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Pennsylvania fast growing legal markets

Published

2 weeks ago

June 17, 2022

NAV

Pennsylvania has flourished in the world of gambling, whether it’s on or offline; residents of PA love to make the most of their legal gambling rights – as one of the few states to provide all available iGaming options – and behind the rapidly growing sports wagering market, Pennsylvania also offers unique online casino websites and online poker.

Pennsylvania sports betting stems back to 2017, years before legality had spread throughout the United States. Lawmakers began their preparations for a bill to legalize the sector, and it gave the state a head start when lawmakers raised the federal ban in 2018.

The PGCB (Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board) play a massive part in all online gambling options within the state as it closely monitors operations. Notably, several operators in PA offer countless options of online gambling in one application, and this is a huge positive for customers, and because of this, Pennsylvania continues to maintain its position as one of America’s most prominent iGaming markets.

Pennsylvania Online: Legality and Law in PA

Pennsylvania was one of the first American states to take advantage of removing the federal ban in 2018. Lawmakers in PA were long prepared for the legalization of sports betting to take place as they passed their sports betting bill in 2017 – one year prior to the lift of the federal ban.

Lawmakers passed House Bill 519 and the comprehensive gaming package; this allowed the PGCB to create the legalities around sports betting rules and regulations within their province. And remember, this was also performed in 2017, giving the state a solid placement in preparation for the launch.

Most online operators can apply for a sports betting license in Pennsylvania, which has attracted some of the most notable brands in iGaming. Of course, operators can’t obtain permission without paying a significantly high-priced fee, but this has resulted in the most reputable iGaming operators taking up the casino and sports betting space in PA.

Tax percentages on annual revenue are currently at 36%, one of the largest in the United States. As for the operating fee, you’re looking at close to $10 million, as Pennsylvania isn’t playing games when it comes to money – no pun intended.

Online and offline casino/sports betting options are available in PA, whether you want to visit a classic brick-and-mortar casino or whip out your handheld device and connect straight to an online casino in Pennsylvania. Operators have a lot of freedom when it comes to sports betting, whereas the use of college betting can be outlawed or restricted in certain states.

PA sits inside the top-five list when looking at U.S. based iGaming markets, and they often fall inside the top-3 when comparing each states betting handle.

Online Sports Betting in Pennsylvania

Most sports wagers placed in Pennsylvania are placed through betting apps or online websites. Online sports betting launched three months after the physical sportsbooks, but the former soon exceeded the numbers of its predecessor.

The first-ever online sportsbook in PA was SugarHouse, but they didn’t have the advantage for long as several alternative operators soon joined them in the action. To add, it wasn’t that simple; each online retailer had to perform a soft launch before they could present a complete mobile betting app.

Physical registration isn’t a requirement in PA, allowing bettors to sign up with their desired operator without visiting a casino. Almost every online sports betting website/app will offer some form of welcome bonus or promotional code to give customers a positive start.

DraftKings and FanDuel have taken PA by storm, and they’re currently the most authoritative online sports betting operators in the state. However, this shouldn’t come as a surprise, as DK and FD are powerhouses in the U.S. mobile betting market with their availability on both Android and iOS.

With that said, countless online sports betting sites in Pennsylvania also provide a range of iGaming services as well: