Online Sports Betting in Pennsylvania
Published: | Updated:Pennsylvania offers live, legal online sports. The state also offers betting opportunities at racetracks, casinos, and in-person locations throughout the state. The online betting market launched officially back in 2019. Pennsylvania officially offers 13 sports betting apps as of 2023, including big brands like DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. Pennsylvania, known as the “Keystone State,” is one of the more northern US states. As it pertains to sports betting, Pennsylvania is similar to surrounding states. New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and West Virginia all offer online betting as well. Historically, Pennsylvania has been home to many famous Americans. Fifteenth American President James Buchanan, author Louisa May Alcott, and pioneer Daniel Boone were all born in PA. Actor/Comedian Kevin Hart, NBA Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, and singer/songwriter Taylor Swift are also all from Pennsylvania.
What’s New with Pennsylvania Sports Betting?
Pennsylvania has seen a sizable increase in month-over-month sports betting handles as of late, which coincides with a growth of overall state revenue. Meanwhile, the number of problem gamblers (or people with gambling problems) has gone down. That speaks to the belief that more legislation and problem gambling help offerings will help cull issues.
What should I know about the best sports betting apps in Pennsylvania?
The best sportsbook in Pennsylvania for the best / top games is either DraftKings or FanDuel. You could argue this for nearly any state that offers sports betting, as you’re likely going to find these two competitors at the top of the market. Both offer unique features like FlashBet (powered by Simplebet) on DraftKings or FanDuel’s increasingly popular SGPs (same-game parlays)
BetMGM and BetRivers counter by offering the widest variety of overall selections in Pennsylvania. You can find sports on both apps that you’ll be unlikely to find on FanDuel or DraftKings products, including snooker and handball.
The apps that offer those super competitive odds are Betway and Unibet. Pennsylvania is a highly competitive sports betting marketplace, so books have to find ways to constantly one-up each other in an effort to secure more customers. Both Unibet and Betway clearly pay the most attention to lines and odds, from their release to the game beginning and all throughout live betting offers.
BetRivers stands out from the rest if you’re interested in player rewards programs. Their vaunted iRush program, which allows users to accrue points and climb tiers (in an almost video game-like manner) is incredibly intuitive. You can use those points for purchases at Rivers’s physical locations in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
When it comes down to Pennsylvania sports, one of the most popular offerings is football – specifically the NFL. BetMGM rolls out the red carpet for promo, and bets boost offerings for the Steelers (Pittsburgh) and the Eagles (Philadelphia) that no other sportsbook in the state offers.
Here are some quick facts you should know…
- The first retail sportsbook in Pennsylvania opened in November of 2018.
- Legal online sports betting launched soon thereafter in May of 2019.
- To legally bet on sports in the state, you must be older than 21.
- Betting is allowed for college sports, including in-state teams. This is rare, though player props on college athletes (in or out of state) are not allowed.
- You don’t need to be a Pennsylvania resident to sign up or play, but you must be physically located within state lines to place a wager.
Popular Sports Teams in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a long and storied sports history, filled with some of the most diehard fanbases in all of the American sports. Each of the four major American sports leagues has at least a single Pennsylvanian team, but in many cases, rooting interests are split between the two major cities.
For Philadelphia, you have:
- The Eagles (NFL)
- The 76ers (NBA)
- The Phillies (MLB)
- The Flyers (NHL)
For Pittsburgh, you have:
- The Steelers (NFL)
- The Pirates (MLB)
- The Penguins (NHL)
In the college sports world, top teams include:
- Penn State University (Nittany Lions)
- University of Pittsburgh (Panthers)
- Villanova University (Wildcats)
- Temple University (Owls)
Top Athletes from Pennsylvania
There are too many famous athletes from Pennsylvania to list them all, so we’ll keep this list abbreviated for now.
- Kobe Bryant (NBA Hall of Famer, 5x NBA champion, 2x Finals MVP, 1x NBA MVP, 18x NBA All-Star)
- Wilt Chamberlain (NBA Hall of Famer, 2x NBA Champion, 4x NBA MVP, 13x All-Star, Most Points (100) in one game and Most Rebounds (55) in one game)
- Joe Montana (NFL Hall of Famer, 4x Super Bowl champion, 3x Super Bowl MVP, 2x NFL MVP, 8x Pro Bowler)
- Joe Namath (NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, iconic for his prediction that heavy underdog NY Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III)
- Arnold Palmer (One of the best golfers of all-time, 62 PGA Tour wins, 4x Masters winner, World Golf Hall of Fame)
- Mike Piazza (MLB Hall of Famer, 12x All-Star, NL Rookie of the Year, 10x Silver Slugger Award Winner)
- Smarty Jones (2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner, the horse was from Chester County)
- Johnny Unitas (NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl Champion, 3x NFL Champion, 3x NFL MVP, 10x Pro Bowler)
- Josh Gibson (Baseball Hall of Famer, 12x All-Star, 2x Negro League World Series champion, 2x Triple Crown, one of the greatest batters of all time)
- Bill Tilden (the first American tennis player to ever win Wimbledon, one of the most recognized American athletes of the 1920s, along with Babe Ruth, Red Grange, Bobby Jones, and Jack Dempsey)
- Stan Musial (MLB Hall of Famer, 24x All-Star, 3x World Series champion, 3x NL MVP)
- Betsy King (34 LPGA Tour Wins, 2x U.S. Women’s Open Winner, 3x Chevron Winner, World Golf Hall of Fame)
Joe Namath (NFL Hall of Famer, Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl MVP, iconic for his prediction that heavy underdog NY Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III)
