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Pennsylvania Poker

Online Poker in Pennsylvania: The Real Deal

You must already be aware that Pennsylvania is the fourth US state to authorize online poker, letting its citizens join in the fun anytime, wherever they are. It joined the cause soon after Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. More than ten online casinos in the state are eligible to host online poker rooms, and the great news is that more poker lovers in the Keystone State will soon have even more alternatives due to the launch of additional sites.

PA online poker art image

Poker in Pennsylvania has indeed existed for a long time - and for an even longer time, they were considered illegal. But thanks to the efforts (and perseverance!) of many lawmakers, PA residents can now enjoy regulated online poker from sites such as PokerStars, WSOP.com, BetMGM, Borgata Poker, and more. But what’s better news than this? There are an even greater number of advantages for those playing PA online poker, as there are new bonuses cropping up almost every day! There are also games and tournaments that every poker player can join on a daily basis, such as WSOP Bracelet games, SCOOP events, the WSOP Online Circuit, and PokerStars COOP.

There’s always something happening in PA - and if you’re itching to join in the action, read on to find out the real deal on PA online poker.

Table of Contents

Best sites

Benefits

Online poker bonuses

Banking

Legality

Tournaments

Live poker

History

Faq

Best offers in Pennsylvania as of November 2024

recommended

Welcome Bonus

Up To $1000 + $75 in Tourney Tickets

BetMGM Poker review

4.8 /5

Must be 21+ and present in an eligible state. T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 GAMBLER.

hot offer

Welcome Bonus

Up To $1000 + $75 in Tourney Tickets

Borgata Poker review

4.4 /5

Must be 21+ and present in an eligible state. T&Cs apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-800 GAMBLER.

Best online poker sites in Pennsylvania

Since the launch of Pennsylvania online poker in 2017, the number of cash games, tournaments, players participating, and award pools has increased ten-fold. For example, the Pennsylvania Spring Championship of Online Poker held in 2023 had a prize pool guaranteed to be worth $2 million, but it ended up paying out more than $3.1 million. That’s a tremendous deal all around!

Virtually anyone in Pennsylvania can download poker software or apps for PA poker for their phones or tablets. The process is the same as any other program, never mind if it has to do with gambling or not. But it’s imperative that you are in Pennsylvania when attempting to do this. You don’t have to be a Pennsylvania resident, mind you - you just have to be within the state, and there is geolocation software to detect this.

A woman playing Philly live poker image

Also, if you are found using VPN or other technology that masks your location, you will be banned and may even have your finances confiscated. It’s simple, really - if you’re not in PA, just don’t do it! Even if an individual finds a poker webpage for Pennsylvania for any reason and downloads the application, they can only sign up for an account if they are in Pennsylvania.Even if an individual finds any poker webpage for Pennsylvania and downloads the application, they can only sign up for an account if they are in Pennsylvania.

As it goes, getting and installing PA online poker software is simple once you live in Pennsylvania. Consequently, Android users will likely have to get the application from an "unofficial" source, such as Google. This implies that you must manually permit the app to be set up. But it is available in the app store for iPhone users and automatically sets up after installation. Additionally, it’s important to remember that online poker is somewhat different from other online casino games which you can simply access from the website itself - with online poker, players usually download a site on their desktop to have access to the many poker games. This way, you can easily play on multiple tables and have the added bonus of stability to level up your gaming experience.

Benefits of online poker in PA

Lower rake

Even if you don't have much money in your bankroll, you don’t have to fold just yet - you can still enjoy the games on PA online poker at sites that offer cash games and tournaments. Such sites also provide free play for users to get familiar with the game's rules and how the site works. These games and tournaments can be played for mere pennies, making them a budget-friendly and completely affordable choice for those just beginning with poker.

Convenient and easy

PA poker rooms offer an effortless and seamless way to play poker from anywhere inside the state of PA without any downloads or sign-up process. Poker in PA offers exclusive bonuses and promotions for online poker players, like free spins on the best slots and exclusive cash-back options when making the first deposit, as well as freeroll tournaments, loyalty programs, and even crossover promotions per brand for the different sites.

Confidence in learning the ropes

Playing online poker PA can be especially beneficial for those who feel timid about the game, as they can gain experience by playing low-stakes games for pennies. So if you’re a mere beginner, you don’t have to worry - because the poker sites have dedicated a lot of games for first-time players, you can learn the ropes and watch your confidence grow without risking too much of your money at the onset.

Financial control

It is much easier when you're not in a physical casino since you can log off after a dreary night and try your luck again next time. When you're not amidst a live venue's vibrant lights and sounds, particularly if you've traveled far, it's much easier to move away from the action, take a few deep breaths, and have a drink. You can quietly reflect on whether you’d like to play another game, away from the bright lights and the big spenders.

More game selection

Pennsylvania online poker offers more game selections than their land-based counterparts, granting players more options for the activities they wish to play. What’s more, because the competition is fierce among online poker sites, casinos are coming up with even newer thrills to attract the players. The stage has been set for more games and tournaments, enhanced promotions, and much better options when it comes to cash games.

Online poker bonus codes

Playing poker PA for real money online is thrilling and adrenaline-pumping, much like your very first visit to a live poker room. In addition, web poker PA offers cash incentives to online poker players in Pennsylvania.

As the player scene continuously expands in Pennsylvania, more and more poker rooms will provide cash incentives for new and experienced players . These incentives are ideal for anybody interested in entering the gaming business or increasing their current gaming expenditure. Keep in mind that most freebies are free money, and players should be aware that to pay out their winnings, they must first complete specific wagering requirements (that’s why veteran players always read the T&CS!). Free spaces in forthcoming tournaments may also entice new participants as an alternative to monetary awards. A no-deposit bonus might be free spins on a certain game or free entrance into a tournament.

No Deposit Bonus

You definitely can’t go wrong with free cash without any initial investment. This is precisely like it sounds. There is no need to deposit money to get free money - it’s as simple as that. By signing up with one of the online poker sites in Pennsylvania, you'll be eligible to gain incentives like cash and entry into live tournaments. Some sites may also present you with free chips, and you can even choose to buy-in to a tournament or participate in games for cash prizes. No matter what, it’s still free, without obligations - but you must always make it a point to read the fine print.

Promotional bonuses

On certain occasions, Pennsylvania online poker venues may prefer to give you a unique bonus. They might be anything, much like a jackpot bonus. For instance, jackpots may be granted for "excellent beats" or for achieving a certain objective, such as the number of hands played. Extra rewards are often provided to people who win a tournament or meet particular gameplay requirements.

Deposit bonus

This bonus is not offered to players all at once, but is unlocked in stages as they play. If this makes you wary of a bonus offer, remember that deposit bonuses are a great way to keep money coming back into your bankroll as you play - it essentially funds your bankroll. But remember: Deposit bonuses are accessible only after using a promotional code.

Matched welcome bonus

Similar to a deposit bonus, a matched welcome bonus is given to first-time players, and it is where their first deposit will be matched by as much as 100% (sometimes even more). There are even poker sites that will offer as much as $1000 in bonuses! But like a deposit bonus, the amount is released incrementally.

More on deposit bonuses and incentives

First deposits are available at several online poker rooms where players from Pennsylvania may play. . Note that deposit bonuses that match a player's original investment are quite unusual. The size of these incentives often correspond to a certain percentage of the initial investment.

One common incentive to try online poker with real money is a 100% bonus on one's first deposit, as we already mentioned. In addition, some websites will double your first contribution up to a certain limit. By reviewing the advertisement's terms and conditions, you can ensure that you get the maximum bonus on your deposit.

Loyalty bonus

This bonus is a reward for perseverance! To keep customers interested for longer periods, online PA poker rooms have implemented incentive schemes. Because the program's structure is designed to reward players based on the amount of money they bet, more regular players may be eligible for more significant loyalty bonuses. A loyalty bonus may be awarded to a player who meets a certain milestone or level of loyalty on a poker site. It's the site's way of thanking its loyal visitors, more or less.

Reload bonuses

These bonuses are given to regular PA online poker players whenever they add funds to their accounts. In contrast to the welcome bonuses—the no-deposit and deposit kinds—that are often reserved for brand-new players, reload bonuses are also open to existing players. Like the deposit bonus, the reload bonus requires you to add funds to your gaming account. The user may anticipate that the site will match some percentage of their reload money or provide another kind of reward, and most sites will do so, although with a smaller amount than the very first deposit bonus. Like first-deposit bonuses, reload bonuses often have high wagering requirements before they can be withdrawn.

Depositing and withdrawing

The great news is that poker rooms in Pennsylvania make it easy for players to put money in and take money out of their accounts - poker is, after all, a game of skill, and its players are bound to withdraw funds more. Players can also use Online Poker's instant play option to place bets without waiting for funds to arrive in their account. Then, once they have accumulated sufficient winnings, players can withdraw them safely and efficiently using the same methods they used to make their initial deposits.

When making deposits, most PA poker sites will offer the following:

Instant e-checks
(ACH)
Skrill and Neteller
Visa /Mastercard credit or debit cards
PayNearMe (7-Eleven, CVS)
Play+
Online banking
Bank wire transfers
Paper check/money orders
Bill Pay
Cash at the casino partner cage

Players can also use the Online Poker Pennsylvania secure withdrawal system to withdraw funds into their bank accounts or e-wallets after completing their qualifying transaction(s). Withdrawals are processed within 24 hours of receipt by most PA poker sites, so you can be sure that your hard-earned money is safely deposited into your accounts immediately following the completion of a successful poker tournament.

For withdrawing funds, not all of the same options are available.

Methods of withdrawal include:

Play+
CardCash at the casino cage
PayPal
Online banking

Is it legal to play online poker in Pennsylvania?

Online poker PA image

Federal law requires a minimum age of 21 to play poker online in Pennsylvania, which doesn’t make Pennsylvania different from other states where online poker is legal and regulated. Online poker at the Keystone State State is safe and secure for players of all skill levels due to regulated player accounts and stringent safety regulations. Just like other casino games like table games, slots, bingo, and the like, PA online poker makes sure to follow the rules and regulations set forth by the PGCB, or the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Anyone over 21 can play, provided they are physically within the state as well.

PA poker rooms also provide a broad range of games, from traditional card games to cutting-edge computerized table layouts Video streaming viewers in Pennsylvania may also look forward to frequent live tournaments at a long list of poker venues.

Video streaming viewers in Pennsylvania may also look forward to frequent live tournaments at various poker venues.

New Pennsylvania online casinos will soon be able to offer poker games and other online gambling options due to recently awarded licenses. In the last year alone, PA welcomed some new names in online poker, including WSOP.com, which is very popular for bringing the WSOP Online Bracelet tour as well as the Online Circuit to PA. This all bodes well for the future of online poker in Pennsylvania, as it suggests the market will soon see the introduction of new sites, increased competition, and more alternatives available to players in the state.

We've said it before, and we’ll say it again: PA online poker is limited to players based in Pennsylvania alone. We suppose it’s necessary for other states that began playing online poker before Pennsylvania to cooperate with them to merge their player pools, and a consensus on this issue is necessary among all players in the game.

PA online poker games are now restricted only to Pennsylvanians, meaning players can only wager against other residents of their state. This is termed "domestic" or "fenced" poker. But Pennsylvania may well work out deals with other states that allow online poker to pool their player bases, just like what happened in New Jersey, whose players can play with those from other states like Delaware and Nevada. The regulatory agency for gaming would have to authorize this, but so far, there’s no word from them yet.

All in all, you must satisfy these prerequisites to join up for PA online poker as a Pennsylvania resident:

The minimum age to participate is 21.
Be currently located in Pennsylvania.
A reliable internet connection is, of course, a necessity.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board establishes other rules for online poker in Pennsylvania.

PA online poker tournaments

PA Online Poker Tournaments are an excellent way for new and experienced online poker players to improve their skills. The tournaments (also called multi-table tournaments, or MTTs) offer various prize pools, so there is sure to be something that interests you no matter your experience level. In addition, the tournament format allows even low-stakes players to compete on a national stage with some of the country's best poker players. Daily tournaments are held, with buy-ins ranging from $0.10 to $200.

Three of the most popular poker tournaments in Pennsylvania are:

Sit & Go tournaments

Single-table events for people who only have a little time to play but still want to participate in tournament action. These competitions generally take around three hours and start as soon as the table is filled, with the top two or three players typically being rewarded with a payout.

Online poker Cash games

You can top up the chips to the maximum limit at the table any time, and the chips hold real money value. The buy-in cost for these games starts at $2 (micro-stakes) and goes up to $1,000+. The stakes can be anything from $.02/$.04 to $1,000/$2,000. Generally, the tables have two, six, or nine players.

Freerolls and free poker

A freeroll is a poker tournament with no entry fee, but the prize pool is real money. You can play web-based poker games without spending any money. These freerolls in Pennsylvania are an excellent way for gamers to feel the excitement of the game without having to spend any money. If you want to get involved, here are reasons you should consider playing poker freerolls in Pennsylvania.

One of the best ways to get better at poker without putting money at risk is to play "cash" games or tournaments online for free.
Poker freerolls are a great way to improve the game and try out different strategies without risking real money.
You can win big prizes even if you only bet a small amount, and you don't even have to spend real money to play. Just enter the contest and hope you get one of the prizes. In other words, hope for the best!
By participating in these events, you'll be able to compete with top-notch people and avoid taking unnecessary financial risks

Everyone knows that poker can be challenging for new players, and it's not easy to find poker games tailored specifically toward this group. Thus, freerolls are an excellent choice for those just starting in the gambling world, as they don't need to worry about learning complex strategies or rules immediately. They can simply play and familiarize themselves with the rules of the game, and if ever they win, then so much the better.

Shared player pool

At the moment, only people who live in the state of PA can compete with each other. But the soon-to-be gaming law allows Pennsylvania to link up with other states that offer online poker and trade players. Pennsylvania will likely sign the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement along with states like Delaware, Nevada, Michigan, and New Jersey (MSIGA). However, this will require approval from the state's gaming regulators. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania could take advantage of revenue-sharing plans offered by other member states. Under these plans, each jurisdiction gets a fixed percentage of net winnings from players on its site(s). This is on top of the other benefits of being a member of MSIGA, like sharing information about players and tournament results. A rise in profit for online poker operators in Pennsylvania would be appealing to lawmakers who want to find ways to bring in more tax money while keeping people interested in legal casino gambling in the state.

Live poker

Pennsylvania is a relatively new state when it comes to both online poker and gambling in general, but there are nine live poker rooms in PA as of now. The game is played with typical playing cards, but they are dealt with their faces down, enabling all players to see what they are holding. This makes it easier for players to make well-informed choices during the round by being aware of where their opponents are at any given point.

The site's software is well-designed and easy to use. In addition, it features an excellent user interface, making it ideal for those looking to play Pennsylvania poker online in a relaxed environment without any hassles.

A man playing online poker in PA image

It has more than 130 tables open within the state twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and provides cash games, tournaments, and sit-and-goes. Because it has so many different table games, it follows that Pennsylvania Live Poker is one of the most popular online poker rooms. In addition, web-based Pennsylvania poker rooms feature more than 130 live poker tables where players can join in on cash game action or participate in tournament play for big payouts.

There are a lot of great promotions at Pennsylvania Live Poker, like getting free money when you make your first deposit, bounty events, and receiving cash bonuses when you sign up new players. In addition, Pennsylvania Live Poker has a great selection of tables and a customer service team that is always ready to help with any questions or problems.

The history of Pennsylvania poker

Pennsylvania is relatively new to online poker, gambling, and casinos in general. But it’s among the 6 US states (7 now, counting Rhode Island) where gambling has been legalized in all its forms. But what exactly is the history of online poker in the Keystone State, and what can poker players learn from it?

First of all, betting on horse races first became legal in Pennsylvania in the late 1950s, and the state legalized off-track betting about 30 years later. Then, in 1972, the state also legalized the lottery. But the state didn't allow casino-style gambling until the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act of 2004 legalized slot machines in certain areas

In 2010, the law was changed to allow table games as well. As a result, there were now a dozen casino gambling properties in the state, most of which opened in the late 2000s. Pennsylvanians used to play PA poker online on non-US sites until Black Friday in April 2011, when those sites stopped serving US customers and the funds of the players were seized. Later that year, the Justice Department said that the Interstate Wire Act of 1961 only applied to bets on sports. This enabled some states to enact their laws governing online gambling. Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey were the first to do so, opening their first online poker sites in 2013 and allowing them to make rules for online gambling terminals in certain places as well as Daily Fantasy Sports. It also paved the way for online casinos and poker rooms, it made them legal, which made state poker players want to start playing online again.

Vintage poker in PA photo image

Meanwhile, in the state of Pennsylvania, lawmakers and state authorities first proposed and began debating a wagering expansion bill that included online gambling in 2013, though this was not the first time. Online poker in PA, as well as other forms of gambling, was formally legalized in October of 2017, and early guesses said that online poker rooms might open as soon as the summer of 2018. Regulators, on the other hand, took longer than expected, so players had to wait. When the rules were finally set, the casinos put online sports betting and online casinos ahead of online poker.

The first online sports betting app in Pennsylvania went live in May 2019, with several others following suit throughout the year, and the first PA online casinos followed suit in July 2019. From July to October 2018, seven casinos applied for licenses to open online poker rooms and were given them. Most of these casinos have said they planned to open online poker rooms in 2019, and they have - starting with PokerStars PA in November, and multiple sites joining the online poker bandwagon in 2021, which include WSOP and BetMGM, with others soon to join the picture.

While Pennsylvania was slow on the uptake when it came to online poker, with online casino gaming and online sports betting having been made available to players months before online poker, it seems that PA has learned its lesson. There has been an absolute boom in online poker in the state since its inception, and we are eagerly awaiting more online poker sites to join in on the fun. Rather than be left in the dust by its progressive neighbor, New Jersey, Pennsylvania has chosen to be another leader in online poker, and its residents (and the relevant tax authorities) have given it many pats on the back for a job well done.

FAQ

Do Pennsylvanians have to pay money to participate in online freeroll poker tournaments?

No, there is no cost to play in Pennsylvania freeroll poker tournaments that are played online.

Are there slot machines and poker on web pages in Pennsylvania?

Yes, poker and slot machines are all over Pennsylvania because they give players a lot of choices.

Do you have to live in Pennsylvania to play?

No, geolocation technology only lets you play games inside your state. If any doubt is found about your location-masking technology (like a VPN), you won't be able to play. If caught, your account may be closed and your funds confiscated

How old do you have to be to play at an online Pokier n Pennsylvania?

To play online poker in PA, you must be at least 21 years old and physically in the state. You also need proof of identification. Note that you don't have to live in the Keystone State permanently

Wia Van Cauwenberghe

Editor | Writer

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