Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites
In Pennsylvania, poker players have the pleasure of experiencing thrilling cash games and tournaments online. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to experience all of the excitement of playing poker, and online gaming offers up the additional benefit of allowing you to claim generous bonuses that you would never find in land-based venues.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has authorized online poker, online casino games like slots and video poker, and table games like blackjack, roulette, and baccarat. There will likely be a plethora of casino games available.
There are a number of Pennsylvania online poker sites available to players, but some definitely stand out from the bunch. The top PA online poker rooms not only provide you with a great selection of games and quality software but also offer up bonuses that build your bankroll, fun tournaments and excellent customer service.
An Easy Way to Play Poker in USD
With the population of 13 million, online poker in Pennsylvania could turn a significant profit for the state Senate Bill 1386. In June of 2014, state Senator Edwin Erickson introduced a new bill, the Senate Bill 1386, which proposed a taxation rate of 14% and $5 million licensing fee. And while residents of the state of PA are more than able to play online poker and Internet poker games like Texas Hold’em poker at one of many top-ranking online poker websites, Pennslyvania’s burgeoning gambling and real cash poker betting community will likely have to wait at least a bit longer for state operated online poker websites to be legalized.
Live PA online poker sites PokerStars PA. As noted, right now PokerStars PA is the only game in town for online poker players in Pennsylvania. The site has proven a hit since first going live on November 4, 2019, exceeding early expectations and consistently attracting higher traffic than is the case on the PokerStars NJ site. So, here is all the information about the online poker sites in Pennsylvania, whether they are open for business or expected to launch an online poker room in PA. PokerStars PA: is the only online poker site active in Pennsylvania at this time. Thankfully, it is also the worldwide leader for online poker and sports with the most players, games and options anywhere.
Before online poker in PA became legalized and regulated, local players would have to play at offshore websites. While they offer up many of the same game variants, tournaments and bonuses, it is sometimes difficult for American players to deposit and withdraw cash using USD.
At the top Pennsylvania poker sites, players are able to deposit in their home currency without having to worry about exchange rate or dealing with sketchy banking methods. Not only that, you have the ability to deposit using widely-accepted banking methods like credit cards, debit cards and bank transfers as well as reputable e-wallets like Neteller and Skrill.
The best Pennsylvania online poker rooms offer you instant deposits, so you can get playing in exciting cash games and tournaments right away. There are usually no fees required when making deposits, and the top poker rooms often offer reload bonuses when you fund your account. Preferred deposit bonuses are also available, allowing you to claim a 10% or 20% match when you fund your account with Neteller or Skrill.
When it comes to making withdrawals, using checks or bank transfers may incur a fee. The top poker sites will endeavor to pay out your withdrawal within a reasonable time frame. While it sometimes takes up to 5 days for you to see your money in your bank account, many sites aim to process them within 24 hours.
Big Bonuses and Pretty Perks
At the top Pennsylvania online poker destinations, you’ll encounter plenty of opportunities to claim bonuses. These are provided in various ways, including:
- No Deposit Bonus: This bonus is provided to players after signing up and verifying their account. While no deposit is required, the amount of money offered is quite small – usually only $5 or $10.
- Welcome Bonus: The operator will provide you with a match percentage on your first deposit, usually about 100% but there are some instances where you’ll receive a 200% match on your deposit.
- Reload Bonuses: Reload bonuses are offered to existing players, providing them with a 25% to 50% match on bonuses certain days of the week or to honor certain special events.
Become a VIP
Any online poker site in PA worth its weight will provide players with the chance to join a lucrative VIP program or loyalty scheme. You’ll be able to earn points whenever you play at the site, and these points can be redeemed for cash bonuses and tournament tickets.
The best loyalty programs will also have different tier levels for you to climb. As you move up the ranks, you’ll be able to receive a better redemption rate on your points and even gain access to exclusive tournaments and promos.
Software
Online poker software comes in all shapes and sizes. Every big-name poker operator uses a different type of software with different capabilities, speeds and games. So, you’ll have to be pretty discerning if you want to play at an online poker site with quality software that appeals to your gaming tastes.
You can only really get to know a site’s online poker software by signing up and giving it a spin. All of the best Pennsylvania online poker rooms offer free-play versions of their games so you have a great opportunity to test it out and see if you get along with their software.
Downloadable Vs Instant Play
There are two main types of online poker software – downloadable suites and web-based casinos. While the in-game software is pretty similar, the game selection does differ, so the casino that you choose to register with will certainly be impacted by whether you want to play from your desktop or your mobile device.
Desktop poker software is a downloadable suite that must be installed on your computer. The file sizes are usually no bigger than 50mb and don’t take very long to download. They provide access to the full collection of cash games and tournaments that the operator has to offer, and you can multi-table across a number of screens. If you’re a serious poker player, this is usually the option that you should go for.
If you prefer to play poker while on the go, then your best bet is signing up to a PA online poker site that has an instant-play suite. This software loads directly in your web browser, which means that you don’t have to download any software.
You’re able to play from any mobile device that you have, but your gaming options will be limited. At poker rooms with instant-play capability, you might not find as many cash games and tournaments available. In cash games, you don’t get to choose where you sit; you’re simply sat at the next available seat. There also isn’t the opportunity for you to multi-table, so this option is better suited to casual players who don’t require full access to the operator’s poker activities.
Traffic Matters
You should have access to plenty of competition when playing poker online. After all, what’s the point in playing if there’s no one online to play with? By taking a quick look at the cash game and tournament lobbies, you can find out if the site is busy enough to cater to your online poker needs and offer you the kind of gaming experience that you’re after.
What Poker Games Do You Want to Play?
When choosing the best poker site for your interests, it’s important that the site you sign up with provides you with enough gaming options to keep you interested. If you want to play Texas Hold’em, you shouldn’t have much of a problem but if you’re looking for something a little bit more niche, then you’ll have to look a little deeper.
Omaha games are generally easy to find at Pennsylvania online poker sites, but you may struggle if you’re looking for fast-fold variants, Razz and stud games. To find out which sites offer these options, it just takes a quick look at the game lobby filters to determine whether or not there are plenty of poker variants on offer.
Tournament Options
Playing online poker tournaments is a great way for you to earn significant prizes, and the top PA poker sites will provide you with plenty of opportunities to do so. You’ll be able to find a wide range of formats, speeds and variants, allowing you to mix it up a little bit.
- Turbo, Hyper and Hyper-Turbo tournaments: In standard poker tournaments, the blinds only increase every 15 or 25 minutes but in these speedier versions, blinds can increase as quickly as every 5 minutes.
- Bounty Tournaments: Every player has a bounty on their head. When you eliminate a player, you’ll receive their bounty and your bounty increases.
- Satellite Tournaments: Rather than winning a cash prize, you’ll receive entry into a tournament with a much more expensive buy-in and more generous prize pool.
- Freerolls: These are tournaments where you don’t have to spend any money on any entry fee, but the prizes are generally much smaller than they are in standard competitions.
- Rebuy Tournaments: In most tournaments, you’re finished once you lose all of your chips but re-buys allow you to spend a little money to get back in the game after you’ve been eliminated.
- Sit n Gos: Tournaments that begin when a certain number of players join the competition. These usually have quite a low number of runners and relatively small prize pools
- Heads Up Tournaments: In these competitions, you’re only playing at a table with one other player at a time, rather than playing 9-handed or 6-handed.
Another benefit of playing online poker in PA is that the state is part of the Interstate Poker Pact. This combines the Pennsylvania player pools with those in Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada – so, you have more competition and access to larger tournament prize pools.
Sign up to a Pennsylvania online poker site to experience all of the action of land-based poker without leaving your home. The top sites offer up a great opportunity to win cash prizes and build on your skills – in a safe and secure environment with reliable software and generous bonuses on offer.
Online poker is legal in Pennsylvania since 2017. PA players can access real money poker sites and play different games with poker players in the state.
PokerStars PA is the only legal PA poker site right now to play real money poker games online.
If you want to play (and secure a free $30 bonus to start with your first games) continue to this page.
On this page, you are going to learn:
- How to play online poker in Pennsylvania
- What are the best PA poker sites
- Why Pennsylvania gambling laws allow PokerStars to operate in PA
- Lots more
If you want to play the BEST online poker games in Pennsylvania, and you want to do so with the largest bonuses available to PA poker players, you'll love this new guide.
Let's dive right in.
Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites Real Money
PA Online Poker Sites
PokerStars PA is the best online poker site to offer real money games in Pennsylvania.
You can play legal real money online poker games in Pennsylvania from November 4, 2019.
That day, industry-leader PokerStars celebrated the first-ever 'shuffle up and deal of their PA-focused poker site.
888poker and partypoker are also expected to launch an online poker site in Pennsylvania in 2020 to compete with their arch-rival.
The opening of more PA online poker sites like 888poker PA and partypoker PA represents a great opportunity for all PA poker players.
More competition between international giants like these three is sure to result in great online events, synergies between online and offline operations and (why not) all great PA poker bonuses.
Here's a recap of the best PA online poker sites available to play real money poker games in Pennsylvania right now:
| Poker Site | Status | Play |
|---|---|---|
| PokerStars PA | Active | Register Here |
| 888poker PA | Coming Soon | N/A |
| partypoker PA | Coming Soon | N/A |
PokerStars Pennsylvania
PokerStars is the only poker site authorised to offer real money poker games to PA players.
This is the only PA poker site where you play free games to win real money (freeroll tournaments), play all the most popular poker variants, and experience international hits like PokerStars' Spin and Go tournaments.
When you register to play online poker games in PA on PokerStars, you get:
- An excellent bonus package with tickets to play Spin and Go tournaments
- A bonus match bonus on your first deposit
- The best customer support service in the industry
- Unlimited access to the only online legal poker games in PA
PokerStars PA has seen well over 600 players activate an account during the first night of action alone — with that number growing ever since.
The games on PokerStars PA are ring-fenced. Pennsylvania gambling laws do not allow the PA online poker sites to share liquidity (and player pool) with any of the poker sites in NJ, Delaware, and Nevada.
PokerStars' PA online poker site is operated in cooperation with the Mount Airy Casino Resort, the brands' partner in the State.
Games and Tournaments on PokerStars PA
Since this is the only legal poker site in Pennsylvania, PokerStars PA is where you find all the best online games.
The PokerStars PA poker client features an extensive offer of both cash games and poker tournaments.
Cash Games on PokerStars PA
The ring action reaches its peak in the evening when PokerStars PA continues to register the highest number of active players at its tables.
The cash games feature stakes that start at $0.01/$0.02 and go all the way up to $25/$50.
While not many PA poker players can afford the $25/$50 tables, you get a lot of action when you join the $1/$2 NLH games.
The majority of players on PokerStars PA are on the site to play no-limit hold'em games. However, this poker site also features a great range of other options, including:
- Limit Hold'em
- Omaha
- Seven-Card Stud
- H.O.R.S.E
- Razz
- 2-7 Triple Draw
Online Tournaments on PokerStars PA
As a tournament player, you are going to love the offering and the tournament calendar that PokerStars has planned to become the top online poker site in Pennsylvania.
The offer of no-limit hold'em is great and so are some of the guaranteed prizes available every day.
Some of the top daily events run by PokerStars in Pennsylvania include tournaments like the Hot Turbos, the KO Fever, the Moonlight Express, and the Nightly Stars.
You can also enjoy some Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Stud poker action with the Change Up daily events.
But the daily guaranteed multi-table online poker tournaments are events where everyone end up, sooner or later.
| Tournament | Time | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Big $5 | 4 p.m. | $5 | $500 |
| The Big $30 | 5 p.m. | $30 | $1,000 |
| The Big $50 | 6 p.m. | $50 | $2,000 |
| The Big $10 | 6 p.m. | $10 | $1,000 |
| The Big $20 | 7 p.m. | $20 | $1,500 |
All times are EST
The Sunday Majors on PokerStars PA
Now that online poker is legal in PA you can join your share of weekend actions with PokerStars' legendary Sunday poker tournaments.
The Sunday Majors are the best poker tournaments in PA. There you find the most exciting action and, of course, the best real money prizes.
The Sunday action at PokerStars PA begins with the $8,500 GTD Sunday Warm-Up, a $50 buy-in event starting at 4 p.m., and leads to the $500 buy-in Sunday Special, the marquee event of the day where the players compete for a guarantee of $15,000.
| Tournament | Time | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday Warm-Up | 4 p.m. | $50 | $8,500 |
| Sunday Storm | 5 p.m. | $10 | $4,500 |
| Sunday Special | 6 p.m. | $200 | $45,000 |
| Sunday High Roller | 7 p.m. | $500 | $15,000 |
| Sunday Supersonic | 10 p.m. | $75 | $5,000 |
PA Online Tournament Series
PokerStars brings to Pennsylvania poker players also some of their most successful annual online tournament series.
This is the site where you find massive multiplayer events like the Pennsylvania Spring Championship of Online Poker (PASCOOP), the Pennsylvania Championship of Online Poker (PACOOP), and the Summer Series.
Keep visiting PokerNews.com to know more about these events and their online qualifiers as the respective schedules are released.
888poker Pennsylvania
888holdings is expected to launch their own 888poker PA poker site shortly after PokerStars.
The 888poker PA website will be the result of a cooperation between 888poker/WSOP.com and Harrah’s Casino.
The fact 888 and WSOP.com might merge their player pools could lead to their product being the one with the highest number of active players in Pennsylvania.
However, we do not have an official date for the launch of 888poker PA.
Back in September, 888poker's Head of Commercial DevelopmentYaniv Sherman announced that the company intended to adopt a 'selective approach' to online poker in Pennsylvania and would launch a new product in the state 'as soon as possible.'
Sherman mentioned PA's tax and fee regime as the main reason why the company decided to take a more cautionary approach and intended to work closely with their partners Harrah's and WSOP.com to make sure a jump in the PA online poker market would be as cost-efficient as possible.
partypoker Pennsylvania
partypoker is also expected to join the race and compete for a share of the market contended by the other PA poker sites.
GVC's online poker site intends to enter Pennsylvania in partnership with the Valley Forge Casino.
Like in the case of 888poker, we have yet to receive the official date of partypoker's launch in Pennsylvania.
Other Pennsylvania Poker Sites
PokerStars, 888poker, and partypoker are not the only companies that have decided to shape Pennsylvania's online poker market.
More names in the industry have decided to secure a license to offer real money poker games online to PA players, and so we can only expect other Pennsylvania poker sites to launch soon.
The list of companies that hold a license to launch poker sites in Pennsylvania includes:
- SugarHouse Poker
- Harrah's Poker
- Hollywood Casino Poker
- Mount Airy Poker
- Parx Poker
- Valley Forge Poker
- Wind Creek Poker
Pennsylvania Poker F.A.Q.
Can you play poker online in Pennsylvania?
Yes. PA players can play online poker games for free and for real money. Free-to-play poker apps like the WSOP Poker app are all legal in Pennsylvania.
PokerStars PA is the only poker site authorised by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to offer real money games online.
Can you play online poker for money in PA?
Yes. You can play real money cash games, tournament, sit-and-go and more on the PokerStars PA website. At present, this is the only real money poker site that operates in Pennsylvania under a license issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
When will online poker start in PA?
Real money online poker in PA started on November 4, 2019, with the official release of the PokerStars PA online poker client.
How to play online poker in PA?
- Select one of the PA poker sites approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Register a free gaming account
- Confirm your identity
- Choose a poker game and play
Where can I play online poker in PA?
Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites For Real
To date, the only online poker site authorised to offer real money poker games to PA players is PokerStars. Other PA online poker sites are expected to enter the state between Q1 and Q2-2020.
Is online gambling legal in Pennsylvania?
Online gambling is legal in Pennsylvania. On October 30, 2017, PA governor Tom Wolf signed into law the bill that legalised online sports betting, online casino gambling, and online poker in Pennsylvania.
PA online casinos and sports betting sites started to offer their services to PA players on July 15, 2019. The first real money online poker hand in Pennsylvania was dealt on PokerStars on November 4, 2019.