It wasn`t until 2017, the third year in a row that advocates made a concerted effort to legalize online gambling, that the iGaming legislation crossed the finish line. If you play in a terrestrial location, you won`t get too many bonuses. In fact, a free drink and a few loyalty points are the best you can expect. However, this is certainly not the case with online gambling sites in Pennsylvania, as the best of them offer many promotions to keep their players happy and interested. In June, a completely different version of the bill narrowly passed (102-89) in the House of Representatives. The new HB 271 had a flat tax rate of 16% for all online gambling industries and an overall royalty of $8 million. Another important differentiator was that VGTs were included in the House version of the bill, but not in the Senate. Fortunately, Pennsylvania`s sports betting law clearly includes legal online sports betting. Many casinos in the state have partnered or created their own mobile bookmaker.

As long as you`re within the state borders, mobile betting is legal. In 2004, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act was passed, which legalized slot machines at fourteen locations starting in 2006. The law approved licenses for seven horse races (or racinos), five standalone casinos, and two resort casinos. [14] All casinos can have up to 5,000 machines, with the exception of resort licensees, who can have up to 600. The law also stipulated that two of the five standalone casinos were to be located in Philadelphia, one in Pittsburgh and the other two in the wild. Even with the legalization of sports betting in the state, the high 36% tax rate and $10 million royalty could allow the bookmakers` underground economy to continue to thrive. [37] Sports betting officially became legal in Pennsylvania in November 2018 when the Hollywood Casino in Grantville booked the state`s first sports betting. The Hollywood is backed by six other Pennsylvania casinos that have applied to operate a bookmaker, which is expected to be operational by the end of January 2019. 2014 was a year of relative inaction. In June, Senator Edwin Erickson proposed the SB 1386 Online Gambling Act. However, it did not generate much interest and was never put to a vote.

In 2004, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed Bill 71 and made progress in legalizing gambling. Rob Matzie and Rep. Rick Kotik, the story of the law really begins in 2015, when Kotik announced his attention to turning unregulated sports betting already underway in Pennsylvania into a legal, regulated form of entertainment that would generate revenue for the state. Sports betting can only be legal in early Pennsylvania if it has a physical location. These are usually located in existing casinos or racetracks in the state. This law ensures that sports betting available in the state is 100% legal in Pennsylvania, as an offshore bookmaker cannot have a physical location in Pennsylvania for obvious reasons. Pennsylvania online gambling sites are completely legal. Online sports betting and casinos were legalized in 2017 and the state now has a thriving online gambling industry. Nowadays, everyone uses their betting apps to make online sports bets and it`s no wonder since the convenience and betting options available through betting apps are far superior to personal betting, especially since most betting apps are available on iOS and Android.