Online Poker in Pennsylvania - Best PA Online Poker Sites 2025
Pennsylvania is a surprisingly large state with a very healthy gambling economy, which includes regulated online poker. Unfortunately, though, there are only a few sites licensed for Pennsylvania online poker.
Offshore providers for online poker in Pennsylvania, however, don't suffer from these limitations. Each of them offers something a bit different, and all offer great opportunities for players! We think Ignition Casino is the best one overall, but there are many others.
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2. Online Poker Legal? 3. Best PA Poker Sites 4. How to Play Online Poker
5.1. Game Selection 5.2. Cashier Methods 5.3. Bonuses & Promos 5.4. Rakeback
6.1. Ignition 6.2. SB Poker/BOL 6.3. Bovada 6.4. ACR Poker 6.5. CoinPoker 6.6. Everygame 6.7. SwCPoker 6.8. Nitrobetting
7.1. iPoker Regulation 7.2. B&M Poker 7.3. Gambling History 7.4. Famous Poker Players 7.5. Alternatives to PA Online Poker
Top Online Poker Sites in Pennsylvania
Below is a great list of the collection of online poker sites Pennsylvania residents can play. Furthermore, we have done the due diligence for you and weeded out all the shady poker sites with sketchy business practices and sub-par withdrawal speeds.
Is Online Poker Legal in Pennsylvania?
There is a slew of laws surrounding gambling and poker in the state of Pennsylvania. Most of these laws are targeted towards potential gambling operators. Setting up an unlicensed poker room or casino is clearly illegal to do.
Fortunately, however, as an individual PA online poker player, you have nothing to worry about legally unless you try to set up games or solicit others to participate in them.
Best Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites
There are many possibilities for real money gaming online from within Pennsylvania, which means that it's not easy to identify the premier sites for poker. We've gone through all the data carefully to craft a shortlist. Regardless of which of the below poker rooms you join, you'll be able to enjoy a variety of games and stakes, the rapid payment of your winnings, and fair randomization of the deal.
- Ignition Casino - Best bonus clearance + most traffic.
- SB Poker - Bad Beat Jackpots, leaderboards, contests, other promos.
- BetOnline - Great mobile poker software.
- Bovada - Multiple forms of gaming (poker, casino, sports, racing).
- ACR Poker - Extensive tournament schedule and frequent special events.
- Coin Poker - Best cryptocurrency poker site.
- Everygame - Generous bonuses and promotions.
- SwCPoker - Multiple poker formats (NLHE, PLO, PLO8, Razz, HORSE, and more).
- Nitrobetting - Bitcoin games, in-browser software.
- BlackChip Poker - ACR sister site, option if you already have an ACR account.
- Juicy Stakes - Rakeback, reloads, rake races, other promotions.
- True Poker - Secondary room on same network as ACRPoker and BlackChip.
How to Play Online Poker in Pennsylvania – Detailed Instructions
Signing up for a PA online poker site is trivially easy. We've included instructions below for getting started at our #1 recommended site for Pennsylvanians, but the steps should be similar no matter which room you choose.
- Click on this link to visit Ignition Casino Poker.
- A registration form will appear in your browser. Fill out all the required fields with your true and accurate personal details. This is important because later on, when you have to complete account verification, any discrepancies could lead to the suspension or termination of your account.
- Hit the “Register” button near the bottom of the page.
- Ignition might send an SMS to your mobile. Enter the code sent to verify your phone number.
- Once your new account is initiated, you should browse over to the cashier and make your first deposit via your chosen payment method (we recommend Bitcoin).
How We Evaluate Pennsylvania Online Poker Sites – Choosing the Best Internet Poker Room
The poker sites for PA residents are not all identical. Rather, they each have their own wrinkles, and some are better in certain areas than others. We use a set of criteria to evaluate them all and determine which ones are the best.
Game Variety and Selection
Some poker sites stick to the basics, like NL Hold'em and PLO, but others have an extensive menu of niche poker variants, like Stud, Razz, and Mixed games. Furthermore, the blind levels spread differ from site to site.
In the realm of SNGs and tournaments too, there's a great variety in the games offered between different sites. Some rooms host lottery-style sit n' gos, satellites to major events, step tourneys to bigger tourneys, and other special formats.
Deposit and Withdrawal Methods
Most poker sites let you fund your account via credit card and receive your winnings through checks or money transfer. However, these are not the best methods to use. Crypto-currency, which is supported by every site on our recommended list, tends to have lower fees and faster transaction speeds than legacy payment providers.
If you aren't yet comfortable using cryptos, then you can read this guide on how to use Bitcoin for online gaming purposes.
Bonuses + Promotions
Internet poker providers offer incentives to entice new players and retain existing customers. Among these special deals are bonuses, which are additional funds that will be released to your account when you meet the conditions of the bonus. Besides bonuses, you might encounter leaderboards, rake races, freerolls, comp/VIP point programs, and more.
Online Poker Rakeback
Rakeback is a type of promotion that can have such a positive impact on a player's profitability that we have incorporated it into the name of our site: ProfessionalRakeback. Rakeback is an ongoing percentage refund of the rake you pay while at the tables.
Quite a few of the PA online poker rooms provide rakeback. If you're interested in this beneficial feature, then check out the sites below:
- ACR Poker – 27% rakeback paid on demand
- CoinPoker – 33% rakeback paid every Monday (must hold CHP token balance)
- Everygame – 36% rakeback paid daily
- SwCPoker – up to 50% rakeback (volume dependent)
- Nitrobetting – up to 35% rakeback paid monthly (volume dependent)
- BlackChip Poker – 27% rakeback paid on demand
- Juicy Stakes Poker – 36% rakeback paid weekly
- True Poker – 27% rakeback paid on demand
Reviews of Online Poker Sites for Pennsylvania
For more details on the poker sites Pennsylvania players can enjoy, read the reviews below. Our experts have played at them all and will give you true, verifiable facts about them so that you can make an informed decision about where to play.
Ignition Casino Poker
Deposit Methods
Credit Card, Voucher Code, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, MatchPay
Pros
- Most simultaneously active games
- Easy bonus earning
- Soft games
Cons
- Few reloads or promos for winners
Review
Ignition Poker is the largest online poker site for Pennsylvanians, so you'll probably have no trouble finding a game. All gaming here is anonymous, so you won't be able to track your opponents over time, but this has its benefits because it makes novice players feel comfortable and thus makes for easier tables.
You can enjoy NL Hold'em, PLO, PLO/8, and Limit Hold'em cash games as well as fast-fold Zone Poker, Sit-and-gos, Jackpot SNGs, and multi-table tournaments. The weekly major is the $162 Sunday $150,000 guaranteed, and there are frequent MTT series with eight figures in guaranteed prizes.
Ignition's first deposit bonus for crypto users is a 150% up to $1,500 deal that clears remarkably fast. However, Ignition reserves many of its reloads and other promotions for losing players, so you won't get much recurring promo value if you're a winner.
Ignition Poker offers a downloadable poker client for Windows and Mac. Other hardware, like phones and tablets, works with the fully functional, browser-based interface.
SB Poker/BetOnline
Deposit Methods
Credit Cards, Person to Person, Money Orders, Bank Wire, Cashiers Check, Bitcoin, Avalanche, Binance, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Polygon, Ripple, Shiba Inu, Solana, Stellar, Tether, Tron, USD Coin
Pros
- Rapid crypto-currency payouts
- Comprehensive gaming portfolio, including poker, casino, live dealer, sportsbook, racebook
- Many promos
Cons
- Slow bonus clearance
- High rake
Review
SB Poker and its virtually identical sister site, BetOnline, offer a wide selection of cash games, including NL Hold'em, PLO, and PLO/8, featuring blinds up to $5/$10. Fast-fold Boost Poker, sit-and-gos, randomized Windfall SNGs, and numerous MTTs are also present.
SB Poker boasts many promotions, like Bad Beat Jackpots, leaderboards, contests, and the RISE rewards program, which promise to give you some extra money to pad your bankroll. On the other hand, the first deposit bonus clears slowly, and the rake is a on the higher side.
The SB Poker and BetOnline downloads run on any Windows or Mac system. Mobile users on Android or iOS can also utilize an excellent mobile application. You can receive a first deposit bonus worth 100% up to $1,000 to play poker, and be sure to check out the attached casino and sportsbook for additional promotional offers.
Bovada
Deposit Methods
Credit Card, Voucher Code, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin SV, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, MatchPay
Pros
- Comprehensive gaming lineup (sports, casino, poker, racebook)
- In business 10+ years
Cons
- Relatively small poker bonus
Review
As a member of the same network that Ignition Poker is on, Bovada boasts all the same games and tournaments as its partner site. In addition, Bovada lets you bet on sports and races: not possible at Ignition. All major sports, including MLB baseball, NFL football, NBA basketball, and soccer, are listed at Bovada. Bovada also covers over 100 horse tracks around the world.
The Bovada Poker client is available to download on Windows and Mac devices, and an excellent web-based version allows players to play on virtually any tablet or mobile device. The poker bonus at Bovada is worth 100% of your first deposit up to $500. The attached casino and sportsbook also offer promotions worth up to $3,750!
ACR Poker
Deposit Methods
Credit Cards, Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, Money Transfer
Pros
- Robust tournament schedule
- $2,000 welcome bonus
- $10 free (bonus code PRB10FREE)
Cons
- Extended late reg period means lengthy tournaments
Review
ACR Poker is the flagship of the Winning Poker Network, the second-largest U.S.-facing poker site. ACR is well known for offering an extensive variety of tournaments across numerous buy-in levels, including recurring VENOMs with at least $5 million guaranteed and series with tens of millions of dollars up for grabs.
Of course, ACR also offers many cash game formats, including NLH, PLO, LHE, and Boost fast-fold games along with SnGs. Weekly leaderboards reward high-volume players, and additional rewards come through the Elite Benefits system.
ACR Poker offers a complete, downloadable poker client for Windows and Mac devices and a mobile app. Use our exclusive ACR bonus code PRB10FREE to receive a $10 no deposit bonus as well as a 100% first deposit bonus up to $2,000.
Coin Poker
Deposit Methods
Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, CHP, Polygon, BNB
Pros
- Highest trafficked crypto poker site
- Possible to earn 33% rakeback
Cons
- Few poker formats available
- No standard SNGs
Review
CoinPoker is currently the busiest crypto-only poker room available online. The tables are denominated only utilizing USDT, or Tether. You also can use a few other cryptos for deposits and withdrawals.
NL Hold'em, PL Omaha, and 5 Card Omaha are present, but PLO/8 and LHE are lacking. There are no non-lottery Sit & Gos either although three-player Cosmic Spins with a randomized multiplier are present.
You can play at CoinPoker from any Mac, PC, Android, or iOS device. You'll be able to benefit from a generous deposit bonus of 150% up to $2,000. You will also have the option of earning 33% rakeback weekly if you're willing to invest a little into the proprietary CHP coin.
Everygame
Deposit Methods
Credit Card, Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Lightning Bitcoin, Litecoin
Pros
- Excellent first deposit bonus
- 36% rakeback standard
- Rake races, loyalty levels, reloads, other promos
Cons
- Low player traffic
- Software is old
Review
Everygame does not have the traffic of some of its competitors, and its software platform is a bit outdated, but where it stands out is in its exceptional promotional offerings. 36% rakeback is offered as the standard, and rakeback payments are issued daily. Additional value can be had through the weekly rake races, overlay tournaments, reload bonuses, a VIP loyalty program, and freerolls.
The poker welcome bonus is worth 200% of your first deposit up to $1,000, and it clears pretty rapidly.
SwCPoker
Deposit Methods
Bitcoin
Pros
- Many poker variants available
- Up to 50% rakeback through Krill rewards
Cons
- Low player volume
Review
SwCPoker is a crypto poker room online that is highly regarded for its wide range of poker formats supported. One major selling point of SwC is that you can play at micro-stakes tables without paying any rake whatsoever, so you can increase your profits as you learn. You won't get any bonuses here, but you'll be able to receive up to 50% rakeback based on your play at the tables.
Nitrobetting
Deposit Methods
Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum, Tether, USD Coin, BNB
Pros
- No download required
- Nitro rewards grants up to 35% rakeback monthly
Cons
- Only NL Hold'em and PLO offered
- Very low player traffic
Review
Nitrobetting's cashier is Bitcoin-only, which results in impressively fast payouts, oftentimes taking less than an hour. There are only two types of poker here: NL Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha.
Facts About Poker in Pennsylvania
Read on for more information about poker in The Keystone State. This includes related topics, like live poker, famous players from Pennsylvania, and the online poker regulatory regime.
Online Poker Regulation in Pennsylvania
There had been several proposed bills to legalize online poker in PA over the past decade, and 2017 was the year that it finally happened. H271 passed both the House and Senate of Pennsylvania, and it was duly signed into law on Oct. 30 by Governor Tom Wolf.
There are a few factors hindering the PA internet poker market, and the most pressing one at the moment is the ring-fenced nature of the online gaming ecosystem. Having not yet signed the MSIGA or any other traffic sharing compact, the state can only offer regulated online poker games limited to Pennsylvanians.
This tends to keep the sites small, but there are nevertheless four rooms doing business in the Pennsylvania licensed internet poker market: PokerStars, BetMGM, Borgata, and WSOP. For the majority of individuals, offshore sites represent a better venue for poker playing than any of the anemic PA-licensed rooms.
Live Poker
There are about a dozen and a half casinos in Pennsylvania, divided up between racinos, casino resorts, standalone casinos, and mini casinos. There are no tribal casinos. Some standalone casinos, mini casinos, and racinos feature onsite poker rooms, and the largest of these is at Parx Casino in Bensalem, just outside of Philadelphia. Its more than 48 tables spread No Limit Hold'em up to $10/$25, LHE as high as $40/$80, PLO, and mixed games.
History of Gambling in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a history of gambling extending back to colonial times. During the revolutionary era, lottery tickets were printed and sold in Philadelphia to help fund the war, and no less a personage than George Washington was reportedly a guest of the Philadelphia Jockey Club.
However, the good times didn't last as the state banned horse racing altogether in 1820 after declaring other types of gambling illegal. For the remainder of the 1800s, the only gambling to be found was in unlicensed and illicit saloons and parlors.
It's perhaps fitting that the last form of wagering activity to be prohibited was also the first to be reinstated although it took quite a while. In 1959, PA began to allow pari-mutuel betting on racetrack results. The Pennsylvania Lottery came next in 1971.
In 2004, legislation passed that allowed new casinos to open up and permitted racetracks to add slots and become racinos. In 2010, the restrictions against table games were lifted, allowing blackjack, roulette, and of course poker to appear at these venues. These establishments have proven very popular, allowing Pennsylvania to overtake New Jersey for the #2 spot in state gambling revenues behind Nevada.
In 2017, a bill was approved by the legislature and signed by the governor to allow licensed entities to offer online poker in Pennsylvania along with casino table games and slots. The Quaker State thus joined Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey as the fourth legalized internet gaming jurisdiction in the U.S.A. This same legislation called for legalized sports betting although this portion of the bill had no effect until the Supreme Court's Murphy decision in May 2018 ended the federal ban on sports betting expansion. PA sportsbooks duly opened for business first in retail casinos and then online.
Famous Pennsylvania Poker Players
Pennsylvania isn't necessarily the first state people think about when poker comes up, but its residents are no strangers to the game. Perhaps the most successful of them has been Jacob “Jake” Carl Schindler, from Bryn Mawr, who has made a name for himself on the high-roller circuit, earning more than $36 million during his live tournament career. In 2022, he added a WSOP bracelet to his accolades.
John Hennigan, who hails from the City of Brotherly Love, is from an older generation of players, having been born in 1970. Nicknamed “Johnny World” because of his reputation for being ready to bet on anything in the world, he has an enviable 57 WSOP cashes and seven bracelets to his credit along with a couple dozen profitable results in other tournaments, including a WPT victory at the 2007 Borgata Winter Open in Atlantic City. His overall B&M tourney winnings exceed $9.7 million. In 2018, John Hennigan was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.
Alternatives to Engaging in Pennsylvania Online Poker
Perhaps you are fortunate enough to have another address in a nearby state, be it a business, summer home, second apartment, family estate, et cetera. If this is the case, then you may have additional online poker options. Here is a list of the states near Pennsylvania and Professional Rakeback's review of each of them: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. You don't have to restrict your quest for knowledge to these particular states because we've written an overview of the U.S.A. internet poker scene for all states.
Rather than keeping what you've learned to yourself, you can tell your friends and relatives about this page and share it with them. They'll then have a chance to alleviate their ignorance about online poker and the sites that accept citizens of Pennsylvania.
Online Poker in Pennsylvania - Conclusion
The laws on online poker in Pennsylvania effectively permit this activity as long as you're just a player, not an operator. The only concern in your mind should be finding a stellar Pennsylvania online poker site to play at, and you can do so without any hassles by following our advice above.
Responsible Gaming
Poker is an engaging and stimulating hobby, but it is just that: a hobby. If you find yourself playing for such extended periods of time or for such stakes that it interferes with the rest of your life, then it might be time to explore problem gambling resources. If you think this might apply to you, then you can check out the following:
- Gamblers Anonymous
- National Problem Gambling Helpline
- PA Dept. of Drug and Alcohol Programs
- Get Gambling Addiction Help
Frequently Asked Questions
The Pennsylvania online poker environment is quite complex, so it's only natural for you to still have questions about it. Below, we've compiled a list of popular questions and answers for you to gain knowledge.
The Pennsylvania legislature passed H271 in October 2017, which set up a framework for legalized online poker and casino gaming. As of July 2024, there are four operators in the regulated PA online poker market: BetMGM, Borgata, PokerStars, and WSOP Online.
In order to apply for online poker licenses, qualifying entities must pay a fee of $4 million. If they wish to obtain three-in-one licenses covering poker, slots, and casino table games, then they have to hand over $12 million although discounted combination licenses were available for just $10 million during a limited introductory period. Online poker revenue is subject to a 16% tax. Slots, though, are taxed at a 54% rate.
Pennsylvania's anti-gambling laws don't criminalize the act of playing poker over the internet. Federal laws don't apply either because the Department of Justice found in 2011 that the Wire Act is only intended to combat sports betting, not lotteries, poker, or any other type of real money gaming. Therefore, it's perfectly legal to enjoy a game of cards on your PC within Pennsylvania.
Yes, it's not against the law to sign up and play at PokerStars, which operates a state-licensed online cardroom in the Keystone State. Yet, this room isn't connected to the global PokerStars platform and is, in fact, much smaller.
There tends to be an average of just 130 cash game players simultaneously active at PokerStars PA. This contrasts with the average of 2,700 playing on the global PokerStars site. Thus, this regulated Pennsylvania online cardroom delivers a much smaller and less robust environment than you might be expecting.
Yes. Tablets and smartphones are proliferating throughout our society, and internet poker organizations have taken note. A growing number of them are providing special apps to cater to these devices. For example, SB Poker has downloads for mobile systems. Other sites, like Ignition, Bovada, and Everygame, maintain web interfaces that you can browse from your phone or tablet to access the poker action.
Depositing money with your credit card and requesting your withdrawals by check is the standard way of mobbing cash around at internet poker sites. However, the advent of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin has largely done away with this cumbersome way of transacting. While it is possible to conduct all your transactions via legacy mechanisms, most rooms prefer that you fund your account and receive your cashouts through digital coins. These cryptos let you bypass the hidebound, inefficient banking sector to, in effect, become your own bank.
Additional Resources
Pennsylvania is certainly no stranger to real money gambling, and you can find out more about this subject with the following links:
We strive to maintain this information and update it frequently with our research. However, we are not immune to making mistakes or omitting information that you, dear reader, may find of use. If you have any further questions not addressed in this guide or have noted any discrepancies or inaccuracies we urge you to contact us with your questions and concerns so that we may swiftly address them!