Sports Betting Guide to Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania sports betting first launched in 2018, and the first PA online sportsbooks joined the market in 2019. This state has posted some impressive numbers since joining the industry, and that trend is expected to continue for years to come.
This state has attracted some of the biggest and best sports betting operators in the industry, and there are still some licenses available. Some favorable sports betting rules and regulations have helped the market grow, and this is a very competitive sports betting market.
BetRivers and Parx Sportsbook were the first two online sports betting apps in the state, and these two operators remain popular options. They are no longer the biggest in the state as DraftKings and FanDuel have joined the market as well.
The first PA sportsbooks launched in 2018, with the first online apps being available in June 2019. By the end of 2019, there were a handful of sports betting options available, but 2020 was another big year for the industry.
Parlay betting is one of the top betting options for bettors in the state, and it is featured at all of the top PA sportsbooks. BParlay.com is your source for parlay betting information and is there to guide you every step of the way.
If you can take advantage of this terrific sports betting market in Pennsylvania, make sure that you place some parlay bets highlighted by BParlay.
Path to Sports Betting
The first time that sports betting was mentioned in Pennsylvania was in 2015, as a bill was introduced to remove the ban on the industry. This bill was not able to advance very far in the legislature, but it got the entire conversation headed in the right direction.
The following year, sports betting was back on the table, and this time, there was much more support for a change in the laws. Once again, a bill was not officially approved, but the state headed into 2017 with momentum, and it was clear that sports betting was coming to the state.
H 271 was one of two sports betting bills introduced in 2017, and it also included language to present an expanded gambling package in the state. After passing through both chambers of the state legislature, Governor Tom Wolf signed the piece of legislation on October 30, 2017.
After Wolf signed the bill, sports betting was officially legal in Pennsylvania, but there was still a federal law that banned sports betting. When the United States Supreme Court lifted the federal ban in May 2019, Pennsylvania was able to get the sports betting industry up and running quickly.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board was focused on getting the online sports betting industry right from the start. There was a complicated process in place for approving PA online sportsbooks. This created a slow-moving start for online sports betting, but the retail options were established and doing well.
There have been some minor changes made to the initial sports betting rules and regulations, but lawmakers had a great plan in place right from the beginning. The regulations were attractive to prospective online sportsbook apps, and they have also favored sports bettors since the beginning.
A Clear Top-Five Betting Market
Sports betting in Pennsylvania got off to a slow start initially as retail was the only available form of betting. It wasn’t until PA online sportsbooks started to launch in 2019 that the state started posting impressive handle and revenue numbers.
The first time that Pennsylvania went over the $100 million mark in total sports betting handle was in August 2019. Just two months later, the sports betting handle was over $200 million, and the state has not slowed down since that time.
Through 2019, December of that year posted the highest handle total of more than $342 million. Sports betting revenue neared $20 million for two months during that year as well.
The COVID-19 pandemic hurt the industry for much of 2020, but the state ended the year by posting a sports betting handle of $548.5 million. November 2020 set a state record with $48.5 million in sports betting revenue.
January 2021 is the biggest sports betting month in Pennsylvania, with a total of $615 million. This put Pennsylvania as the third-largest sports betting market in the US to begin 2021, and the state has been in the position for most of the last 18 months.
Pennsylvania will hold onto its spot as one of the top sports betting markets in the United States for years to come. The state could eventually become the second biggest market in the country, and 2021 will be a big year.
PA Sports Betting Rules
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board oversees and regulates the PA sports betting industry. This group receives all of the license applications and determines which companies can offer sports betting in the state.
The sports betting laws in Pennsylvania allow for casinos and racinos to apply for a sports betting license. There are 12 of these properties in the state, and online sports betting can also be offered as well.
Twenty-one years of age is the legal age to bet on sports in the state, and that is similar to what the law is throughout the United States. Visitors of the state can also bet on sports through a PA sportsbook app, but they must be physically in the state to do so.
Sportsbooks are allowed to offer bets on both professional and collegiate sporting events, and this is a huge boost to both the operator and the sports bettor. College football and basketball are two very popular markets, but there are other collegiate events offered up as well.
Anyone that is wanting to receive a sports betting license in Pennsylvania must pay a one-time fee of $10 million. This seems like an extremely high price at first glance, but operators are able to avoid paying yearly or renewal fees.
All retail and online sports betting in Pennsylvania are taxed at a rate of 34 percent.
Plenty of Teams to Drive Industry
The quality and quantity of sportsbooks in Pennsylvania have turned the state into a huge sports betting market, but the professional teams in the state have helped as well. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are both home to some prevalent teams, which leads to some massive betting action at the sportsbooks.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League are easily the two most popular teams in the state. It helps that each team is in a different conference so that rooting interests do not ever conflict.
Betting on NFL football is the most popular market in the United States, and the crucial period of months for Pennsylvania sports betting is during September-January.
In the NBA, the Philadelphia 76ers are the only team from the state in the league. The NBA has become another huge betting market, and the Sixers are a storied franchise that has a massive following.
The state also has a pair of teams in the NHL and MLB, and these four teams help contribute to the significant sports betting numbers as well. These two sports don’t typically draw a ton of betting action, but that isn’t the case in Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia Phillies and the Pittsburgh Pirates both compete in the National League in MLB. In the NHL, it is the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins leading the way.
Pennsylvania gets some action from other teams and leagues, but it is the local teams that bring in the majority of the handle. Dont forget to check out the Official BParlay.com blog for the latest betting news.
