Online Pa Poker
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.
Just under a year since Pennsylvania launched its first regulated online poker platform in the state, this popular gaming vertical has already set brand new records that have seen PA beat out gaming. Pennsylvania Online Poker Pennsylvania was the fourth US state to officially legalize online poker. Real money online poker arrived in 2019 when PokerStars officially soft launched its PA online poker site on.
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.
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.
Online Pa Poker Rules
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.
Online Pa Poker Online
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.
Partypoker Pa
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?
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.
There is a mystery in Pennsylvania.
On Monday, July 15, regulated online gaming launched in the state by way of a law that was passed in October 2017. And though online poker was a part of that gaming expansion and is now legal in Pennsylvania, no online poker sites were a part of that launch.
According to state officials, poker operators were not ready for the launch.
However, several of said operators have launched online poker in at least one other state – and have done so successfully with much less time to prepare – and have offered ring-fenced online poker in other parts of the world.
The mystery surrounding online poker in Pennsylvania continues.
It's encouraging to see all the interest in online poker, but we're still a few months away from that launch in Pennsylvania. Sorry. pic.twitter.com/roOPzQjpdr
— OnlinePokerReport (@OPRupdate) July 17, 2019
Online Casino Games Available
Two online casino sites went live on Monday, July 15. Online Poker Report monitored the launches and reported on what Pennsylvania players could see and do on the first days of action.
The first site to launch was Hollywood Casino. Within the first hour of availability, players could sign up for new accounts via all desktops and Android devices, though there were initial problems with iPhone and iPad offerings.
Hollywood Casino offered 40 online slot games, video poker, and baccarat, though it is likely that more games will soon be added as the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) approves individual games.
Hours later, Parx Casino launched its online casino, and it was also available to players on desktops and Android devices but no iOS operations yet.
Parx showed up with 191 online slot games, video poker, a poker variation called PokerBet, and some slot tournaments. There were also a number of table games, such as blackjack and roulette.
Two days later, SugarHouse Casino made its online casino available to the public with 22 slot games online but no video poker or table games.
Where is Online Poker?
There are no direct answers.
Before the July 15 launch, when it remained unclear as to whether online poker would be available with casino games online, Pokerfuse obtained a vague answer. “We’re working with our partners and the authorities to finalize plans and bring our leading brands to PA’s players as soon as possible,” said a Stars Group representative. “There’s a lot to look forward to, so rest assured we’ll be in touch with more details as soon as they’re available.”
Hi Keith — We are not live in PA yet as we are still working with our partners and the authorities to finalize plans to bring our leading brands to PA’s players and will do so as soon as possible. We will be in touch with more details as soon as they’re available.
— PokerStars (@PokerStars) July 20, 2019
When it was clear that poker was not part of the Monday launches, Pokerfuse reached out to the PGCB for answers. As it turns out, they had none.
PGCB Communications Director Doug Harbach was asked about online poker availability and commented, “We cannot predict a timeline on that right now.”
Harbach added, “Poker will be rolled out when operators are prepared to do so.” He also said that online poker sites will be able to launch individually when ready instead of waiting for any type of coordinated launch date.
Hi, unfortunately we don't have an exact date yet
— partypoker (@partypoker) July 20, 2019
Online Casinos in Court
An interesting side note to the online casino part of the new Pennsylvania market is that several sites were available to launch despite being engaged in a legal battle with the state’s lottery operator.
In May 2018, the Pennsylvania Lottery launched scratch-off lottery games available for purchase on the internet. The iLottery was immediately met with anger from casinos, though.
In August 2018, a group of seven Pennsylvania casinos headed to court to stop the iLottery program in its entirety, alleging that casinos have exclusive rights to offer any type of slot machine-style games of chance. The list of casinos included Parx, Hollywood, Harrah’s, Stadium, Valley Forge, and Mohegan Sun, all of which have been approved for online gambling.
A coalition of Pennsylvania casinos has filed suit in Commonwealth Court, seeking to stop the Pa. Lottery from offering casino-style online games. The casinos had warned in late June that they would take action if the games weren't stopped https://t.co/ZQkQL5bgvL
— Jon Harris (@ByJonHarris) August 22, 2018
Less than one week before the online casino launch date of July 15, Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer ruled against those casinos, denying their preliminary injunction request to shut down the iLottery. In essence, online lottery games and online casinos are now competing for gambling dollars.
The lawsuit continues despite the lack of an injunction, as the group of casinos continue to pursue remedies in the court system.
'Friday's decision in Commonwealth Court is a victory for the state lottery, although the casino owners' 9-month-old lawsuit will continue.' https://t.co/bKaU9h42vK
— Ashley Cafaro (@WENYAshleyC) July 13, 2019