neminacil1977.netlify.com

Hollywood Casino, situated on the prestigious Penn National Racecourse, was the first to apply for just about every gambling license you can imagine. It managed to establish the first retail sportsbook within Pennsylvania and also launched the very first online casino in the Keystone State.

PlaySugarHouse, Hollywood Casino and Parx were among the first PA online casinos to offer real money slots and table games to Pennsylvanians. It all started on October 30th, 2017 when Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolfe officially signed a bill that will legalize and regulate many forms of online gambling in the state. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is working on the online and mobile betting regulations that each of the new online casinos in PA will have to adhere to. By all means, the Pennsylvania gambling industry took a huge leap in late 2017 when the legislature approved the gambling expansion plans.

The Hollywood Online Casino in Pennsylvania impresses with one of the biggest selections of casino games from several world-class software providers and showers both newcomers and existing players with tons of promotional offers. New players are greeted by a $10 no-deposit bonus along with a 100% welcome bonus up to $251 for their first two deposits (which is a total bonus of up to $502).

Together, you can earn a total of $512 from this Welcome Bonus!

You can also look forward to a wide variety of reliable payment methods, a modern and sophisticated user interface, and superior customer support that you can reach on both your desktop and mobile device for added convenience. With all that in mind, let’s take a closer look at what Hollywood Casino offers players in Pennsylvania.

Hollywood Casino PA welcome bonus

Hollywood Casino is considered one of the most generous operators in the Keystone State, and you will quickly agree with this statement once you take a look at the promotions section embedded on the site. Newly registered players from Pennsylvania will receive a $10 no-deposit bonus for simply registering a new account on the site.

The $10 no-deposit bonus can be used in a variety of ways to further enrich your online gaming experience without having to commit with a real money deposit. You can essentially test a handful of games, evaluate the user interface and software platform, and test all the features infused into the software without spending a penny of your own hard-earned money.

Once you’ve evaluated every aspect of Hollywood Casino with your $10 no-deposit bonus, you will also be entitled to a 100% welcome bonus up to $502 between your first twoinitial deposits. This is a fantastic way to get started at Hollywood Casino as it not only prolongs your online gaming adventure but also increases your chances of winning due to a bigger bankroll.

That’s a whopping $512 in Bonuses!

Hollywood Casino promo code 2021

How the PA bonus works

To claim the $10 no-deposit bonus, you merely need to visit the official Hollywood Casino website via one of our exclusive links and register a new account. You will receive the $10 no-deposit bonus instantly after your account is registered, giving you the freedom to start your online betting experience from the moment you step through the virtual doors at Hollywood Casino.

The $10 no-deposit bonus only needs to be wagered once to meet the playthrough requirements, making it one of the most attractive welcome offers in the online gaming industry of Pennsylvania. Once you’ve claimed the no-deposit offer, you will also qualify for a 100% welcome bonus up to $251 on your first two deposits, totaling $502.

To claim the 100% welcome bonus up to $502, you will need to visit the cashier section at Hollywood Casino and provide the promotion code “DOUBLETAKE” before making your initial deposit. Please keep in mind that the welcome bonus will require a minimum deposit of $10 to successfully activate the offer on your account.

The 100% welcome bonus only needs to be wager one time to meet the wagering requirements, and you have a full 60 days to achieve this before the bonus is removed from your account. Once you meet the wagering requirements on the welcome offer, you are more than welcome to request a withdrawal.

Hollywood Casino PA promotions

Once you’ve claimed the two welcome offers and earned your $512 in bonuses at Hollywood Casino, you will be entitled to an assortment of ongoing promotions as an existing player. The promotional material at Hollywood Casino is updated frequently, ensuring you always have something new and exciting to look forward to with every login.

Hollywood Casino will give you the opportunity to invite your friends to play with you while providing additional bonuses for you and your friends. Simply send your referral link to each of your friends and ensure that each of them makes a deposit to claim your bonus.

Hollywood Casino also offers exceptional reload bonuses, slot tournaments, free spin offers, and cashback offers on a continual basis. So make sure to visit the promotions section before you make your next deposit.

Hollywood Casino loyalty program

MyChoice, formerly known as Marquee Rewards, is the loyalty program that is offered at Hollywood Casino to all players in Pennsylvania. The MyChoice loyalty program will give you the unique opportunity to earn rewards at more than 40 land-based properties that fall under the Penn National Gaming umbrella.

Some of the perks and benefits that you can look forward to with the MyChoice rewards program include discounts on accommodations, discounts at restaurants, and tickets to exclusive shows that form part of the Penn National Gaming corporation, to mention but a few.

The MyChoice rewards program will also closely monitor all online gaming activity on your account as well and shower you with loyalty points for every bet you place at the casino. You can use the loyalty points to unlock more tier levels that will eventually lead to exclusive promotions that are tailor-made for your account, complimentary bonuses, a dedicated account manager, faster withdrawals, increased deposit limits, and more.

You will automatically form part of the MyChoice rewards program from the moment you register your account at Hollywood Casino, allowing you to earn loyalty points from your very first bet.

How to register at Hollywood Casino

If you are interested in registering a new account at Hollywood Casino, you simply need to visit the official Hollywood Casino website and click on the blue and white “Register” button that is located in the top right-hand corner of the homepage.

Once you click on the “Register” button, you will be taken to the registration page, where you will need to provide some personal details to create your account. The series of fields you will need to fill in include:

• Username
• Email address
• Password
• Security question
• First name
• Last name
• Date of birth
• Cell number
• Street address
• City
• Zip code
• State
• Country
• Last four digits of Social Security number
• Promotion code
• Acknowledgment of terms and conditions

Once each of these fields has been completed, you can click on the white and blue “Finish Registration” button to complete the registration process. If you are not older than 21, or any of your details are incorrect, you will not be able to successfully register an account at Hollywood Casino.

Hollywood Casino PA user interface and navigation

When you access the Hollywood Casino website from Pennsylvania, you will be greeted by a patriotic casino layout, complete with a red, blue, and white color scheme. In the top right-hand corner of the website, you will find the promotions section, responsible gaming section, and the login/registration section along with a help icon to take you through to the help center at Hollywood Casino.

You will find a promotional banner underneath the login section of the site, allowing you to stay up-to-date with the latest game releases, promotional offers, and any newsworthy articles that will play a significant role during your stay at Hollywood Casino. Located below the promotional banner is all the casino games that you can enjoy while playing at the casino.

You will be able to choose between four game categories: “All,” “Slots,” “Table” and “Safari-Soiree,” to make it easy to filter through the wide range of games on offer. Hollywood Casino also includes an innovative search function and an additional filter that will categorize all games alphabetically or by feature first. In addition, you will find extra information on the MyChoice rewards program, the refer-a-friend program, the customer support desk, and the Hollywood mobile casino app underneath the games library.

Additionally, you will find several useful links to other sections of the casino, including contact us, about us, privacy policy, FAQs, terms and conditions, feedback, and funding methods at the bottom of the Hollywood Casino homepage. The overall layout of the site is simplistic, yet modern. Navigating through the website is also an absolute breeze, making it a fantastic choice if you are a newcomer to the world of online gambling.

Hollywood Casino mobile app in PA

If you are someone who enjoys playing casino games while being stuck in traffic, or even when you are on a relaxing holiday away from home, you’ll be pleased to know that Hollywood Casino will travel with you wherever you might be thanks to the addition of a mobile casino app.

The Hollywood mobile casino app will allow you to enjoy the same products and services offered on its desktop counterpart from the palm of your hand. You’ll have access to sign up for a new account and claim an assortment of promotions on a wide range of handheld devices. You will also have the power to make deposits, manage your payment methods, request withdrawals, and contact support if you ever experience a problem.

The Hollywood Casino mobile app can be downloaded directly from the website and is available on Android and iOS devices. The mobile app from Hollywood Casino is lightning fast, easy to use, and very reliable within the borders of Pennsylvania.

How to download the Hollywood Casino app

To download the Hollywood Casino app, you merely need to visit the official Hollywood Casino website and scroll down the homepage until you see the “Play Anywhere in Pennsylvania” banner with the “Get the App” icon in blue. Simply click on “Get the App” to start the download procedure.

Once you’ve clicked on the “Get the App” icon, you will be transported to a new page, where you will find the download links for the Android and iOS operating systems. For iOS users, the download procedure is painless and quick. However, the same cannot be said for those who wish to download the Hollywood mobile casino app on Android devices.

You will first need to give your Android device permission to download apps that are not available on the Google Play Store. Hollywood Casino will provide additional instructions to allow this on your device, along with a link to customer support should you run into any problems.

Hollywood Casino PA game selection

Hollywood Casino impresses with one of the largest game libraries in the Keystone State, making it a popular choice for players searching for an endless variety of gaming options. The list of games offered at Hollywood Casino is supplied by several world-class software providers, including IGT and NetEnt. There are over 100 options available at Hollywood Casino, with more being added on a regular basis.

Slots

The largest selection of casino games at Hollywood Casino is video slots. You will have the ability to choose from more than 90 slot titles, each offering a unique storyline and theme to provide a captivating reel-spinning adventure. You will even be able to choose from different payline structures and betting options to suit your pocket.

What’s even more impressive is that Hollywood Casino comes equipped with a handful of exclusive slots that you can enjoy only in Pennsylvania, including Wheel of Fortune, Da Vinci Diamonds, and Cleopatra. Some of the other popular slot titles at Hollywood Casino include:

• Scruffy Duck
• Wild-O-Tron 3000
• Jingle Spin
• Jack and the Beanstalk
• Motorhead
• Treasures of Troy
• Asgardian Stones
• Jack Hammer
• Jumanji
• Atomic Meltdown

Table games

The table game section at Hollywood Casino is much smaller than the variety of slots but still provides hours of entertainment if you enjoy games of skill. Each table game comes equipped with fantastic graphics and animations along with crystal-clear sound effects to provide an immersive betting experience. You can currently enjoy table games like:

• Blackjack (IGT)
• Blackjack multi-hand (NetEnt)
• American roulette
• Baccarat (NetEnt)
• Baccarat (IGT)
• Roulette advanced
• Roulette (IGT)
• European roulette
• French roulette

Video poker

Hollywood Casino even provides a single video poker variant that you can enjoy on both your desktop and mobile devices. There’s also plans to expand this game category in the near future to make it as comprehensive as possible. The video poker variant that is currently available at the casino is:

• Game King Video Poker

Hollywood Casino PA banking options

Hollywood Casino makes transacting on your account as easy and effortless as possible thanks to several reliable and trusted payment methods embedded in the software. Each of these payment methods uses the latest SSL encryption technology to safeguard both your personal and financial data from third-party hackers and doesn’t come with any additional charges or fees from the casino’s end.

Deposit options

The smallest deposit you can make at Hollywood Casino is $10, and your funds will reflect instantly once your deposit has been made. You are welcome to add funds to your casino account with any of the following options:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• ACH/e-check
• PayNearMe
• VIP Preferred
• Hollywood Play+

Withdrawal options

When you are ready to make a withdrawal from your account, you’ll be pleased to know that Hollywood Casino also comes equipped with a decent selection of payment methods to provide a smooth and lightning-fast experience which ensures you get your winnings in a timely manner. The list of withdrawal options includes:

• Regular check
• Hollywood Play+
• VIP Preferred
• ACH/E-Check

Please keep in mind that the turnaround time on your winnings will depend on the payment method you choose. For instance, you will need to wait around two to five business days when using the ACH/e-check option, while the regular check option will take up to three weeks before the funds are in your mailbox. Please check the turnaround times on each payment method before you continue with your cash-in request.

Hollywood Casino PA customer support

Hollywood Casino promises a fun and entertaining experience without any interruptions or delays when it comes to online gaming. However, not everything can operate perfectly all the time, which means you will eventually run into a problem or be faced with a query that you can’t answer by yourself.

When this occurs, you can rest assured that the customer support center at Hollywood Casino will be there to assist you every step of the way. You can reach the support desk through several contact channels, including:

• Live chat
• Email

The customer support center is available around the clock and will provide friendly and professional assistance, whether it’s night or day. Alternatively, you can make use of the FAQ section that covers a long list of commonly asked questions, complete with comprehensive answers to get you back on track.

Hollywood Casino PA licensing information

Hollywood Casino in the Keystone State is regulated and licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. If you would like to find out more about the PGCB, you simply need to click on the icon at the bottom of the Hollywood Casino homepage.

History of Hollywood Casino

The Hollywood Casino Corp. was initially a gaming company that was situated in Dallas before it was acquired by Penn National Gaming in 2003 for approximately $328 million. This allowed Penn National Gaming to acquire three casinos in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Illinois.

The acquisition of Hollywood Casino also doubled the revenue for Penn National and assisted the company is moving away from horse racing and into the casino business at the same time. Once the acquisition was completed, Penn National decided to rebrand other properties under the name of Hollywood Casino.

• Casino Promotions
• Software
• Customer Service
• Deposit/Banking

Summary

The Hollywood Casino site is Penn National Gaming’s first foray into online casino, but with an experienced partner like IGT, it is recognized as a quality product. Given that Hollywood is a national brand, it could also potentially launch in other states as online gambling expands.

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.

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:

Hollywood Casino Pa Online

• 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.

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 Online Slots

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.

Hollywood Casino Pa Online Casino

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.

Hollywood Casino Pa Online Casinos

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.