Pennsylvania is home to several online casinos, which means that Pennsylvania is home to online casino bonuses. For players new to PA’s online gaming sites, numerous great opportunities are available. Notably, each online casino that is active in the state right now offers a deposit match of some sort. Some will even reward new players with free money.
You are welcome to register from any state in the U.S., but must be 21+ years old and physically located in PA to wager. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.The gaming service is brought to you by Rush Street Interactive PA, LLC, licensed by PGCB, address of record 1001 N. Delaware Avenue Philadelphia, PA. Call 1-800-GAMBLER.The gaming service is brought to you by Rush Street Interactive PA, LLC, licenced by PGCB, address of record 1001 N. Delaware Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19125 SugarHouse™ and SugarHouse Casino® are marks of Sugarhouse HSP Gaming, L.P.
Here’s a rundown on all things related to casino bonuses in the Keystone State.
Many of our bonuses are exclusive to PAOnlineCasino.com; they aren’t available anywhere else.
However, customers should read the fine print on any promotional offer. Almost all the PA online casino bonuses listed comes with some terms and conditions, and it can take some play before it’s possible to withdraw the extra funds.
A no-deposit casino bonus is one of online gambling’s sweetest things. It’s free money the site gives to players.
The way to receive these bonuses is simple. Potential players must register for an account on the site. That’s it.
The money will be waiting in the new account.
Like most bonuses; however, there are a few strings attached. To redeem a no-deposit bonus in PA fully, players must satisfy a few conditions. They are:
There is little reason to ignore or spurn a no-deposit online casino bonus in Pennsylvania.
Even if they are simply a ploy to get a player to try certain games, it’s still a good idea to take advantage.
While some online casinos may not offer no-deposit bonuses, deposit or match bonuses are nearly ubiquitous on every site.
In a match bonus, the player elects to deposit money onto the online casino. In return, the casino pledges to match a certain percentage of that deposit with funds of its own.
The percentage of each bonus can vary wildly. Some bonuses are only good for a 10% addition, while others will match the deposit, dollar-for-dollar.
Each bonus offer will also specify a maximum amount of bonus money that the site will pay out. So, it may take a bit of arithmetic to figure out how to maximize one’s bonus.
For example, let’s say that an online casino has a deposit bonus offer where it will match 25% of the deposit of up to $500. In other words, that $500 represents the site’s maximum contribution at a 25% level.
So, to receive the maximum amount of money, a player would need to deposit $2,000 into his or her wallet onsite.
However, as in all things, there are a few catches.
By this point, it may seem as though match bonuses are not worth the hassle.
After all, a large playthrough requirement and a short timeframe can mean that full redemption of the bonus is going to take some focused play on the customer’s part.
The short answer to whether or not a bonus is worth pursuing: it depends. There are so many variables at work that each bonus deserves its research.
First and foremost, consider the playthrough multiple. Casinos will often use a selection of multiples for each bonus, which is based upon the type of game that the customer wants to play.
It’s essential to look at what sort of return a player can expect while playing that type of game. For instance, a typical online slot machine will pay back 95% of the money wagered into it.
So, a player can expect to lose $5 for every $100 he or she wagers. Well, on the flip side, a 20x playthrough multiple means that the player will gain $5 for every $100 he or she wagers.
By that rationale, a 20x playthrough on slots is a breakeven proposition. Any bonuses that are 20x and below for slot play are, therefore, a worthwhile endeavor.
It’s possible, then, to calculate the breakeven multiple for most games.
Video poker games, for instance, returns 96% of wagers. So, the prospect of a $4 loss means that video poker bonuses are optimal when they are 25x or below.
Some table games, like blackjack, return more than 99% of wagers to players, provided that the player uses optimal strategy. So, a large playthrough requirement might not be out of order for games that are nearly even odds.
There is one other thing to watch for in the fine print of these bonuses.
Specifically, you should look for whether the playthrough requirement is on the bonus amount alone, or if it is on the bonus and the deposit amount.
It’s a rather sneaky ploy, but some online casinos will attach the multiple to both the bonus funds and the deposited amount. So, it’s a way to double the playthrough requirement multiple without advertising it.
However, the closer a player gets to even odds, the less likely the game in question will count toward the bonus. So, players who only bets table games a certain way might find themselves shut out of using that game to redeem their bonus.
For instance, take the color bet on roulette. A bet on black or red carries a near 50/50 chance, the only source of the house advantage is the green zero space or spaces.
So, it’s common that a bonus might not allow those kinds of even money wagers to count toward the playthrough requirement. Players can still bet on other parts of the roulette wheel, but those kinds of bets are considered to be an exploit of the bonus.
Theoretical losses refer to the average amount of money that you’ll lose based on the house edge. Given that every PA online casino game has a built-in house edge, understanding theoretical losses is essential for bankroll management purposes.
This is also helpful when deciding if you want to use slots or table games to unlock a welcome bonus. The example below compares theoretical losses between earning a bonus through slots and table games:
You can see from this example that higher wagering requirements don’t always equate to more losses. But table games and video poker can be less advantageous when wagering requirements are more than 100x.
We suggest running the math and comparing slots to other games before pursuing your bonus.
Still, even with all of these requirements, it might seem as though a bonus is always worth pursuing. Even though it will take a while, the bonus will eventually release.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Most online casinos place a time limit on their bonuses.
Usually, players will only have about a week to complete the playthrough requirement to realize the value of the bonus fully. After that time, the bonus expires.
When considering whether to opt into a bonus, players need to be realistic about the volume of their usual or future play. If a player must wager $2,000 to clear the bonus and he or she bet in 50 cent increments, that means that he or she must bet 4,000 times to hit the mark.
As to how long that takes, it varies from player to player. If a player can spend every hour of the day playing, then it might be possible.
However, most of us have jobs and other responsibilities. So, a seven-day slot-a-thon isn’t feasible.
It’s important to note that redeeming a bonus is usually not an all-or-nothing proposition.
Otherwise, players would grind for their bonus amount and then forfeit everything if they came up a bit short on the playthrough requirement.
Instead, online casinos will often drip the bonus funds out of the account at a prescribed rate. So, the total amount of bonus may be, say, $100, but the site will pay it out to the customer in $5 increments.
However, these increments don’t have to be present or regular, either. Each bonus or each casino is going to have a policy for how it doles out the bonus money.
Another form of bonus in the online casino world is the loyalty program.
These programs or their perks are sometimes called “comps,” which is short for complimentary. The term is a fancy way of describing anything that the casinos give away for free.
Loyalty programs are usually a point system that rewards players for their activity. Players earn points based upon the game and dollars they’re betting onsite.
Obviously, the higher the bet amount, the more points the player earns. Games that carry a lower rate of return to the customer will also yield more points per play than others.
These points are redeemable for a whole range of perks, prizes and benefits. Patrons can exchange points for free meals, event tickets, or hotel stays at its land-based counterparts.
Loyalty programs tend to separate customers into different strata according to the number of points they earn. Players can get certain levels of attention or benefit, like preferential placement in line or exclusive events as they progress.
The player’s tier acts as an easy way for casino personnel to identify the revenue potential of their customers.
Like most things in a casino, comps are designed to promote more gambling from their patrons. True to form, some gamblers will identify the achievement of these perks as a primary objective of their play.
Nevertheless, most of them are free to join. A person who plans to play on a particular site may as well register for the program, since they will gain a benefit from the activity they planned to do, anyway.
We reiterate that it’s wise to compare bonus terms and conditions between Pennsylvania online casinos. After all, you want to have the best chance of earning free money. But what constitutes good wagering requirements?
The standard for Pennsylvania match bonuses is 20x the bonus (or 10x bonus + deposit) on slots. This means that you can theoretically break even when earning your bonus through slots offering 95% payback. Playing games above this payout percentage gives you a strong chance to earn profits.
Finding wagering requirements between 10x and 15x is even better. A bonus with such requirements means that you can turn a profit when playing slots with 95% payback. And you’ll potentially earn a large profit on games that pay above this mark.
Anything higher than 20x playthrough is a bad deal in comparison to the market average. You should reconsider playing at a casino with 25x or 30x turnover, given that other PA gaming sites probably will offer better deals.
The standard for table games and video poker is 100x turnover. Such requirements are comparable to a slot with 95% payback regarding theoretical wins/losses.
Blackjack, craps, and roulette can sometimes offer even lower requirements worth around 50x. This is an incredible deal that gives you the chance to earn a nice profit.
Now, 200x playthrough requirements are on the opposite end of the spectrum in that you’re highly likely to lose money in the process of clearing the bonus. Such steep multipliers are common for Blackjack at some casinos.
The high value of casino bonuses in regulated US markets can be seen when comparing them to the offshore casino bonuses offered to most Americans. An offshore internet casino is characterized by operating in unregulated markets. These sites are usually located in Caribbean countries with lax standards on internet gaming.
Offshore casinos typically impose 40x wagering requirements on a 100% match deposit bonus. This ensures that they make a theoretical profit off the average player.
Here’s a comparison between a regulated and an offshore casino deposit bonus:
Favorable wagering requirements are a major reason why Pennsylvania residents are lucky to be dealing with licensed casinos, rather than offshore sites.
At present, three online casinos are up and running in the state of Pennsylvania. All three launched within a three-day period in July.
The three online casinos are available for bets in the Keystone State around the clock. They are:
Five more sites are expected to go live by the end of 2019. So, the following casinos should be available sometime in the next few months:
Of course, things can change, but it’s clear that the PA online casino market is only in its early stages. For bonus seekers, that’s a good thing because more competition means more casinos that are trying to impress with bonuses.
So, sit tight, and keep your eyes peeled. There should be a ton of free money floating around Pennsylvania soon.
Players need to weigh all of these factors before they opt into a casino’s bonus offer.
It is entirely possible that the bonus is a good deal. In fact, many of them are since the casino wants to attract more business.
However, players must take a look in the mirror at the type of player they are. A casual player will have a more difficult time taking advantage of a deposit bonus than a serious one will.
Long story short, players should take each deposit bonus and read through its material before deciding. Otherwise, they may set themselves up for some frustration down the road.
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Finally, PA online casinos are releasing PA casino apps and browser games for fans to enjoy! Win real money from the comfort of your phone or smartphone-- just follow this simple guide to get online and start playing today!
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Visit Review | Hollywood Casino | 100% Deposit Match up to $500 T & C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA | |
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Visit Review | SugarHouse | 100% Deposit Match up to $250 T & C’s Apply, 21+, Only in PA |
If you’re looking for the best PA online casinos, we’ve put together a handy guide for picking the right one. After all, you should be spending your money at a trusted, well-designed, and most of all, secure online casino! We’ve done the legwork so you can do less guessing and more betting.
We’ve taken these PA casino apps and sites for a test drive, including checking out customer support, trying out the games, poring over rewards programs and bonuses, and much more.
Confused about which PA online casino will be right for you? Read further for all you’ll need to know to get online and start betting ASAP! We’ll address a few frequently asked questions, but first, we’ve put our team on the task of testing these PA online casinos for a few of the following benchmarks:
Interface: Is the PA casino app or browser-based online casino easy to read? Is it difficult to understand when you’re making a bet, or is everything clearly defined? Is the main screen too busy, or well streamlined?
Customer support: Can you access customer support options during non-business hours? How promptly do customer service teams respond to user needs? What kind of banking options are available?
Games: Is there a good variety of games? Do they respond well whether you’re on mobile or on a home Wi-Fi connection? Do the games and graphics have a modern feel to them, or do they feel outdated?
Rewards programs and bonuses: Is there a rewards program? Are there welcome bonuses? If so, what are they and how do they work?
We’ll address all of these questions and more below using the aforementioned casinos. Let’s get started with our picks for noteworthy PA online casinos!
Parx Online Casino boasts a modern and clear interface, worthwhile promotions, and a decent set of games. The Parx Xclub is also a great way of scoring yourself cashback bonuses and real-life comps, so be sure to get signed up and get your deposit bonus secured when you start a new Parx account.
Parx Online Casino has a well-rounded selection of games, but as with most PA Online Casinos, we’d like to see that menu expanded. Also, the Parx servers often have issues at peak times, so maybe don’t hop on right after you get off work. We’re hoping to see these issues improve as the PA online casino market matures.
Parx is one of the more modern online casinos on the market, and we’re eager to see what their people come up with in the future -- it’s a great destination for new players looking for a streamlined casino experience.
Hollywood Online Casino has a clean interface and a great online experience. Link up with the mychoice Rewards Program to gain extra points on your play and get comps on hotel stays, enter your name into huge giveaways, and a bunch more.
We’re hoping to see a rollout of new promotions but it’s a great start for this new PA online casino. As the market expands, we expect great things from Hollywood Online Casino in the near future. You can find plenty of games at this online casino in PA.
SugarHouse PA gets many things right. As a new user, navigating to their main page is straightforward, and each page details exactly what you’re entitled to. A great choice for fans of slots, SugarHouse has new slots and old favorites in an easy-to-read menu with jackpots and sweepstakes amounts clearly visible.
The SugarHouse iRush rewards program is also one of the best we’ve seen. That puts SugarHouse among some of the best online casinos PA, namely because your benefits are numerous and graduating to higher tiers isn’t a huge hassle.
We are hoping that SugarHouse Online Casino expands its selection of games, however-- right now only slots are live, but clearly SugarHouse has plans to expand that to table games, card games, and more.
Quite a few other favorite casinos in Pennsylvania are positioning to release their own online casinos, but they’re not yet live. Look forward to great service from Harrah’s Valley Forge, Mohegan Sun, The Meadows, Presque Isle Downs, and more.
When we’re looking at the best online casinos PA, we’re also looking at their smartphone apps. Over half of all internet traffic is from mobile devices, so naturally, PA online casinos would look to implement PA casino apps. We’ll detail the process of getting these apps on your device below, but first, a few small considerations have to be laid out.
If you’re playing from your mobile device, you must be within the physical limits of the state and 21 years of age or older to play. The apps need to have location services turned on for this reason. Also, make sure you’re on a stable connection -- we’re hoping to see Live Dealer support for these apps in the future, which will require live streaming video to your app.
Apple users will not have much trouble finding the apps -- just search your favorite online casino and install from the App Store. The Google Play store does not allow for any real money gambling apps to be hosted on the platform, so you’ll have to navigate to your preferred online casino’s website and download the APK for your Android device. Don’t forget to “Allow installations from unknown sources” when prompted.
Apps are a great way to play on the go or from the comfort of your own home. Take a look at the interface and layout of your preferred online casino and see if it’s a good fit for you. If not, you can always play the casino games right from your browser.
Admittedly, there is a bit to be desired when it comes to the variety of games at PA online casinos. It’s a new market and lining up developers to create games, or getting the licenses for existing games, can take time. We’re looking forward to a new game in PA online gambling’s future.
SugarHouse, for example, hasn’t yet rolled out most of its projected games catalog -- right now, we’re only seeing slots. There are quite a few virtual slot types and three-reel styles, but the absence of other games is a bit disappointing. However, a nice variety of table games, card games, and video poker variants are slated for the future.
Parx offers blackjack, roulette, slots, and video poker. Fans of baccarat and craps will have to wait, as it doesn’t seem those game types are going to be implemented just yet. Still, the Parx games play well, and they are not alone in having a scant selection of games. If you’re a fan of blackjack, right now Parx Online Casino is the only place in PA where you can play. As the industry matures, more games will come.
Hollywood Online Casino offers slots, roulette, baccarat, and video poker. Again, not as robust an offering as we’ve seen in other states, but it’s still one of the more expanded games menus of the three PA online casinos available in summer 2019.
We understand that the industry is new and there isn’t a whole lot of variety in the best online casinos PA just yet. It makes sense that operators would release their apps before they have a full menu of games.
When you’re looking to deposit new funds into your PA online casino account, you have quite a few options available to you. Don’t forget to sign up for any deposit bonuses before you make your first deposit, however -- don’t want to miss out on a potential 100% increase in your wallet! Here’s a quick list of commonly accepted payment methods at most PA online casinos:
When you’re making withdrawals from your winnings, there are quite a few more requirements that you need to meet. Those differ for each casino’s website, so make sure to read up on requirements before you withdraw.
In addition, these withdrawals usually take a bit of time -- bank processing times and casino processing times often lead to slow withdrawals. Be patient! Here’s a list of available withdrawal options:
It is unclear whether or not PayPal will be added as a preferred option to PA online casinos, but it is likely. We may also see a rollout of more PayNearMe locations as the industry matures.
There are a bunch of different kinds of bonuses and promotions available to you with your new PA online casino account. Here are the details on a few different promotions that might be available to you:
Deposit bonuses are bonuses that trigger on your first deposit, and usually are 100% match bonuses up to a certain dollar amount. For example, if you deposit up to $250 and get up to $250 in your account with a matched bonus, you will get a total starting wallet of $500. With any deposit bonus, wagering requirements and deposit requirements may apply, so read the fine print before you decide.
Sometimes throughout the year you’ll notice “free spins” being handed out to online casino users. This is a great bonus, and you should always take your chance at the wheel, because the free spins are usually tied to some pretty impressive jackpots! Take a look at the promotions calendar on your preferred best online casino PA for more info.
Free cash bonuses trigger when you first open your PA online casino account, and usually don’t require any deposit. The casino of your choice will give you up to $30 of free starting cash which acts like real money -- bet with it, make winnings on it! Again, withdrawal and wagering requirements do apply.
Also take a look at your favored PA online casino to see if there’s a rewards program that pays points for online play -- these points can often be used for cashback rewards, hotel stays, meal comps, VIP purchases, and more.
Often, you’ll earn tier rewards for every dollar you spend, so make sure that online play does in fact pay into the Rewards program of your choice before you sign up. (SugarHouse, Parx, and Hollywood Casino all have rewards programs that benefit online players.)
Lastly, refer a friend! Any online casino worth their salt will give its users a referral bonus when a friend signs up for an account and makes their first deposit! It’s a quick and easy way to get up to $50 extra in your wallet, and then you’ll have a friend to play alongside!
When you’re gambling online, whether from the comfort of your smartphone or a browser, there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind. Here’s everything you need to know to stay legal and above board when betting online:
All gambling is restricted to players 21 and older. Most sites will require you to offer some or all of your social security number to verify this. Don’t worry -- all gambling sites are regulated by the PA Gaming Control Board.
If you’re gambling on a PA online casino, you’ll need to be physically within Pennsylvania. The apps and browser version all have geotagging software that you’ll need to enable on your device to make sure you’re in PA at the time of sign in.
Once you’ve gotten all your details cleared and your location plugin enabled, you’re all set to play! Just sign up, grab your first deposit bonus, and play some of your favorite casino games online, at home or on the go!
You will find a couple of useful answers to the most frequently asked questions.
Yes, online casinos are legal in the US, but only in certain states. NJ, PA, DE, and NV all have legal online casinos or poker tables. Any other state claiming to offer legal online casinos is likely using an offshore operator, which is illegal in the US.
You will need your social security number, a bank account, and a smartphone or computer on which to register and play. Make sure you’re physically within the state of PA when you play, otherwise the location services or the geotagging plugin that you’ve enabled on your device will lock you out.
All PA online casinos are registered with and regulated by the Pennsylvania Gaming Enforcement Board. In addition, when using a secure payment method like a credit card or bank transfer, standard transfer insurance like FDIC does extend to these transfers. Still, to be safe, use a verified and preferred method of payment like a credit card or bank transfer, though it may be compelling to just head to the casino and deal in cash.
Absolutely. You can lock your account down for a “cooling off” period if you need to step away for some time, or you can set deposit limits to limit the amount you are allowed to spend on your online casino account. (Sometimes this is referred to as a “self-exclusion” period.)
At any rate, all online casinos have a Responsible Gaming section that you can turn to if you think you may need a little help.
As we already mentioned, it is likely that new brands will join the PA online casinos race. Exciting times are ahead for online gambling in Pennsylvania. Stay tuned, we will update this text as new brands join the online casino market.