How to Bet on Sports Online in Pennsylvania in 2024

Online sports betting is blowing up in popularity across the United States and pretty soon Pennsylvania will be getting in on the action.

In a landmark decision by the US Supreme Court in May 2018, each state was given the opportunity to determine their own laws around sports betting.

Pennsylvania had already passed a sports betting bill in anticipation of the law being changed, and we’re happy to report that sports betting is now fully legal in the Keystone State.

The best part? The new bill also made online sports betting legal in Pennsylvania.

As of January 2019, a number of in-person sportsbooks have started accepting bets but there are no online sportsbooks, yet. Since PA’s sports betting bill specifically allows online betting we expect to see site’s open in a matter of weeks or months.

In the meantime, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to bet on sports online in Pennsylvania, including:

• Where you can go to bet on sports in Pennsylvania right now.
• What to expect for legal online sports betting when it arrives.
• Instructions on how signing up for a PA online sportsbook will work when the first sites open.

So far, a handful of states have moved to legalize sports betting. Residents of Pennsylvania are lucky that their state has seized this opportunity. With legal online sports betting just around the corner, now is the time to get in on the ground floor and make sure you are ready when it does arrive.

Where Can You Bet On Sports in Pennsylvania?

If you want to bet on the NFL, for example, there are lots of places you can go to place wagers in person right now in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, for the moment at least, there are no online sports betting options.

However, many of the existing land-based sportsbooks have signed deals with international brands that already have experience offering online sports betting in other US states and around the world.

Apps and websites are currently being finalized and are expected to be live within the first few months of 2019.

In this section, we’ll take a closer look at all the land-based sportsbooks currently accepting bets in Pennsylvania. It will be these same organizations that will soon accept bets online as well.

Land-Based Pennsylvania Sports Betting Options

Here is a list of the current in-person sports betting options in Pennsylvania:

• Harrah’s Philadelphia Sportsbook

• Hollywood Casino Sportsbook in partnership with Caesars

• Parx Casino Sportsbook

• Rivers Casino Sportsbook – BetRivers Sportsbook

• South Philadelphia Turf Club Sportsbook

• SugarHouse Casino Sportsbook

All of the options above are 100% legal, licensed, and accepting bets now. Each one is regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, a government body dedicated to holding the sportsbooks to the highest standards of security.

You can be sure that your betting experience will be safe and secure.

In addition to the six sportsbooks currently available, three further casinos have filed preliminary paperwork to receive a license to offer sports betting:

• Presque Isle Downs

• Valley Forge Casino

• Valley Forge Surf Club

Comparing and Contrasting the Land-Based Options

Many of the casinos are in the process of building large permanent homes for their sportsbooks while operating out of temporary spaces at the casinos in the meantime.

• The Hollywood Sportsbook so far has the most impressive physical layout, with a 5,000-square-foot area serviced by 36 televisions for watching live-action and six betting windows.

• The Rivers, SugarHouse, and Harrah’s Sportsbooks are all operating out of temporary locations in the existing casinos at the moment, but are in the process of building dedicated sports betting venues. The dedicated venues are expected to offer both betting windows and electronic kiosks.

• The Turf Club Sportsbook has been integrated into the casino, with the addition of multiple televisions, seven teller windows, and nine kiosks.

• The Parx Sportsbook has also integrated sports betting into the casino structure for now, with the creation of seven betting windows and twelve kiosks in a temporary area, and an additional thirty kiosks spread across the casino.

Of the prospective permanent spaces, Harrah’s Sportsbook sounds like the most impressive, with forty flat-screen televisions, stadium seating, and many tellers and kiosks.

Pennsylvania Online Sports Betting Options

Although online sports betting is now fully legal in Pennsylvania, none of the six sportsbooks in operation have yet launched their online betting options. Of those six, five have announced plans to offer online betting platforms. The exception is the Turf Club Sportsbook.

Each of the five has indicated that they expect their online platforms to be in operation within the first month or two of 2019.

Just like their physical counterparts, all of the online platforms will be fully overseen and regulated. Unlike the unregulated offshore sports betting options that can be accessed from Pennsylvania, you will be able to use these services in confidence. Some bettors are tempted to use VPNs to spoof their locations, however, sportsbooks have turned to technology in order to catch location fraudsters. Check out our guide to GeoGuard to learn more about the app sportsbooks are using to catch location fraudsters.

It remains to be seen what form the online platform will take. Most likely, each sportsbook will have a dedicated app that you will be able to download from the app store, while many will also have a website version you can access from your computer.

We will know for sure in early 2019 when online sports betting will officially arrive in Pennsylvania.

TVG Horse Racing Betting App

One option for betting online is already up and running in Pennsylvania. The TVG betting app allows sports fans to bet on races from over 150 tracks around the world.

The app is currently available in 32 states in the US and offers a number of different kinds of bets. You can also watch the races live on the app as you bet on them.

New users of TVG will qualify for a bonus, so make sure you sign up with one of our links to get the best offer available.

The TVG app is a great chance for Pennsylvania residents to get involved in the world of mobile betting while they wait for online sports betting to officially arrive.

How to Sign Up for Pennsylvania Online Betting Sites

Right now, there are no online sportsbooks currently live in Pennsylvania. However, that is expected to change within the first couple of months of 2019.

Since there are no sportsbooks live in the Keystone State, we can’t tell you exactly how to sign up for them. However, most online sportsbooks tend to have a fairly similar signup process, as well as similar-looking platforms.

For example, the SugarHouse Sportsbook, which expects to launch their Pennsylvania app soon, also has a presence in New Jersey where their app is already up and running.

When the online sportsbooks arrive in Pennsylvania, we expect the signup process to be the same as we’ve seen in places like New Jersey:

• First, you’ll need to provide some personal details including your name, date of birth and email address.

• You may need to also provide your address or some digits from your SSN, in order to verify your identity and that you are physically located in Pennsylvania.

• You will have to choose a username and password for your account.

• There may be additional layers of security, like creating security questions and answers.

• Before completing the process, you will need to agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy of the sportsbook.

The sign-up process will vary depending on the sportsbook, but it is likely to include some or all of the above steps.

Another thing you can expect from the online sportsbooks when they arrive in Pennsylvania is a signup bonus. This is standard practice for all sportsbooks and usually consists of free bets or free money that matches your deposit.

When online sports betting is launched in Pennsylvania, use one of our signup links to make sure you get the best bonus possible.

Depositing at PA Online Sportsbooks

The way to deposit money depends on the sportsbook but when online betting options arrive in Pennsylvania we expect sites to accept all major deposit and withdrawal options.

If one method, in particular, works well for you, do your research and find a sportsbook that accepts it.

The most common methods for depositing money are:

• Instant eCheck (ACH)

• PayPal

• Cashier’s Cage at the Casino

• Online Banking Transfer

• Prepaid Cards

• Wyrz

• Credit/Debit Cards

• NETELLER

• Skrill

• PayNearMe/7-Eleven

• Bank Wire Transfers

• Paper Checks

Most online sportsbooks will accept deposits using some or all of these methods. Most of these methods are instantaneous, so you can begin to bet right away.

Withdrawing from PA Online Sportsbooks

Withdrawing money tends to take a little longer but is still a fast and convenient process. You typically cannot withdraw money using your Visa or Mastercard, but the following methods are usually accepted:

• Bank transfer (ACH)

• PayPal

• NETELLER

• Skrill

• Check by mail

• Cashier’s cage at a land-based casino

• Prepaid card

How to Use PA Online Betting Sites and Apps

Most of the sportsbooks that start accepting sports wagers in Pennsylvania will probably have a dedicated app for their online betting, and many will also have a website.

The app and website tend to be very similar and they’re both easy to use once you get used to them.

You will typically have a drop-down menu or list of sports, which you can click on to explore the different bets available. You can click on bets and test out how much you would win by typing in different stakes. You don’t need to place your bet until you are ready.

In order to use the sites and apps, you need to physically be in Pennsylvania.

It remains to be seen exactly what kind of online bets will be available in Pennsylvania, but we can predict pretty confidently that they will be on par with the standard bets that are offered online in other states, an at the in-person Pennsylvania sportsbooks.

Types of bets are likely to include:

• Moneyline Betting

• Point Spread Betting

• Over/Under Betting

• Parlay Betting

• In-Play Betting

• Futures Bets

In addition to these most common bets, you can expect hundreds of others involving the score at certain times of a game, or bets based around player statistics such as yards thrown by a quarterback.

We can be pretty confident that all the major sports will be available to bet on with every online sportsbook, but there may be some more obscure sports that are only available on one or two.

Likewise with types of bets, the most popular (like money line bets) will be available on all platforms, but more specialized betting may only appear on some of them.

We will know for sure once the online betting platforms in Pennsylvania are made available in early 2019. Check back here for more details when they are.

How to Place Sports Bets in Person in Pennsylvania

For now, the only way to bet on sports in the Keystone State is in person at a land-based casino or sportsbook.

While online sports betting is great and super convenient, placing a bet in person and watching it unfold in a sportsbook has its advantages too.

Placing a bet in any of the six sportsbooks currently active in Pennsylvania is easy.

All of the sportsbooks, both temporary and permanent, have dedicated windows where you can talk to a teller and place your bet. They can also give you information about odds, or help you with any questions you might have.

Most of the sportsbooks also have electronic kiosks you can use to place your bet. These will resemble an online sportsbook, although you will not need to sign up to place a bet.

Just like an online sportsbook, you can browse through different bets and sports and test how much you would win by putting in different amounts of money. When you place your bet, either through a window or a kiosk, you will be given a printed betslip, which you can use to receive your winnings if you win.

The sportsbooks in Pennsylvania understand that comfort and entertainment is an important part of in-person betting, and each one has comfortable seating and big screens for you to watch as your bets unfold in real-time.

Pennsylvania Sports Betting Rules and Laws

The current boom in sports betting in the US is all thanks to the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which occurred in May 2018.

PASPA effectively banned sports betting across the country but with its repeal, many states have wasted no time in passing legislation to gain access to the lucrative sports betting market.

Other states already had legislation in place for when PASPA was repealed. Pennsylvania was one of these states, and after a couple of months of preparation, the first bet was booked in mid-November 2018.

Here are the basics of the legal situation in Pennsylvania:

• Sports betting is legal and available in a number of physical locations.

• Online sports betting is legal and expected to be available early in 2019.

• To place a bet in Pennsylvania, you must be at least 21 years old.

• Sports betting is regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

• You can bet on both professional and college sports.

All of this was covered in Pennsylvania’s sports betting bill which was passed on October 2017. There was already a thriving casino community in the Keystone State, and many of them wasted no time in offering legal sports betting once PASPA was repealed.

Online Sports Betting Just Around the Corner for Pennsylvania

The US is in the middle of an explosion in sports betting. The repeal of PASPA created a huge opportunity for state governments to create a lucrative new industry in an amazingly short period of time.

For the first time in a long time, there is a major buzz around sports betting and it’s getting louder in PA.

Pennsylvania is halfway there. At the moment, there are six operating in-person sportsbooks in the Keystone State. You can head down to Philadelphia right now and place a bet on the winner of this year’s World Series, Super Bowl or NBA Championship.

The physical sportsbooks are comfortable, welcoming and easy to use.

Within the first month or two of 2019, when online betting becomes available, Pennsylvania will be 100% up-to-speed with legal sports betting.

Using apps or websites connected to the sportsbooks in the state, you will be free to bet on sports from the comfort of your own home, provided you are physically in Pennsylvania.

The online versions will be overseen and regulated just like the in-person sportsbooks.

Before you sign up and start betting, check out our easy to use sports betting strategy guides so you can make the best bets possible.

Most important of all, use our links to get the best welcome bonus when the online sportsbooks go live and you sign up for your first accounts.