Finally, Pennsylvania online casinos are a real thing.
No more speculation. There are now firm dates when Pennsylvania online gambling will get underway. Online casinos go live July 15. The most concrete of the two dates is online casino launch. Rather than have sites go as they are ready, there will be one launch date. All casinos ready to go live on July 15 can. New PA casinos continue to launch in 2020 as well. You will find some of your favorite casino games including blackjack, baccarat, roulette and slots. With online casinos, you have the option of playing for free and real money, with exclusive bonus offers available through our site.
More than a year and a half after legislative approval, legal PA online casino games became a reality on Monday. While PA sports betting apps went live this spring, it took another six weeks or so before the first casinos began to roll out.
They’re here now.
Which PA online casinos launched?
Three PA online casinos went live this week:
- SugarHouse Casino online (Wednesday)
- Hollywood Casino online (Monday)
- Parx Casino online (Monday)
Parx was the first casino we knew would open on Monday, but Hollywood beat them to the punch at 11 a.m. Both had running countdown clocks leading up to launch, and Parx followed later that evening. SugarHouse was a bit slower to launch, with Wednesday being the magical day.
Of course, many more online casinos are coming later this summer — and perhaps into the fall.
Hollywood Casino: First look
Updated Monday at 11:42 a.m.
The online casino is live, but anyone who was trying to register initially was getting “service unavailable.” Now, however, people are able to sign up.
You can only access the casino via desktops (PC and Mac) as well as Android devices. There is no availability for iOS (iPhone and iPad) at launch due to ongoing problems with gambling apps and the App Store with Apple. (See update below.)
The portfolio of games is pretty limited at launch, with 40 online slots, a video poker game with nine variations and baccarat. Somehow, there is no blackjack.
This pales in comparison to the number of game titles at most NJ online casinos that are active, but Hollywood will likely add more games in the near future.
Early indications are that the PA Gaming Control Board is a bit slow to approve game types, hence the relatively small catalog at launch. If other online casinos have small offerings, that would likely confirm that guess.
Hollywood does include several pretty popular slot titles, such as:
- Cleopatra
- Crown of Egypt
- Da Vinci Diamonds
- Wolf Run
- Siberian Storm
Parx Casino: First look
Updated Monday at 11:59 a.m.
Make it two PA online casinos that are open for business. As expected, Parx revealed its interactive gaming platform to the public just before 3 p.m. local time.
Like Hollywood, Parx online casino is currently available only for desktop and Android mobile devices. That’s pretty much where the similarities end, however.
Parx has 191 slot titles in its library at launch, plus a Tournaments tab at the top. Table games are well-stocked too, including something called PokerBet. Some players have reported that payout tables for Parx online video poker are friendlier than those Hollywood debuted earlier in the day.
Parx also offers some slot titles that are popular elsewhere, like:
- Amazon Jewels
- Triple Diamond
- Ninja Gold
SugarHouse Casino: First look
Updated Wednesday at 1:53 p.m.
Parx and Hollywood are both new to the online gambling space, so we learned a lot from their debuts. On the other hand: We mostly knew what we’d get from SugarHouse, which already had an online casino in New Jersey.
The PA platform rolled out as expected on Wednesday with a concise library. We count just 22 slot titles from NetEnt, with no table games or video poker machines available at the time of this update. Some of those slots are among the most popular in NJ, though, including:
- Hotline
- Starburst
- Pyramid
SugarHouse is the first online casino brand to serve both PA and NJ, and SugarHouse online sportsbook is active in both as well.
Can I bet in Pennsylvania?
Yes, you can, if you are:
- Located in the state while attempting to deposit and wager.
- 21 years or older.
What about PA online poker?
Despite some reports in the media that online poker would go live July 15, that is not going to be the case.
PA online poker is coming in the near future, but no one has made their exact plans known yet. That includes PokerStars, which figures to be a major player in the state.
Are there PA online gambling apps?
Pa Online Casino Launch Date Free
Its a surprisingly complex question, but the short answer is yes. PA online gambling is available on both Apple and Android mobile devices.
The Android situation is straightforward, with a standalone app requiring only a direct download from the corresponding PA casino website.
Things are a little more complicated with Apple, though. A policy change for gambling apps briefly left iOS developers in the dark, but GeoComply has a new workaround utility in the App Store. Download the GeoGuard Location Validator to access the web version of PA online casinos on your iPhone or iPad.
PA online casino bonuses
All three PA online casinos offer bonuses to new players.
If you use the link at the top of this page to sign up for SugarHouse online casino, they’ll match your first deposit up to $250. This 100% match bonus has a friendly 1x playthrough requirement.
No more speculation. There are now firm dates when Pennsylvania online gambling will get underway.
Online casinos go live July 15
The most concrete of the two dates is online casino launch. Rather than have sites go as they are ready, there will be one launch date.
All casinos ready to go live on July 15 can. That gives the 10 PA casinos with interactive gaming licenses with roughly three months to prepare.
PA sports betting apps online by May
As for PA sports betting apps, those will be here even sooner. This week, the PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) confirmed to Legal Sports Report that the live testing phase of the first betting app is only 2-3 weeks away.
The PGCB will test and launch sports betting apps as they are ready. It may be a slow sports season. However, with Pennsylvania teams making runs in both the NHL and NBA playoffs, there are reasons to move quickly.
Pa Online Casino Launch Dates
Keep in mind that the most recent sportsbook applicants will be behind the first movers. PGCB does not allow an online launch until the retail sportsbook is up and running.
Presque Isle Downs is the next retail book to open. It will launch on June 1. Meanwhile, Mount Airy Casino and Mohegan Sun Pocono are still at the beginning of the application process. That means, unlike everyone else, they will need to move quickly to be up and running in time for football.
Expect a rush of new online casinos July 15
With a simultaneous casino launch, expect most of the PA interactive gaming providers to be ready to go in July. With the single date, the playing field is a little more level, so casinos will want to take advantage.
Don’t expect to see all 10 operators in action though. Stadium Casino and Sands Bethlehem are two examples of properties that will run behind the rest. Neither has moved ahead on their interactive gaming plans beyond obtaining the licenses.
Online poker will have less of a mad rush
Pa Online Casino Launch Date Games
There are currently eight active online poker licenses. Frankly, there is not enough interest in the game for eight PA online poker sites.
With the Wire Act opinion potentially threatening the viability of interstate compacting, casinos realize there is not much money in poker.
You will likely see a couple of sites launch in July. But don’t be surprised if some of the eight shelve their online poker plans indefinitely.