How big is the Gaming Community in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania’s online gambling revenue has been soaring since Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill to permit online casinos in 2017. Last year, online casinos and sportsbooks generated over $1 billion.

With that figure, Pennsylvania generated the third highest revenue from online gambling in the country, just behind New Jersey and Nevada. Surprisingly, there are only 12 casinos in PA, meaning there’s immense growth potential for the state.

So, what’s driving online gambling growth in Pennsylvania? According to financial analysts, these are the reasons PA could become an iGaming hub in the next decade.

Sports Betting Legalization

Pennsylvania legalized online sports betting June last year. Since then, mobile betting handles have been hovering between $250M and $350M every month. By July this year, remote sports betting in PA had grown by 84.3%

That’s despite the disruption caused by COVID-19 early in the year. Without the pandemic, PA sportsbooks would be generating up to $500 million in monthly handles according to some experts.

That said, the sports betting market is slowly opening up with the return of the NFL, MLS and MLB. It will take time for the sector to recover fully. But in the meantime, punters can wager on available North American games or bet on European sports.

Free Games and Bonuses

Would you play online poker if you had free money to do it? Most people would. And that’s why the PA online gambling industry is on the rise. Unlike brick and mortar casinos, gaming websites in Pennsylvania welcome new players with bonuses.

 At some websites, you receive a bonus immediately you register a new account. You don’t get a lot of money. But you could earn $20 or ten free slots to play a popular slot. If you’re lucky, this bonus comes with no catch, meaning you can withdraw your profits instantly.

That said, the best casino bonuses are attached to deposits. It’s alright, though. You only need to top up $10 or $20 to qualify for a 100% offer. You can receive up to $5000 at the most generous websites.

After your first deposit, some casinos reward you with loyalty points. Others give you kickbacks on your losses or continue to award you bonuses for every deposit. And if you’re a VIP player, you could even get free Cruise Ship tickets for winning tournaments.

Mobile Casino Gaming

There’s a reason why everyone thinks mobile devices are the future of online gaming. And that’s because over 50% of gamers now play online games through iPhones, iPads and Android devices.

In the PA online casino space, things aren’t different. More people play slots, poker and blackjack through their mobile devices than computer desktops. And guess what? These people won’t stop to bet on their smartphone any time soon.

Mobile casinos provide a smooth gaming experience. For starters, they provide the option to use mobile websites or native apps. Either way, you get an intuitive interface jam-packed with casino games and payment options.

The best part, though, is that mobile casinos support the same advanced technology on gaming computers. So, whether you want to play VR slots, or jackpots with 3D graphics and 1080p resolutions, a mobile phone is all you need.

Increased Banking Options

When PA legalized online casinos in 2017, only a handful of credit companies allowed payments to gambling businesses. Most banking options rejected these top ups. And the few that accepted them had higher fees.

Things have since changed and there are lots of payment companies that accept casino top ups. At least two major credit card providers in PA still don’t accept payments to casinos. But with times, they will change their stance.

All the same, most of the popular online banking methods allow casino payments without hiking their fees. From PayPal and ACH to Visa and MasterCard, funding your online casino account in PA is stress free.

  You can top up as little as $5 to as much as $20,000 at most online casinos. However, withdrawals vary from one casino to another. Payment fees and processing times are also dictated by gambling operators.

Security and Fair Play

Let’s admit it. Online casinos haven’t always had the best reputation about security. And for that reason, many people still believe Las Vegas casinos are safer than their online counterparts.

However, that’s not entirely true and PA online casinos have been working hard to change the narrative. Whether you’re using a mobile device or a gaming PC, today’s iGaming operators have safe websites.

For starters, they encrypt your data so that hackers can’t intercept it. Then they give you account authentication tools so that you can set up a password or add TWO-FA for added security.

If that’s not enough, some online casinos also invite independent auditors to prove their games are fair. What’s more, these auditors also check payments to confirm that an operator pays out to winners consistently. In case you’re wondering, some of the auditors to look out for are Thwate, eCOGRA, iTechLabs, and GLI.

Exciting Games

When you ask most online casino players, Las Vegas has nothing on Internet-based slots and card games. They payout at higher rates. They have better graphics, and come in a much broader range.

Essentially, online casino games are better than those in land-based casinos. And it’s not even a contest. Let’s use payout rates as an example. In Las Vegas, slot machine payout at a rate of 80% to 95%. In contrast, online slots feature a Return to Player Rate of 90% to 99%.

When it comes to card games, online casinos provide a wide variety and games with a lower house advantage. And isn’t that what casino players like? From poker and roulette to blackjack and baccarat, online casinos feature all the games people want to play.

Better yet, online casinos also provide these card games in a live setting. That way, you can play poker, blackjack or roulette with friends. And in doing so, you don’t need to visit a land-based casino to gamble in a social setting.