Is online gambling legal in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania: status at a glance

One regulator for several products

Pennsylvania places most gambling under a single agency. The Gaming Control Board describes itself as an independent state agency overseeing casino and internet gambling, sports wagering, video gaming terminals and fantasy sports. Its home page lists the online categories as sports wagering, iGaming, online poker and fantasy contests, and the land-based ones as casinos and video gaming terminals.

That breadth matters when reading the market. A name on the Board's lists is a company authorized for a product in Pennsylvania. A name missing from them is not on the Board's authorized list, however polished the website. The regulator's own page is explained on the Pennsylvania gaming regulator page.

How the online casino license works

Online casino and poker are not open to any company that applies. They run under an interactive gaming certificate, which only existing casino license holders can hold, and a certificate holder can offer games itself or through a separately licensed interactive gaming operator. The Board's own list is written in that order: certificate holder first, then any operator, the game types, the website or app, and the start date.

We read the Board's current list on November 11, 2026. Its file name carries the date April 30, 2026, and the Board's expanded gaming page links it as the list in force. It names twelve certificate holders, among them Bally's Pennsylvania, Chester Downs and Marina (which operates Harrah's Philadelphia) and Mountainview Thoroughbred Racing Association (Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course), and it has a separate section for former sites. That section shows how often brands change: one site was rebranded when its operator changed, and several ended service between 2021 and 2026, each under the license of a certificate holder. The most recent exit shown is a Wind Creek Bethlehem site dated March 10, 2026, marked as awaiting a new platform.

For the full register and each holder, go to the online casino page for Pennsylvania.

Poker and sports wagering

The April list includes a poker entry authorized under a casino certificate, with an official start date of July 15, 2021. Sports wagering is licensed by the same Board, and our status table lists it as online. The state-by-state tables, sports betting states and online poker states, show how Pennsylvania compares with others.

Sweepstakes casinos

Sweepstakes casinos have no Pennsylvania license, and no license in any state. Industry trackers list the state as gray: the Board has issued orders concerning such sites. A bill, House Bill 2801, was introduced on September 24, 2026 and is pending. We did not read the Board's orders or the bill text, so we describe them only as trackers do. The general legal theory, and the states that have acted, are on are sweepstakes casinos legal.

Complaints, exclusion and help

The Board's site offers patron complaint and dispute forms and self-exclusion enrollment, and publishes an involuntary exclusion list. Its address is 303 Walnut Street, Commonwealth Tower, 5th Floor, Harrisburg, and its phone number is (717) 346-8300. For gambling problems, the Board links the state resource site at responsibleplay.pa.gov. That site lists 1-800-GAMBLER and a text line, 800GAM. The national helpline, 1-800-MY-RESET (1-800-697-3738), is also open to anyone, and the responsible gambling page lists more.

Frequently asked questions

Is online poker legal in Pennsylvania?

Yes. It is licensed by the Gaming Control Board, and the Board's list shows an online poker site authorized under a casino's certificate.

How can I tell whether a casino site is licensed in Pennsylvania?

Check the Board's current list of certificate holders and authorized websites. A site that does not appear on it is not one the Board lists as authorized.

Can I use a sweepstakes casino in Pennsylvania?

Such sites hold no license. Trackers report Board orders and a pending bill, so the position may change.

Does Pennsylvania regulate fantasy sports?

The Board's home page lists fantasy contests among the categories it oversees.