PA Online Poker for Real Money – A Guide

Is online poker legal in Pennsylvania? Yes, it is. After the 2019 legalization of sports betting in the state, the online poker market has been expanding rapidly. Other online casino games have also seen an uptick in popularity. This guide will help you find the best online betting sites for poker in Pennsylvania.

There are a host of land-based casinos in Pennsylvania but why go to those when you can stay at home, play in daily tournaments, and have all your comforts within walking distance? That’s right, you can play real money poker games entirely online. We’ll give you information regarding the best online poker operators at the most reliable offshore sportsbooks.

Keep reading to learn more about the online poker scene of the Keystone State and how to get started playing poker online.

List of the Best Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites

Bookmakers Review collects data and provides reviews from both our staff and our users to pinpoint the most reliable online betting sites.

Many sportsbooks now offer online poker in PA. Offshore sportsbooks, which have grown a large user base due to their offerings in this specific area of the gambling world, are also longstanding figures in the online poker market. All of these sites offer tournaments, Sit & Go games as well as cash games.

  1. Bovada – Biggest online Poker site in Pennsylvania
  2. BetOnline – Most user-friendly poker site
  3. Everygame – Excellent bonus offer
  4. SportsBetting.ag – Large player pool as part of the BetOnline network

Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites Reviewed

Obviously, when choosing an online poker room there are many considerations and here we’ll take a deeper look at the top online poker operators in Pennsylvania along with our reviews of each site.

1. Bovada: Biggest Online Poker Site in Pennsylvania

Bovada Poker

Bovada has risen to the top of the online sportsbooks in Pennsylvania and offers everything you could want: a sportsbook, a casino with live dealers, a racebook and a poker room.

Actually, Bovada’s poker room is the busiest in the country, with a huge selection of tournaments, sit-and-go games, and quick-play options. Since its part of the Bodog network, it collects users from Bodog and Ignite meaning a massive base of customers. They offer $2 million in prizes each month.

One of the advantages here is that users can play anonymously and with such a large pool of players to go up against, you can often find yourself in favorable positions against inexperienced players.

Each month they host a Monthly Milly (a $1 million prize pool) where you can buy a seat for $535 or enter via a satellite tournament from as low as $1.10. There are also smaller tournaments with lower entry fees.

Bovada offers a 100% matched bonus on your first deposit on the site up to $500 with no rollover requirement. However, it is released in $5 increments, based on the number of reward points you earn on Bovada within the first 30 days after your original deposit. Outside of the welcome bonus, there are other ways to boost your bankroll. There are a wide variety of promo codes at Bovada that can provide substantial benefits.

Pros:

  • Excellent layout
  • Biggest Poker room in the US
  • Generous bonus offering

Cons:

  • Earning bonus cash is a little tedious

2. BetOnline: Most User-Friendly Poker Site

BetOnline Poker

After over two decades in the industry, BetOnline has proven to be an excellent provider of entertainment. Their online poker room is part of the Chico poker network, which means that they have customers from SportsBetting.ag and Tiger Gaming making it the third busiest poker room in the US.

Alongside the sportsbook, racebook and online casino, BetOnline.ag offers a poker room that can be played from within your browser or through an app downloadable on your iPhone or Android device.

The range of games offered is impressive with Omaha, big money tournaments, daily tournaments, sit-and-go games, and progressive bounty tournaments where the more players you knock out, the more money you earn.

They offer a tournament with a $2 million guaranteed prize pool which takes place over 2 weeks and gives free tournament tickets every day. Also available is the chance for a $2000 daily jackpot, as well as a $300k main event with the chance of entering through satellite tournaments.

Another useful addition to the portfolio on BetOnline is the Bad Beat tables. If you land four of a kind and then go on to lose the hand then you and everyone at the table earn a bonus.

BetOnline offers a 100% matched deposit bonus of up to $1,000 when using BetOnline promo codes. Much like Bovada, it is paid out in $5 increments for every $50 of rake you accumulate in the first 30 days after opening your account. 

Pros:

  • Big tournaments
  • Soft players due to their large player pool
  • Large bonus on offer

Cons:

  • Would prefer immediate bonus redemption

3. Everygame: Excellent Bonus Offer

Everygame Poker

Having recently undergone a facelift, Everygame will welcome you with a sleek design that is a pleasure to use. This online betting site offers a sportsbook, casino and dedicated poker room with software you can download for free, or the ability to play through their website on desktop or mobile making it one of the better poker platforms out there.

At Everygame, you’ll be greeted by their online poker welcome offer of up to $1000 bonus cash, thanks to a 200% matching offer on your first deposit of up to $500. Plus, they’ll also add 25 free spins in the casino for a little extra.

Like the rest of the best sites in Pennsylvania, the bonus cash is released in $5 increments for every $83 you wager. It can be less if you enter tournaments through the site and it doesn’t seem like there’s any play-through requirement on this bonus cash. For players that want even more bonus funds, there are a number of promo codes at Everygame that can be used.

Once signed up, you can enter a variety of tournaments with various prizes, as well as the usual sit-and-go opportunities if you don’t have the time to play an entire tournament.

Overall, Everygame is a well-designed website, offering a fantastic app provided by the Horizon poker network allowing players around the country to play against each other.

Pros:

  • Well-designed site and mobile app
  • Big bonus offering
  • Good loyalty program

Cons:

  • Not the biggest player pool
  • Other books offer bigger tournaments
Sportsbetting.ag Poker

Sportsbetting.ag offers an app for either Android or iOS and the ability to play from your browser on a desktop or mobile device if you don’t want to download another app to your device. Here, you can find a sportsbook, a casino with live dealers, and a racebook.

As part of the BetOnline group, you can expect the same high standards and there’s a lot on offer in the online poker room including a wide choice of tournaments, as well as sit-and-go games.

They offer a 100% match bonus up to $1000 which is released in $5 payments for every $50 of rake you complete. A similar offer to everyone else on this list.

Bad beat tables are available here, as well as a $2 million prize pool tournament and several other smaller events which still have large prize pools. There is a leaderboard for regular players that offers free money depending on how far up the ladder you finish.

The mobile app was updated over the summer giving you one of the most up-to-date pieces of software in Pennsylvania.

Pros:

  • Large player pool as part of the BetOnline network
  • Great software
  • Variety of tournaments

Cons:

  • Customer service issues in the past

Playing real money games at online poker sites is completely legal in Pennsylvania, as all forms of gambling were legalized statewide in 2019.

Video Poker

At most online poker rooms in Pennsylvania, you have the ability to play video poker, whether for real cash or to hone your skills using free cash.

Video poker is a simplified version where you’re trying to get a pair of Jacks or higher to win cash from your virtual hand and can be played anywhere using any of the best sportsbooks with online poker rooms in Pennsylvania.

Casual Poker

Of course, playing poker at your table at home with your friends is a fun experience but with the advent of mobile technology and online poker rooms, you now have the opportunity to host your own online poker games and invite your friends without any of you having to travel.

Pennsylvania Poker Laws

While online poker gambling in Pennsylvania was previously illegal, the transition to legalize online gambling in all forms was granted in 2019 meaning that all kinds of poker gambling are legal in Pennsylvania.

If you are venturing into online poker for the first time, it seems sensible to use an offshore sportsbook. They bring years of experience in the online poker scene to the table, offer generous bonuses, and feature thousands of active players from around the world.

Pennsylvania Poker – Live and in Person

Thanks to the legalization of all forms of gambling in the Keystone State, you have the opportunity to play poker either in person or in online poker rooms. There are a number of land-based sites in Pennsylvania that offer poker games, namely racetrack casinos.

  • Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino & Racetrack
  • Hollywood Casino
  • The Meadows Racetrack and Casino
  • Mohegan Sun Pocono Downs
  • Mount Airy Casino Resort
  • Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
  • Parx Racing and Casino
  • Presque Isle Downs
  • Rivers Casino Philadelphia
  • Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
  • SugarHouse Casino
  • Valley Forge Casino Resort

History of Online Poker in Pennsylvania

2010: The Pennsylvania Legislature passes a law authorizing table games, including poker, at the state’s newly established resort casinos.
2004: The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act is passed, legalizing slot machines and electronic table games at select horse racing tracks in the state, but does not include provisions for table games such as poker.
1992: The federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is passed, effectively banning sports betting in all states except Nevada, which was exempted due to its pre-existing sports betting industry.
1971: The Pennsylvania Lottery is established, becoming the first state lottery east of the Mississippi River. While the lottery does not include poker games, it is a popular form of gambling in the state.

After becoming the 4th state in the union to legalize online gambling of all forms, Pennsylvania paved the way for residents to play at legal online poker sites.

Since 2019, more options to play poker online have popped up across the state. If you’re just entering the online poker scene, you may want to consider an offshore sportsbook with decades of experience, such as those mentioned in this article.

Not only do these sites offer real money poker games at any time, but you can also typically find great bonus offers available at these online betting sites because they have lower taxes and operating costs.

Top Tips for Real Money Online Poker in PA 2023

When playing online poker for real money, you’ll want to make sure you don’t give your money away.

The biggest tip when it comes to comparing online poker platforms is to take advantage of the many generous bonuses, and sign-up promos offered to new players. Deposit bonuses are the most common. These deposit bonuses are also known as deposit match bonuses. When you make your first poker deposit, the site will match that amount in bonus money.

Online poker games are just like those that you’d find at Mount Airy Casino, or over in Atlantic City. You’ll be able to play multiple types of games, at a variety of buy-in levels. Many of them also offer a daily tournament schedule or even specialized tournaments.

Here are some ways to improve your poker strategies:

  • Pick a large player pool. The more online poker players there are, the more chance you’ll have to find soft games, which increase your chance of winning hands.
  • Learn how to bluff. It is difficult trying to read people online as you are playing against cards rather than faces but bluffing is key to maximizing your options.
  • Small stakes. Most online poker platforms offer small-stake games or free games where you can hone your skills when you’re first learning the ropes of internet poker.
  • Learn the game. At its heart, poker is a game of skill. If you can learn the odds of what cards are remaining then you’ll increase your chances of winning. Learn from the poker pros and brush up on your math skills.

How to Play Online Poker in Pennsylvania

It is very simple to play online poker in Pennsylvania and start winning money online.

Before you choose a sportsbook, make sure to check out the game options, deposit methods, withdrawal methods, and if you can score any free games with a bonus code. Ensuring that the online casino or sportsbook offers a nice selection of cash games, accepts various banking methods and provides their customers with enticing promo codes is important if you want to get the best betting experience possible.

Some of the most commonly accepted banking methods are debit cards, credit cards (Mastercard, American Express, Visa), bank wire transfers and even crypto.

Popular bonus codes include risk-free bets, deposit match bonuses and welcome bonuses. These generous bonus offers are all essentially bonus money for you to enjoy even more poker gambling or casino gaming with these real money poker sites.

Playing Poker in Pennsylvania

Gambling in-person at a commercial casino, and visiting online poker sites are both completely legal thanks to the state’s gambling expansion in 2019. Although there is nothing like the atmosphere of a legal casino such as Rivers Casino, surrounded by slot machines, online poker players still come out on the better end of the deal.

These offshore casinos have been around for far longer than the bookmakers based in the Keystone state. At BookmakersReview, we have been rating a huge range of online betting sites for years, giving you the best and worst on offer. We also feature a useful comparison tool that allows you to find the best online poker sites and apps available in Pennsylvania.

FAQ – Betting Online in Pennsylvania

Can I play online poker in Pennsylvania?

Since the new online gambling bills were passed in 2019, playing online poker games, and using online poker apps, is completely legal. Pennsylvanians can play real money poker games whenever they’d like. The online poker launch greatly increased gambling options in the state.

Is there online gambling in Pennsylvania?

Yes, there is online gambling in Pennsylvania both at land-based casinos and safe, legal sites like offshore sportsbooks.

What online casinos can you play in Pennsylvania?

You can play with any state-regulated online casino or offshore site in the Keystone State due to Pennsylvania’s online gambling laws.

What online poker sites are in Pennsylvania?

Gambling expansion initiatives have paid off over the years in Pennsylvania. Online poker players can play real money games at any of their favorite poker sites. We highly recommend checking out one of our top picks for the best online poker sites in our casino review above.

What gambling apps are legal in PA?

You can use popular gambling apps like DraftKings Sportsbook or FanDuel Sportsbook to gamble on your mobile device or to enjoy Daily Fantasy Sports.

Can you play Texas Hold’em online in Pennsylvania?

You can enjoy this popular variant of poker with any of our top-picks for the best Pennsylvania casinos, in addition to many other types of poker formats. These sites also offer online slots, dealer games, online table games and even online sports betting.

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