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If you want to know more about how to get started with a quality mobile gambling app and what’s available for real money gambling via mobile in general, then keep reading through this page. If you just want to get going with using the best gambling apps available right now, click on one of our recommendations below.

The mobile sector of the online gambling world has grown over time to the point that it has overtaken computer play as the most popular way to gamble. This mirrors a similar growth of mobile usage in other areas, which has primarily come thanks to the proliferation of mobile-friendly content.

Now people from all over the world use mobile gambling sites and real money gambling apps for betting and gaming on the go.

The list above or below of the best sites with mobile gambling apps is kept regularly updated by our online betting and gaming experts. Our team regularly bet on sports and play casino games from their mobile devices, so they know exactly how to identify the best real money gambling apps to use.

These mobile gambling apps have been extensively vetted by our team to ensure that they are safe to use for all customers that sign up. Each one offers a unique gambling experience on your mobile device and we truly believe that you won’t be disappointed in any one of these that you choose to play at.

If you’re wondering about our vetting process, our rankings are based on a variety of factors, which is the next thing we address on this page.

• Safety and security – Vital for real money gambling apps
• Compatibility – Apps should work on multiple mobile devices
• Ease of use – Online apps should be easy to use
• Banking – Gambling apps need different options for depositing and withdrawing
• Bonuses and promotions – The best apps are generous to new and existing customers
• Payout speed – Withdrawals from gambling apps should be as quick as possible

The above list is not exhaustive by any means. It shows the most important criteria, but there are many more factors that need to be assessed when ranking gambling apps. Rest assured that we are extremely thorough in our evaluations, and only the very best apps make it onto our list.

In addition to ranking the best real money gambling apps overall, we’ve also ranked the top apps in a variety of different categories. Let’s look at those before moving on.

In what follows, we’re going to break down everything you might want to know about playing on mobile online gambling apps. We’ll walk you through how to get started, the available types of mobile gambling apps, compatibility issues, safety and security, and more.

Because there are so many different popular devices and mobile operating systems, there are a variety of ways to get started playing via mobile, and they largely depend on what type of smartphone or tablet you’re using.

Each individual type of device or OS can have multiple ways to get started gambling, and the method you use can be dependent on the site itself. We’re going to walk you through each of the major possibilities so that you know what’s available when you start gambling with mobile apps.

Most of the major operating systems like iOS and Android have some variation of an app store (or multiple app stores) where you can download various applications directly to your phone from an organized interface.

If you’re looking to play with a specific casino or betting site, they will often give you a link that will direct you straight to the download page from your respective app store. Alternatively, you can look for that gambling site’s name specifically using your app store’s search function.

It’s worth noting that searching for something very general like “mobile slots” in an app store is not ideal because you can turn up a lot of low-quality results, even if they’re free apps, which we’ll cover more below.

Aside from that, these app store download options make it easy for you to add everything to your phone or tablet that you need to play all from one place, and that makes them perfect even for players who may not be confident dealing with technology.

One method that was made popular before most devices had web browsers was to simply allow you to put in your phone number so that you could receive an SMS/text message with a download link for the gambling app in question. Even though most browsers have the ability to open download links directly these days, some sites will still use this type of option.

It’s another good choice if you aren’t confident with technology or if you just like convenience since it’s hard to get lost or confused with this straightforward process.

• Put in your phone number and request a download link
• The link will come to your phone via an SMS/text message
• Tap on the link to open it
• Confirm that you want to download the app

It will be downloaded and installed on your device automatically. All you have to do then is open the online gambling app and get started.

In comparison to using an app store, we actually prefer the SMS/text link option because it makes it harder to get sidetracked or accidentally download the wrong thing.

Sometimes you will have the option to use a QR code to open a download link for the app software. This is a bit more of an advanced approach, and it takes about the same amount of time as either of the above options, so there’s not really any significant advantage.

If you see something that looks like a square barcode with a bunch of tiny black and white squares on it, then that’s probably a QR code. You scan it with a special mode on your phone, and it acts like a link that can open up a website or download for a mobile gambling site.

In essence, it’s a fancy version of sending you a link to get the app. There’s no major advantage to using a QR code to download a mobile gambling app, so if you’re not comfortable with it, then just use either of the above methods if they’re offered.

Once you’ve used one of the above three methods to download the betting or gaming app to your smartphone or tablet, all you need to do is create an account to start gambling.

We have a number of tips down below to help keep yourself and your funds safe and secure when you’re creating this gambling account, but it’s a pretty straightforward process otherwise, and it’s just like creating an account at any other website.

With that having been said, it’s critical that you include your real information like your name, address, and so on.

This is not a time to put in fake information for the sake of privacy. The sites are required to use the information you put in to verify your identity to satisfy the requirements of their gambling license, and this helps to avoid situations of fraud, money laundering, and other issues.

Types of Online Gambling Apps

There is a lot to choose from when it comes to picking out the best gambling apps to play on, and there are even other apps that are used as tools or utilities to help you while you play.

It can feel like you’re being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool when you try to navigate all of this for the first time, so we want to show you exactly what to expect from the different kinds of apps for mobile gambling.

If you were to search for a mobile online casino in an app store, you’d find a whole lot of play money-only options for just about every type of game or way to gamble that you can think of. However, there are some real disadvantages to downloading these gambling apps.

• You never have the option to play for real money on the same games
• The games are typically low quality and are made just well enough to pass the app store’s software standards
• The companies that run these games often focus primarily on marketing, so you’ll have to deal with a lot of ads or having your information used to market to you

Some play money apps are free, while others require you to pay for them. If you’re wondering what’s in it for the developers with the free options, the free apps almost always generate funds by forcing you to view advertisements on a regular basis before you can enjoy your play money mobile games.

To avoid these disadvantages, we strongly suggest sticking with the real money gambling app options we gave on our list of recommended sites at the top.

Many have play money options or similar features where you can enjoy the action with play chips until you’re ready to get in the mix for real funds.

As we mentioned above, the best real money mobile gambling apps will have free play options where you can enjoy the games and betting without having to actually wager money. Instead, they’ll keep a score or balance of virtual chips to let you keep up with how you’re doing.

However, you can have opportunities to win real money prizes without making monetary wagers. No-deposit bonus opportunities are one way to do this with sports betting apps and casino apps. You can also play in online poker freeroll tournaments, which have no entry fee but allow you to win real money payouts if you place high enough.

For most players most of the time, this is a lot more fun than straightforward play money games since you have an actual chance to win something of value without having to risk your own funds.

Additionally, there are a variety of mobile apps that act as tools or utilities to assist you while gambling. What’s available depends on how you’re gambling, but you can check out resources like the following.

• Sports betting tips
• Online poker starting hand charts
• Blackjack strategy tables
• Video poker hand calculators

These aren’t for everyone, and you don’t have to use them, but they’re worth mentioning for players who enjoy focusing on strategy when wagering.

One potential problem that mobile gamblers can run into is the fact that not all software or apps are compatible with all mobile devices. This means that you can find yourself in a situation where you want to play with a site that doesn’t have a viable mobile software option that works for your smartphone or tablet.

In what follows, we’re going to break down how compatibility issues can happen, how they can be avoided, and why our recommended online gambling apps keep you from having to worry about this in virtually all cases.

Some online gambling apps have been designed to work with one specific mobile operating system only, and that will almost always be either iOS or Android since those are the two most popular operating systems. These are called native OS apps, and while this approach is popular for a lot of other types of mobile software, it’s actually the least popular option in the online gambling world.

Virtually all of our top recommended suggestions are based around mobile web options instead. This is because all operating systems for mobile have web browser apps, and that helps ensure that players from all types of devices and operating systems are able to get in on the action.

In essence, since the sites become full screen anyway, it gives you an experience that’s just as good while keeping the compatibility issue from holding you back.

Adobe Flash was the platform used for most of the early mobile gambling options, but it fell to the side with HTML5 taking its place. HTML5 is better in virtually every aspect of the experience compared to Flash, particularly regarding giving players a better overall performance on the same hardware.

However, not all types of gambling will use HTML5 to create graphical displays and so on like what you see in online slots. Instead, you’ll often see regular responsive web pages used with mobile sports betting apps because it makes it easier for the operator to keep the betting odds fresh and updated regularly.

HTML5 is great because it offers a super-strong performance while being compatible with nearly every modern mobile device. However, we don’t want you to think that there’s something wrong with a site if HTML5 is not used, particularly if you’re betting on sports via mobile.

Tablets, Smartphones, and Screen Sizes

One of the things we check for when making our recommendations is that they work on all different types of screens, including large tablets, mid-sized tablets, and a variety of smartphone screen sizes.

With HTML5, screen size is largely irrelevant because the scaling is great and everything is designed to be high-quality and easy to view regardless of whether its scaled to a small or large size.

It’s a bit different with apps, though. They don’t always scale the same way, and even the top real money gambling apps are sometimes optimized for tablets or smartphones but not both.

We’ve done the research on all of our recommended mobile gambling apps so that you don’t have to, and you can check out which screen sizes are available.

However, there is a caveat to this. Smartwatches are not compatible with very many mobile online gambling apps at all. The screens are simply too small to allow the kind of intricate interaction that most types of real money gambling require.

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Safety and Security With Real Money Online Gambling Apps

A significant number of players hesitate to gamble via mobile because they aren’t sure about the potential security risks. If you check out the sites that we have recommended, you can see from our reviews that we have checked them out to make sure that their mobile gambling software is fully secured and safe to play with.

With that said, there are still a few security things that are beyond the reach of the mobile apps themselves, so we recommend you follow the steps below to keep your account information and financial details safe.

For the sake of convenience, many mobile gambling applications will allow you to save your username and/or password for future sessions. We highly recommend against this.

If your phone or tablet is lost or stolen, you’ll have enough problems on your hands without having to worry about someone logging into your real money gambling app and cleaning out your balance. If you keep things set up to automatically log in, then they can do this in just a few taps on your screen.

This is why it’s so critical to not use the automatic log-in features that some software providers put into their apps.

Again, if your phone is lost or stolen, it gives a person access to all of your email accounts and other types of accounts that are logged in on your device. If the email you used for your mobile gambling account is automatically logged in on your smartphone or tablet, then it’s really easy for someone to reset your password to get into your account.

Likewise, they can use similar information from other accounts that you’re logged into to gain information to log in and cause havoc on your gambling accounts.

A solution to this is fairly straightforward: Use a new email address for your mobile gambling account, do not use it for anything else, and do not have it automatically logged in on your phone. While you’re at it, use a username and password unique to that site so that if someone figures out your username and/or password, that will not give them access to everything else.

Frequently Asked Questions About Mobile Gambling Apps

We know that players will have questions about gambling via mobile, especially if it’s their first time. Here, we have compiled some of the most asked questions so that you can get most of your answers first and know exactly what you’re looking at.

This depends on the type of gambling you’re doing and what kind of graphics, video, and sound have to be loaded. Here are a few examples.

• Mobile Slots – Expect these to use a lot of data because of the high level of graphics, sounds, and sometimes video clips
• Mobile Poker – This doesn’t use much data at all because the graphics are downloaded once and saved on your phone
• Mobile Sports Betting – Again, not much data is used here because almost all of the information transferred is in text just like most of what you see on regular websites

For most sites most of the time, including virtually all of our suggested mobile gambling apps, you’ll have no problem using the same account to play on both the mobile and desktop platforms.

This includes sharing an account balance, playing many of the same games, and taking advantage of several of the same promotions. It’s essentially the same account, but you have multiple ways to play from it.

This will depend on where you’re playing, but a large percentage of sites will have mobile casino bonuses, mobile poker bonuses, and special mobile sports betting promotions. You will also be able to take advantage of the regular desktop bonuses and special offers, which means tons of ways to get value while gambling on the go.

If you stick to legitimate gambling apps with a quality license and a solid reputation, the answer is yes. They use proper SSL technologies and trusted payment providers to protect their customers. All of our recommended apps do it.

Yes, you can actually have more of them. A lot of gambling companies offer not only their standard options for mobile users, but some exclusive promotions that are only available on the go.

Most of the time, the quality is identical. It can be slightly better on desktop on rare occasions, but that’s not the case with most gambling apps.

The mobile gambling apps are no different than betting, playing casino games or poker on the internet. In other words, there are off-shore gambling platforms that accept US customers and it’s technically not illegal to use them. To learn more about this topic, feel free to visit our US gambling laws and regulations page.

It depends on the particular app you want to use. Many gambling sites nowadays are mobile-responsive, so they work on almost every mainstream device such as iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, and even BlackBerry.

As for the native apps, they are usually available on iOS and Android only.

If you want to play with virtual cash, you can usually enjoy Texas Hold’em Poker, slots, and classic card and table games like blackjack and roulette.

The real money casinos and poker rooms usually support even more options like video poker, scratch cards, Omaha, and others. And of course, you can also bet on sports.

With most bookmakers, you only need one account to bet on mobile and on desktop. Simply use the same credentials to log into your account.

You can use the same options that are usually available on desktop, such as credit and debit cards, e-wallets, crypto, and more. Some of the best gambling apps have even implemented pay-by-phone services. If you decide to use pay-by-phone, your money will be added to your phone bill at the end of the month.

Most gambling apps are secured well, so you should have no issues betting via Wi-Fi. However, we recommend you avoid unknown networks and public options that require no password.

We’ve researched and reviewed all of the mobile gambling apps from all of the biggest names out there, and we’ve put this information together in our list of recommendations to save you the trouble. While there’s a lot to learn about gambling with apps if you’re just getting started, the software is set up to make the learning curve as smooth and accessible as possible.

If you’re ready to get started, pick out a gambling site from our list, and follow our instructions for how to sign up and start playing.

Alternatively, you can read the following reviews for more information on some our top-ranked gambling apps.

PA online casinos are up and running, and growing fast.

If you are 21 years or older and inside Pennsylvania state lines, you can now enjoy online slots, table games, and video poker from your desktop computer or mobile devices.

This page contains all the information you need to start playing at online casinos in PA.

Below is a guide to the games you can play for free and for realmoney at PA online casinos. After that, you’ll find information on apps, bonuses, safety, and geolocationtechnology.

Regulated casinos also include protection for problem gamblers, which we cover at the end of this page.

Best online casinos in Pennsylvania 2021

Real money and free online casino games in Pennsylvania

You can play most games at PA casinos online for fun. Playing games in demomode, or with play-money chips, allows you to find the titles you like before you gamble.

The only category of games that are notavailable for free play is live dealer table games. You can watch them, though you will not be able to wager on them – at least yet.

The current offerings on real money online casinos in PA are growing, and fast. Casino sites regularly add new games as they are approved by the PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

We offer an overview of how diverse these casino game categories are. Keep in mind that the most prominent New Jersey online casinos offer more than 600 titles.

Play PA online casino games for real money

The number of Pennsylvania online casinos is now in double-digits. All of the PA casino apps are available 24/7 and offer online slots, video poker, and table games such as roulette, blackjack, and baccarat. Use this table to compare the real money casinos in PA.

PA online slots

Slots are the biggest category of games for any online casino. You can expect to see over 200 games listed on some sites and you’ll need some way to sort the list of slot titles.

Firstly, casinos will feature their most popular games. You can use filters to search by, e.g., the number of reels, game developer, progressive jackpots, and so on.

If you enjoy live casino slots, then you will be able to play a lot of these online. You can search by name, or browse the listings for IGT, Bally, or another live slot studio.

Many online casinos feature classic games, e.g., Wheel of Fortune, Cleopatra, and WolfRun. You can also find traditional three-reel slots. Online slot studios like IGT created these.

When you browse the tiled graphics for slots to enjoy, you’ll see progressivejackpots listed underneath many of them. These pools can get massive, up to $1 million or more.

Table games at PA online casinos

Tablegames are a broad category, although it mostly covers all the casino games played on the greenfelt.

While most are card-based, dice and roulette wheels also fall under table games. Live dealer games are in this category; however, we will cover them separately.

This list is for the software-based versions:

• Blackjack: There are a lot of variations of basic blackjack rules. These include games with side bets, multi-hand games and entertaining variants like Blackjack Switch, Free Bet Blackjack, and Spanish 21.
• Roulette: You can bet your favorite numbers or try complex betting systems with online roulette. Where available, choose the European roulette wheel because the single zero reduces the house edge.
• Casino poker games: A lot of card-based table games use poker-hand rankings. Online casinos have Caribbean Stud, three-card poker, Ultimate Texas Hold ’em, Let It Ride, Pai Gow Poker, and Casino Hold ’em.
• Baccarat: Two of the three bets you can place in baccarat have a very low house edge. As long as you avoid the “tie” bet, this favorite among high rollers can be entertaining.
• Craps: With two betting phases and the chance to go on a hot streak as long as no 7s are rolled, craps is a lively live casino game. This appears at some online casinos, which gives you a chance to learn the complex bets.

Live dealer casinos in Pennsylvania

In other states, live dealer table games have become the go-to for many players and soon, they’ll be available in PA. With these, you’ll bet online although the action will be dealt in real-time from studios in PA live casinos. Bets will settle automatically.

Games available include blackjack (where you play on a seven-handed table), roulette, three-card poker, Casino Hold ’em, and baccarat.

Keep in mind, you need to act before the timer runs down in these games. Otherwise, your hand will be folded (or you’ll stand), depending on the game.

You can chat via text with the dealers and other players while you play. The added social element, plus the ability to watch the cards being dealt, make these increasingly popular games.

Video poker and novelty games

PA casinos allow you to play video poker games online. These include bonus poker and multi-hand variations, as well as traditional titles.

Pennsylvania online casino apps

There are pros and cons to online casino apps compared to mobile-friendly websites.

With apps, you often find only a limited number of game titles, along with account and cashier functionality. Compared to the hundreds of games you can play on your browser, this is a significant drawback.

On the positive side, having the graphics stored on your phone helps the games initialize faster. If you have ever had to wait for a bonus game to load on your mobile device after you hit it on a slot, you know how frustrating this can be.

Are the online casinos in Pennsylvania safe?

All online casinos in PA are licensed and under the jurisdiction of the PennsylvaniaGaming Control Board (PGCB).

Players are protected by know your customer (KYC) guidelines and responsible gaming laws. The games are tested for integrity and fairness. A complaint and dispute process is available if necessary.

When it comes to Pennsylvania online casinos, you really can’t get any safer.

The PGCB stated early in the licensing process that they have a deliberate, slow approach. This includes testing periods for new apps and websites. With the licenses for online casinos in Pennsylvania held by local live casinos and racetrack casinos, you’ll have trusted brand names behind each of the apps.

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A major concern for players new to casino games is the fairness of the spins or deals. At regulated casinos, games are regularly audited and the expected return-to-player (RTP) percentages are published. While each game has a small edge in favor of the house, you can be sure that you are getting a fair shot at winning and it’s in line with the published figures.

Casino bonus offers in Pennsylvania

With a lot of real money online casinos opening in PA in quick succession, you can be sure they will be competing to attract new players.

This means 2021 is a perfect time to take advantage of their marketing budgets. Casino bonuses take four primary forms, and not every casino will offer them all. If not, the bonuses they do offer will need to be generous.

Here are the main types of casino bonuses:

• No-deposit welcome bonus: A popular way to attract new players is to offer free play for registering. This bonus is usually a small amount (between $10 and $25). You’ll need to wager it a number of times before you can withdraw it. These offers can start your casino bankroll, if you get lucky. If not, then you’ll have a chance to check out the real-money slot titles without any personal risk.
• Matched deposit bonuses: This is the most common form of a casino welcome bonus in PA. Your first deposit will be matched 100%, usually up to around $300, though sometimes much higher. You then get 30 to 60 days to meet the specified playthrough (wagering) requirements.
• Loyalty/comp point schemes: Some casinos will tie their online comp point schemes together with their live casino. Others have separate schemes, with complex tier systems unlocking progressively bigger bonuses. For high rollers, these loyalty schemes often have a VIP level, too.
• One-off promotions: How active a casino is with promos can make a big difference to your bankroll over time. These vary widely, and include double points deals, reload bonuses, promos linked to new games and free chips for sharing on social media.

While nothing is stopping you from taking up several casino bonuses, keep in mind that these are restricted to one per household for each casino. Many players have been tempted to sign up their entire family for a free-play offer only to find their accounts to be closed down quickly.

Licensed and legal PA casinos vs. offshore casinos

For many years, the only way to play online casino games in Pennsylvania was to risk your money at offshore casinos. While there were some limited legal options with sweepstakescasinos, the new legal PA internet casinos effectively remove the need to take this risk.

Offshore casinos are usually based in the Caribbean or Central America and their legal status is uncertain. While their host nation licenses them, they are not recognized or licensed by any US authority and our banks are legally obliged to block payments to them.

A greater concern is the lack of oversight and controls. Many offshore casinos have disappeared over the years, and many players have faced significant issues getting their winnings paid. If you have a dispute with an offshore casino, there is no industry body or organization to help you.

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With PA casinos under the watchfuleye of the PGCB, they are licensed to accept conventional payment methods and thoroughly tested. There is no longer any reason to risk playing at an offshore site.

Geolocation and PA casinos

You will be able to access the PA online casinos fromanywhere. However, playing games for real money and making deposits can only be made within PA state lines.

Pennsylvania casinos will not allow real-money play if there is any doubt about your location. In New Jersey, this led to a lot of “falsenegatives.” Players who were on mobile devices near state borders were sometimes flagged as being outside of the state.

Fortunately, those initial problems were ironed out and geolocation technology is more reliable.

If you are using a VPN or proxyserver, you might still experience issues. Mobile users on 4G and close to the state border who experience problems can download additionalgeolocationsoftware in some cases.

Wi-Fi data is difficult to fake, and if you are not using a VPN, desktop players are unlikely to experience geolocation issues.

PA casinos eligible to offer online gambling in Pennsylvania

In total, there are 12 licensed casinos that can legally offer online casino games, including slots and blackjack.

• Harrah’s Philadelphia
• Hollywood Casino
• Meadows Casino
• Mohegan Sun Pocono
• Mount Airy Casino Resort
• Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
• Parx Casino
• Presque Isle Downs
• Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
• Rivers Casino Philadelphia (formerly SugarHouse Casino)
• Wind Creek Casino Resort (formerly Sands Bethlehem)
• Valley Forge Resort Casino

In the first month of 2020, FanDuel Casino, BetAmerica, and BetRivers Casino launched just before the Super Bowl. The long-awaited Caesars Online Casino in partnership with Harrah’s Philadelphia followed in April.

Rivers Philadelphia (Formerly SugarHouse Casino) was the first brick-and-mortar casino to offer two different online casino skins under its casino license: PlaySugarHouse and BetRivers. The latter is integrated with the Rivers Pittsburgh online sportsbook that carries the same BetRivers name. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh did not obtain an online casino license.

On May 1, 2020, DraftKings Online Casino went live, becoming the second interactive gaming site under the Hollywood Casino license. Meadows, DraftKings’ land-based partner for online sports betting, does not hold an online casino license. But both Meadows and Hollywood are owned by Penn National Gaming, which has a market-access deal with DraftKings.

FanDuel and DraftKings originally launched online casinos that were integrated with their sportsbooks. Now, both have stand-alone online casino apps live in PA.

In late July 2020, Wind Creek Bethlehem dove into the online betting scene, launching the Wind Creek online casino through a partnership with Pala Interactive.

Live Pennsylvania casinos

There are currently 12 licensed gambling properties in the state of Pennsylvania, with another casino in the works in Philadelphia’s Stadium Park.

According to PGCB, this includes 10 stand-alone and racetrack casinos and two smaller resort casinos. The former two are Category 1 and 2 casinos, while the latter falls into Category 3. These gaming establishments employ approximately 18,000 people and generate close to $1.4 billion in tax revenue annually.

Mini-casinos: The next phase of Pennsylvania casino development

As part of its gambling expansion law passed in October 2017, the state had the ability to issue up to tenCategory 4 licenses. These licenses allow for mini-casinos with 300-750 slots. A supplemental license costing $2.5 million allows these satellite casino properties to offer up to 30 table games as well.

The process for the issuance of mini-casino licensing involves a series of auctions. The preliminary auctions began in January 2018 and were limited only to the licensed Category 1 and 2 casinos. The first license went to Penn National, who spent $50.1 million to secure a location 50 miles south of its existing Hollywood Casino. During the first round of auctions, PGCB awarded five licenses.

The PGCB ran a second round of auctions on Sept. 3, 2019 but there were no bidders this time around. As a result, the five remaining licenses will go unclaimed. In all, $114 million in license fees were raised.

Pennsylvania problem gambling support

A system for self-exclusion for problemgamblers is available at live casinos in Pennsylvania.

This program involves filling out some forms, providing a photo ID, and voluntarily requesting one-year, five-year or lifetime exclusion.

A list of excluded people is distributed to all live casinos. Then it is the casinos’ responsibility is to prevent those people from entering gaming areas.

Removal from this list (for the shorter periods) does not happen automatically. After the period expires, individuals must request their removal personally.

Online gambling prevents new challenges when it comes to the management of problem gambling. For the majority to enjoy safe gambling online, support systems need to be in place for players who experience issues.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Commission manages this support program.

Here is what legal Pennsylvania online casinos must provide:

• A prominentlink to their responsible gambling information page.
• Tools for time-out, self-exclusion and betting limits.
• A list of questions to assess whether you or someone you know has a gambling problem.
• Links to support organizations and therapists.

Support programs in the state include:

Overview of Pennsylvania’s casino industry

The Pennsylvania casino industry is relatively young. Casinos only became legal in 2004. Yet, in the dozen or so years in existence, the industry quickly became a powerhouse. Now it is the second-largest commercial casino industry in the country judging by gross revenue, trailing only Nevada.

Thanks to steep tax rates, Pennsylvania casinos actually generate more tax revenue for the state than Nevada does. That number has gotten even bigger thanks to the gambling expansion law passed in the fall of 2017.

Here is a look at the history of the Pennsylvania casino industry, starting with the latest news and moving back towards the casino industry’s more humble beginnings:

The year began on a high, but that soon changed as the spread of COVID-19 led to the shuttering of all retail casinos and racetracks in PA by mid-March. That meant furloughs for casino employees and falling casino stock prices.

Online sportsbooks were also hit hard, with most sports sidelined for a lengthy period of time.

On a positive note, three more online casinos joined the market before the Super Bowl. The FanDuel online casino made quite a splash, surging to highest handle and revenue earner after its first full month in February.

The long-awaited Caesars sportsbook went live on March 10 in partnership with Harrah’s Philadelphia, bringing the state’s online sports betting apps to a total of nine. The Caesars online casino followed on April 23, making it nine internet casinos too. An online poker room under the WSOP.com name is expected to follow.

On May 1, DraftKings added an online casino product to its established online sportbook. Its online casino product is under the Hollywood Casino license, while the DraftKings sportsbook partners with Penn’s other PA property, The Meadows. Both FanDuel and DraftKings later debuted standalone online casino apps in June and July, respectively.

Wind Creek launched its first online product with an online casino in late July, and Live! Casino brought PlayLive! online casino to PA in mid-August. Live! was the only casino to launch iGaming ahead of retail openings, which are to follow in 2021.

Online wagering sparked and sportsbooks blossomed.

With sportsbooks, there were just three operations at the beginning of the year, and all were retail. By the end of the year, the Keystone State had 12 retail sportsbooks.

But eight online sportsbooks were also running by year’s end, with around 84% of all sports wagering done online. Taken together, sports betting took in more than a billion bucks in 2019.

Five online casino sites went live, the first ones launching in July, though a new Wire Act opinion likely slowed that market segment at the start.

And at long last, an online poker site finally launched. On Nov. 4, FOX Bet was joined by PokerStars Casino and PokerStars PA, making poker a reality in the Keystone State.

In October 2019, SugarHouse changed its name to Rivers Casino Philadelphia, but not before launching the first PA online sportsbook in May. PlaySugarHouse sportsbook and online casino still retain the SugarHouse name.

After a summer of bickering, the state legislature drafted a new version of the gambling expansion package, which both the House and Senate passed. Gov. Tom Wolf signed it into law on Monday, Oct. 30, 2018. The new law allows for a wide range of new gambling ventures, including:

• Online casinos
• Video gambling terminals (VGTs)
• Daily fantasy sports (DFS)
• Satellite casinos
• Sports betting

It also offered a new class of license eliminating the amenity fee in place at Valley Forge and Lady Luck Nemacolin. Valley Forge paid the fee immediately after the bill became law.

New licensing fees brought in more than $311 million for the state.

The PA Lottery launched several new games and created the online platform iLottery.

A US Supreme Court ruling allowed sports wagering to begin and nine of 12 properties immediately applied for licenses.

Total gambling revenue topped $3.4 billion.

Legislation which would legalize and regulate online gambling in Pennsylvania, and offer online gaming licenses to the state’s 12 casino properties first, was passed by the Senate. In June 2017 it was amended and passed by the House, sending it back to the Senate.

The law was approved at the end of October.

The law ushered in sportsbook wagering and video game terminals at truck stops, and a new category of “mini-casinos” was created. As part of the expansion, horse racing money from casino slot revenue was encumbered in a trust fund. The slot money was originally set aside as part of the deal which led to the 2004 approval of casinos.

Casinos set a revenue record of $3.227 billion.

Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin opened in July 2013.

Valley Forge Casino Resort opened its doors in March 2012 becoming the first Category 3 licensed casino in Pennsylvania.

After several ownership changes and failed financing plans with no construction to date, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board voted to revoke the Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia gaming license in December 2010.

SugarHouse Casino opened its first phase in Philadelphia in September 2010.

Pennsylvania passed a law in January 2010, authorizing table game operations at the state’s licensed racino, casino, and resort casino properties. The law also clarified the size and scope of gaming and other operations at the state’s three different categories of gaming licensees, including:

• Allowing up to 250 table games and 5,000 slot machines at Category 1 racino facilities
• Allowing 250 table games and 5,000 slot machines at Category 2 stand-alone casinos. These properties were also authorized to operate amenities including restaurants, spas, and entertainment options, but not hotels.
• Allowing up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games at Category 3 resort casinos. These gaming facilities can include attached hotels.

Parx Casino standalone gaming facility opened its doors in December .

Rivers Casino opened in Pittsburgh, PA’s Chateau neighborhood along the Ohio River in September.

Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem opened on the Bethlehem Works development site in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in May 2009. Table games were added in July 2010. The property officially changed ownership to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in June 2019. The casino is now known as Wind Creek Bethlehem.

Hollywood Casino opened at Penn National racetrack in February 2008.

Mount Airy Casino Resort officially opened in the Poconos in November 2007, becoming the first Pennsylvania casino with lodging.

The Meadows Casino began as a temporary casino adjacent to the racetrack in Washington County, PA in June 2007. The permanent casino opened in 2009.

Presque Isle Downs casino and horse racing track near Erie, Pennsylvania opened in February 2007.

A slots parlor began operation at Harrah’s Philadelphia racetrack on the Chester waterfront. Table games went live at the property in 2010.

Parx Casino opened as a temporary gaming facility at the former Philadelphia Park racetrack in December 2006.

Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia is granted one of five stand-alone casino licenses for a soon-to-be-built property located along the Delaware River in South Philadelphia. The project fell apart, resulting in PGCB revoking the license in 2010.

Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs became the state’s first slot parlor after opening its doors in November 2006 at a harness track near Wilkes-Barre.

State lawmakers made a number of amendments to horse track security bill authorizing both the use of 61,000 slot machines at racetracks and other new casino locations across Pennsylvania. Lawmakers rushed the bill through the House and Senate over the Fourth of July weekend, then quickly became law before any real opposition to casino gambling had a chance to oppose it.

The bill ultimately authorized the issue of three separate categories of slot machine licenses. These included:

• Category 1 for existing racetracks.
• Category 2 for designated tourist areas, including two in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh.
• Category 3 for resorts.

Former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell runs for Pennsylvania Governor. He wins on a campaign that includes support for the idea of allowing slot machines at racetracks in an effort to lower property taxes.

Under Then-Governor Tom Ridge the State Legislature came close to legalizing riverboat casinos. The state’s anti-gambling movement began to grow and Gov. Ridge said he would veto any gambling bill not approved by referendum. Eventually the entire idea was scrapped.

A statewide survey found 48 percent of Pennsylvania residents supported legalized riverboat gambling and just 38 percent were opposed. However, Then-Governor Robert P. Casey claimed to be opposed to gambling and threatened to veto any gambling legislation passed in the state.

First developed under Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode, and championed by mayoral successor Ed Rendell, a proposal to allow riverboat gambling in Philadelphia made it to the state legislature. The claim was it would create $25 million in new revenue for the city and 11,500 new jobs. However, the House of Representatives voted against it in November by a margin of 118-81.

Resorts Casino Hotel opened in Atlantic City, New Jersey, becoming the first legal casino in Atlantic City. Resorts and the rest of the Atlantic City Boardwalk is within 60 miles of Philadelphia. It quickly become evident that Pennsylvania residents are some of the budding Atlantic City casino industry’s best customers.