania online casinos offer iOS apps, some offer Android apps, some have both and one has neither. In some cases, such as BetRivers and FanDuel Casino, you access the online casino via the online sportsbook app.

Consult with your favorite site to see what options are currently available.

Like online casinos elsewhere, those in PA offer a wide variety of slots, table games, and video poker. Many also have plans to include “live-dealer” table games in which an actual dealer in a studio conducts the games.

Slots

If you like slots in retail casinos, you’ll discover slots in online casinos to be very similar.

They comprise by far the majority of games in PA online casinos and include many of the same favorites found in the brick-and-mortar realm. Even the games themselves are often identical, including classics like Cleopatra, Wheel of Fortune, and Wolf Run.

When playing slots online you can either search games by title or filter them in various ways, including by the studios that create the games such as IGT, NetEnt, Everi, and Konami. You can also often search by the number of reels, progressive jackpots, and in other ways that can’t so easily be done when playing live slots.

Table games

The most frequently found table games in PA online casinos are blackjack, baccarat, and roulette. Larger casinos feature multiple variants of each as well as different stakes.

Blackjack games often feature fun side bets, multi-hand games, and offer variants such as Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, and Spanish 21.

Roulette almost always features either American or European roulette among other options.

Video poker

Video poker also greatly resembles what you find in a live casino, with the familiar Game King suite of games a popular option. There you’ll find all the favorite variants like Deuces Wild, Jacks or Better, and Double Bonus.

Live-dealer games

Live-dealer table games help make online casinos seem even more like the “real” thing. These involve playing games like blackjack, baccarat, roulette, three-card poker, casino hold’em, and other table and card games with a live dealer or croupier managing the action from a studio.

While you play you can chat via text with the dealers and other players, making the social component of the games even more comparable to what you’ll find in a retail casino.

No live-dealer games are available in Pennsylvania quite yet. State law requires that the studio be located within the state, and there is no such studio yet. However, Evolution Gaming has said it expects its new studio to open before the end of 2020. Live-dealer games should roll out quickly once that happens, as Evolution already has deals in place with some operators in the state.

Depositing at PA online casinos

Most online casinos in Pennsylvania provide a wide variety of depositing methods, typically including some or all of the following:

• ACH / eCheck
• credit cards (especially Visa and MasterCard)
• debit cards
• online banking / bank transfers
• PayPal
• Skrill
• Play+
• PayNearMe
• check
• cash at the casino cage

When it comes to withdrawals, there are typically fewer options available. These tend to include:

• ACH / eCheck
• PayPal
• check
• cash at the casino cage

Be sure to check with each online casinos to see which banking options are available. Also check with the sites to determine how long the different transactions take. Most are very fast (or even instantaneous), but some do take longer than others.

As found in online sportsbooks across the country, Pennsylvania’s online casinos all offer bonuses of various types to encourage players to sign up and continue playing. These vary depending on the online casino, though in most cases you will find the following:

Welcome bonus

In most cases, the welcome bonus comes in the form of no-risk bets that allow first-time users a way to try out the games without having to worry about losing money.

In some cases these welcome bonuses are no deposit bonuses, meaning you are simply given a small amount of money (usually from $10 to $25) with which you can play any of the available games. These bonuses cannot be withdrawn — you must wager the entire bonus — but you can keep the winnings you earn.

Other welcome bonuses are tied to making a first deposit. These matching bonuses usually match a first deposit 100% up to a certain maximum amount. Again, the bonus money cannot be withdrawn before it is wagered, and there is usually a time limit during which the bonus money must be used (e.g., 30 or 60 days).

Loyalty / rewards programs

Some online casinos offer ongoing loyalty programs that reward players with cash or “comps” according to how much they play, much like is found in brick-and-mortar casinos. Loyalty programs are more commonly found with online casinos than with online sportsbooks, and often will be linked to the retail casinos’ programs.

Other promotions

Most PA online casinos often offer ways to earn bonuses via promotions such as reload bonuses, double-points deals, referral bonuses, and more. Keep an eye out for these as they come along.

PA online casino FAQ

Below are some common questions and answers related to PA online casinos.

How many PA online gambling sites are there?

Interactive gaming permits are limited based on the number of casino licenses issued by the state. As things currently stand, that means there are 13 interactive permits available in each of these categories:

• Slots
  
• Table games
• Poker

That makes room for as many as 39 brands, but the number of licenses doesn’t necessarily equate to the number of sites. Each property can partner with multiple brands under its land-based license.

Pennsylvania operators need to be partnered with a PA casino licensee and display their brand prominently.

Who can gamble online in PA?

Broadly speaking, individuals located in the state who are 21 and over can participate. You do not have to be a resident of Pennsylvania to play.

Employees of land-based licensees and key employees of platform providers are excluded, as are individuals who are barred from land-based casinos and individuals who have elected to self-exclude.

What casino games are available online in PA?

In simple terms, online casino games and online poker games are all available. But the bill gives regulators reasonable latitude to approve a wide array of games.

Due to the unique taxation structure that penalizes slot play and favors table games and poker, some new game variants may be developed for the PA market that attempt to appeal to slot players while remaining within the definition of a table game or a poker game.

What are the tax rates for PA online gambling?

There are three distinct tax rates for online games:

• Slots: 54%
• Table games: 34%
• Poker: 16%

Tax is based on gross gaming revenue, defined as “the total of all cash or cash equivalent wagers […] minus the total of cash or cash equivalents paid out to to registered players as winnings.”

How much revenue does PA make from online gambling?

Visit this PA gambling expansion revenue page for a full breakdown from PlayPennsylvania.

Who regulates PA online gambling?

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) oversees all aspects of the PA interactive gaming industry.

PO Box 69060
Harrisburg, PA 17106-9060

Phone: (717) 346-8300
Email: [email protected]

Pennsylvania online casinos offer exclusive bonus deals to first-time players. These offers include both a no-deposit bonus and a deposit bonus. Each of these offers come with a promo code players use to activate the offer.

No-deposit bonuses are especially intriguing because you don’t need to make a real-money deposit to receive this reward. All you must do to claim it is create an account.

A deposit bonus requires you to fund your account with the minimum deposit amount. The advantage to these deals is that they’re worth more than free play, with some bonuses offering up to $1,000 or more.

Pennsylvania online casinos are expected mid-2019, but it is safe to assume at least some of the operators will offer industry-standard bonuses of both the deposit and no-deposit variety.

Keep in mind, though, that PA online casinos aren’t handing you “free” cash once they start offering bonuses. Instead, you will earn the money by satisfying terms and conditions.

We discuss these terms in our Pennsylvania online casino reviews. You can find exact bonus terms and conditions on the casinos’ websites. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) requires that every internet gaming operator list terms for bonuses and promotions.

Pennsylvania online lottery bonuses

Now, PA online casinos have not launched yet. But there is one promo you can take advantage of right now.

In June of 2018, the Pennsylvania Lottery launched its first wave of online lottery instant win games. These games work like scratch-off tickets. However, instead of using a coin, you can just click your mouse. The games are available on desktop and do not require any downloads.

If you want though, there is PA Lottery app which also offers the games. The app, which is available for both Apple and Android also includes features like a ticket scanner, the latest Keno numbers, and more. Apple users can find the app in the iTunes store. Android users will need to download the app from the PA Lottery website.

Currently, the PA online lottery is offering a free $5 when new players sign up for an account. The process is very easy. You can be online and ready to go in a matter of minutes.

How Pennsylvania no-deposit bonuses work

Earning free-play bonuses at PA internet casinos begins with creating an account. This is a simple process that will likely involve entering your:

• Name
• Home address
• Email
• Username
• Password
• Relevant promo code

Once you’ve filled out the required fields, the casino will verify your account through automation. Key qualifications include being within Pennsylvania state borders and not enrolled in the state’s gambling self-exclusion program.

Map Of Pennsylvania Casinos

You’ll receive your no-deposit bonus once your account is verified. You can then use it to play the casino’s real-money games.

Why do PA online casinos offer no-deposit bonuses?

Because no-deposit bonuses seem like free money, some players wonder why online casinos offer them. The reason is that online gambling is a competitive space. As such, casinos are in constant battle for attracting the attention of gamblers. No-deposit bonuses are the ultimate weapon.

Additionally, online casinos use no-deposit offers as an opportunity to obtain players’ email addresses. Collecting emails increases a casino’s reach when they send out promotional offers.

Many players are willing to give casinos their email in exchange for free money. If you don’t want to continue receiving offers, you can always unsubscribe.

What’s the catch in a no-deposit bonus?

Players don’t assume any financial risk when signing up for a no-deposit bonus. The only cost is the few moments that it requires to create an account and await verification.

The catch, though, is that you must satisfy terms and conditions before the money becomes yours to withdraw. Online casinos don’t just hand out $20 to new customers with no strings attached. You must earn the money by meeting the stated terms.

The following terms are generally the same across the board:

• New players — No-deposit offers are only open to new customers at each casino.
• Wagering requirements (a.k.a. playthrough) — You must wager a specified amount before withdrawing the bonus.
• Claim the bonus — After creating your account, you must visit the bonus section or contact support staff to claim the bonus. However, this is not always required.
• Timeframe — You have to claim your bonus within the stated amount of time (e.g. three days).
• Expiration date — Once claimed, your bonus must be used within a certain number of days (e.g. seven).
• Game restrictions — Some no-deposit bonuses can only be used on specific games.

Earning your no-deposit bonus

Here’s an example to illustrate the process of unlocking a no-deposit bonus:

• You sign up at a PA online casino and use the appropriate bonus code.
• The casino emails you confirming that your account has been validated.
• You’re eligible for a $20 no-deposit bonus.
• Log into your account, visit the bonus section, and claim your free play.
• Wager the $20 bonus five times on slots before withdrawing it.
• You have seven days after claiming the bonus to meet the playthrough requirement.

No-deposit bonuses are usually significantly smaller than first deposit bonuses.

Free play bonuses

Free play bonuses are a subtype of no-deposit bonuses. The difference between the two is that free play bonuses cannot be withdrawn and can only be used to try out the casino’s real-money games for free. However, should the gambler win any money in the course of wagering their free play, those winnings may be eligible for withdrawal after meeting certain wagering requirements.

How PA online casino deposit bonuses work

Most Pennsylvania casino sites offer match deposit bonuses. These deals give you a match percentage based on the size of your first deposit

Here’s an example:

• A casino is offering a 50 percent match bonus up to $400.
• This means that the maximum bonus you can receive is $400.
• You deposit $200, which makes you eligible for a $100 bonus.

“Eligible” is the key word here, because the deposit bonus isn’t technically yours until you earn it. Casinos put the money into a bonus balance until you’ve satisfied specific terms and conditions. Once you earn the money, you can either withdraw it or use it to keep playing.

Meeting wagering requirements on PA deposit bonuses

Playthrough requirements on Pennsylvania online casino deposit bonuses will probably be expressed through one of two ways:

• Multiple of the bonus
• Multiple of the bonus plus deposit amount

The multiple of the bonus allows you to do the math slightly quicker.

Here’s an example on calculating wagering requirements with a multiple of the bonus:

• You’re eligible for a $100 bonus
• Wagering requirements are 20x the bonus
• 100 x 20 = $2,000 must be wagered

Here’s an example on calculating a multiple of the bonus plus deposit:

• You’re eligible for a $50 bonus
• Wagering requirements are 10x the bonus plus deposit
• (50 + 50) x 10 = $1,000 must be wagered

Again, the method used to express online bonus wager terms doesn’t, in and of itself, affect the attractiveness of the offer. What matters more is the overall value of the bonus, which depends on its maximum size and the total playthrough requirement.

Here’s a comparison between two casinos that differ in terms of expressing playthrough requirements:

• You’re eligible for a $100 bonus at two different internet casinos
• The first casino features a playthrough of 10x the bonus.
• 100 x 10 = $1,000 must be wagered
• The second casino features wagering requirements of 20x the bonus
• 100 x 20 = $2,000 must be wagered
• The first gaming site offers the better deal

Keep in mind that it was the total wagering requirement that determined which deal was the better one, not the calculation method.

Pay attention to how many days you have to earn a deposit bonus

Most online casinos give you more time to earn deposit bonuses than they do to earn no deposit bonuses. The reason why is because the wagering requirements on the former are higher. But you should still pay close attention to how long you have to unlock your bonus.

The general time frame is anywhere between 30 and 90 days. Casinos that allow 90 days sometimes do this to make up for having higher playthrough requirements than competitors.

This leaves you deciding what’s more valuable: lower betting requirements or more time to release the bonus.

If you’re conflicted, run the math to decide if earning a bonus in 30 days is realistic. Here’s an example:

• You must wager $5,000 to unlock your bonus
• You have one month to do so
• 5,000 / 30 = 167.67
• Bet an average of $167.67 per day to meet the requirements
• Make slots spins worth $0.25 apiece
• Complete 500 spins per hour
• 500 x 0.25 = $125 wagered per hour
• 167.67 / 125 = 1.34 hours
• You need to play slots for an average of 1.34 hours per day to reach the requirements.

If playing slots for this long each day doesn’t fit into your schedule, then consider a bonus deal that offers a longer time frame. Another option includes making a smaller deposit so that the wagering requirements are easier to reach.

Check stipulations on games for each promo code

Another important aspect of terms and conditions is game stipulations. Internet casinos weigh games differently in regard to wagering requirements. The house edge is the main determinant in deciding this.

Online slots, Keno, and scratch cards give casinos the biggest advantage. Therefore, these games have the lowest playthrough requirements.

Video poker and table games such as Baccarat, Blackjack, Craps, and Roulette have a lower house edge. The trade-off is that they also feature higher playthrough.

Don’t let high wagering requirements scare you, though, because this doesn’t always indicate a worse deal. The following example shows that slots and table games are comparable when unlocking deposit bonuses:

• You’re deciding whether to play slots or blackjack to earn a $50 bonus
• Slots carry 20x the bonus wagering requirements.
• 50 x 20 = $1,000 must be wagered
• You play a slot with 95 percent payback
• 1,000 x 0.05 = $50 theoretical loss
• Blackjack features 100x the bonus wagering requirements
• 50 x 100 = $5,000 must be wagered
• You’re playing a Blackjack game with a 0.5 percent house edge (w/ perfect strategy)
• 5,000 x 0.005 = $25 theoretical loss

Despite having wagering requirements that are five times as high, Blackjack helps you keep more bonus money in this example. This is why it’s important to compare playthrough between different games to determine which is the best approach mathematically.

Also, note that the exact games you choose have a big impact on your bonus earnings. Baccarat (as low as 1.06% house edge) and European Roulette (2.70%) have the same playthrough requirements at many online casinos. But Baccarat’s lower house advantage gives you a stronger chance to collect bonus profits.

What are good wagering requirements for PA online casino deposit bonuses?

The standard for slots playthrough is 20x the bonus amount. This is a fair deal that sees you theoretically break-even on slots with 95-percent payback and profit with anything above this amount.

You’ll find casinos that deviate from the norm by offering 5x or 30x requirements. The former is an exceptional offer and gives you a great chance to profit on slots with a return of 95 percent or higher. Meanwhile, 30x playthrough is as bad as it gets.

Here’s an example on how varying slots wagering requirements affect bonus winnings:

• You’re eligible for a $100 bonus at two PA internet casinos
• You play a slot with 96 percent payback at both sites
• One casino has 10x playthrough
• 100 x 10 = $1,000 must be wagered
• 1,000 x 0.04 = $40 theoretical loss
• The other casino has 30x playthrough
• 100 x 30 = $3,000 must be wagered
• 3,000 x 0.04 = $120 theoretical loss

The first casino sees you walk away with a $60 theoretical profit. The second casino sees you lose $20.

You should aim for table game playthrough of at least 100x the bonus. A 100x requirement on a one-percent house edge game offers the same chance to earn bonus profits as a slot with 95-percent payback and a 20x turnover.

The worst playthrough on the international online casino market is 200x. Here’s a comparison between this and the 100x requirements:

• You’re eligible for a $200 bonus at two casinos
• You play Baccarat (1.06% house edge) at both sites
• The first casino has 100x wagering requirements
• 200 x 100 = $20,000 must be wagered
• 20,000 x 0.0106 = $212 theoretical loss
• $200 – $212 = -$12 net losses

• The other casino has 200x wagering requirements
• 200 x 200 = $40,000 must be wagered
• 40,000 x 0.0106 = $424 theoretical loss
• $200 – $424 = -$224 net losses

You’ll theoretically end up losing in both cases. But the first casino sees you lose $12. Meanwhile, the second casino leaves you with $224 in theoretical losses.

How to evaluate PA online casino promo codes

Great bonuses are a general theme in the regulated US online gaming market. This is true in states such as Delaware and New Jersey.

You can really see the separation when comparing regulated sites to offshore casinos. An offshore casino operates in unregulated markets, which cover most of the US. These operations are usually housed in Caribbean countries that have lax standards regarding internet gaming.

Their bonus deals are designed to guarantee the casino a profit over the average player. Standard wagering requirements on offshore bonuses are typically 40x, which is worse than anything seen in regulated states.

Here’s a comparison between playing for a $100 bonus at an offshore and a regulated casino:

• An offshore casino’s wagering requirements are 40x the bonus
• 40 x 100 = $4,000 must be wagered
• A Pennsylvania casino’s wagering requirements are 20x the bonus.
• 20 x 100 = $2,000 must be wagered
• A player pursues both bonuses on a slot with 95-percent payback
• 4,000 x 0.05 = $200 theoretical loss at the offshore casino
• 2,000 x 0.05 = $100 theoretical loss at the PA casino

When accounting for the bonus, you’d theoretically break-even in this scenario at a US online casino. Meanwhile, you’d lose $100 when going for the same bonus at the offshore casino.

Bonus codes vs. promo codes

You’ll see the terms bonus codes and promo codes used throughout internet gaming. This can lead players to wonder if there’s a big difference between the two.

For the most part, bonus and promo codes are used interchangeably to describe welcome bonuses. One casino may mention how you must use a bonus code to get their welcome bonus package, while another casino will describe it as a promo code. The two are the same in that you must enter them upon signing up to get the deal.

However, one key distinction is when promo codes are used to describe a temporary promotion. For example, a PA casino might email you about a 100-percent deposit bonus for existing members. And they’ll state that you must use a specific promo code when depositing. In this context, a promo code applies only to short-term promotions.

However, in most cases, the only thing you need to worry about is ensuring that you enter the correct code during registration or in the cashier.

Overview of Pennsylvania’s casino market

Pennsylvania is one of the largest regulated gaming markets in the US. The state has over 12.8 million residents and 12 land-based gambling venues that can offer internet gaming.

Online Casino In Pennsylvania

10 of these casinos are resorts or racinos, while the other two are small slots parlors. Pennsylvania will feature another casino in 2020 when the South Philadelphia Sports Complex is scheduled to complete their gaming venue.

Here’s the current list of PA land-based casinos:

• Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester (racino)
• Hollywood Casino Grantville in Dauphin (racino)
• Meadows Racetrack and Casino in North Strabane Township (racino)
• Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs in Plains Township (racino)
• Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono (casino resort)
• Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington (resort casino)
• Parx Casino and Racing in Bensalem (racino)
• Presque Isle Downs in Erie (racino)
• BetRivers Casino in Pittsburgh (stand-alone casino)
• Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem (casino resort)
• South Philadelphia Sports Complex (scheduled for 2020)
• SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia (casino resort)
• Valley Forge Casino Resort in Upper Merion Township (resort casino)

New Casino In Pennsylvania

Casinos must hold separate licensing to offer online slots, table games, and poker. Individual licenses cost $4 million, while a casino can purchase all three internet gaming licenses for $10 million. Considering these relatively high expenses, some smaller casinos are still pondering their entry into the market.

Best Online Casinos In Pennsylvania

Given the large number of eligible casinos, competition is fierce in PA’s new internet gaming market.