In October 2017, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf put his signature on an extensive gambling expansion bill that set the table for legal Pennsylvania sports betting. The bill later came into effect after SCOTUS upended the federal ban on single-game betting in May 2018.
This timeline highlights milestones in Pennsylvania’s sports gambling history:
Nov. 6, 2024: Caesars Entertainment launches horseshoe online casino in Pennsylvania, following one opening in Michigan. Caesars also launched an online casino in West Virginia and Ontario.
Oct. 15, 2024: Pennsylvania regulators push for an Internet gaming agreement that would allow patrons to play online poker in multiple states.
Oct. 3, 2024: Playtech, bet365 expand iGaming collaboration in Pennsylvania, joining New Jersey as the second state to offer the duo’s joint-venture gaming.
Sept. 30, 2024: White Hat Studios partners with Fanatics Casino in Pennsylvania and Michigan. Players in both states can now access White Hat’s table games and slot portfolio.
Aug. 20, 2024: Pennsylvania’s operators bash sports bettors in July, reporting $52.7 million in revenue and a 12.7% hold for the month.
July 22, 2024: bet365 receives final approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and goes fully live in the state.
July 19, 2024: Pennsylvania sports betting handle and revenue rise year-over-year in June, garnering a reported $464.5 million in wagers for the month.
July 18, 2024: After soft launching, bet365 awaits final approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
July 16, 2024: bet365 soft launches in Pennsylvania.
June 21, 2024: Unibet officially leaves Pennsylvania, as the operator has exited the North American sports betting landscape.
June 18, 2024: Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle in May rises 19% year-over-year despite a monthly dip.
May 23, 2024: Pennsylvania earns its lowest sports betting handle of 2024 in April, bringing in $646.1 million in wagers.
April 23, 2024: NFL reinstates Eagles’ Isaiah Rodgers following year-long gambling suspension.
April 22, 2024: Pennsylvania rebounds in March with a $800 million sports betting handle, which is a 21% increase from February.
March 15, 2024: Four suspects are wanted after an attempted robbery at a FanDuel Sportsbook section of the Valley Forge Casino in Pennsylvania.
March 12, 2024: Pennsylvania man indicted for defrauding investors in a sports betting fund. Elijah Goshert stole more than $500,000 each from 10 investors over five years.
Feb. 23, 2024: Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle and revenue drops slightly in January.
Jan. 22, 2024: Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle reaches $934.1 million in November, a 22.6% year-over-year increase and the second highest ever monthly total for the state.
Jan. 22, 2024: Fanatics Sportsbook goes live in Pennsylvania following PointsBet migration, marking the 11th U.S. state to welcome the online sports betting operator.
Nov. 14, 2023: ESPN BET goes live with online and mobile sports betting, launching in Pennsylvania and 16 other states.
Nov. 2, 2023: ESPN BET plans to launch on Nov. 14, 2023, with online sports betting going live in 17 U.S. states, including Pennsylvania.
July 26, 2023: Golden Nugget receives approval to launch its online casino in PA.
May 18, 2023: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board releases PA’s April sports betting handle. Pennsylvania sportsbooks gathered $572.1 million in wagers for the month.
May 1, 2023: The Philadelphia 76ers defeat the Boston Celtics in game one of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals.
April 20, 2023: The Pennsylvania Gaming Board announces that legal PA sportsbooks accepted $723.5 million in total wagers in March.
March 28, 2023: State Rep. Ed Neilson and others introduce House Bill 733 in an effort to legalize esports betting in Pennsylvania.
March 20, 2023: Pennsylvania takes in $599.5 million in bets in February, a 22% drop from the state’s January handle.
Feb. 13, 2023: Despite being the betting favorite, the Philadelphia Eagles suffer a 38-35 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
Jan. 9, 2023: bet365 announces it has secured Pennsylvania market access through a deal with Churchill Downs. At the time of this update, bet365 is available in three — New Jersey, Colorado, and Ohio — states.
Oct. 23, 2022: The Philadelphia Phillies punch their ticket to the World Series, courtesy of Bryce Harper’s go-ahead two-run home run.
Oct. 18, 2022: Pennsylvania sports betting action sees a spike in September, with the state taking in $645.2 million in wagers as opposed to August’s $363 million.
Oct. 14, 2022: Greenwood Gaming extends its partnership with the Philadelphia 76ers, making betPARX and Parx Casino official partners of the franchise.
Oct. 7, 2022: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) bans DraftKings Reignmakers, a daily fantasy contest that replaces traditional entrance fees with NFTs.
Aug. 17, 2022: Betting at Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks continued to slide in July. Sports betting operators took $336.5 million in bets, nearly $60 million less than the previous month.
Aug. 8, 2022: European operator Novibet secures an online sportsbook and iCasino market access deal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, expecting to launch in 2023.
June 22, 2022: Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin opts to divest his stake in the parent company of numerous pro sports franchises, including the Philadelphia 76ers, with Fanatics soon to launch its sports betting operation.
April 13, 2022: PointsBet debuts its online casino product in PA. The iGaming platform is also available in Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
Feb. 9, 2022: Chickie’s & Pete’s Malvern becomes the first establishment in the U.S. to open a race and sportsbook (Parx) in a restaurant and sports bar.
Feb. 7, 2022: PointsBet takes its first bet in PA, kicking off a three-day soft launch in the state. The PA sportsbook expects to be fully operational before Super Bowl 56.
Jan. 20, 2022: PoinstBet will soon offer online sports betting and casino products in Pennsylvania following the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s decision to award sports wagering and interactive gaming operator licenses.
Jan. 11, 2022: A decision on PointsBet’s license to operate in PA is expected next week during Penn National Gaming’s hearing with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. PointsBet would be tethered to Penn National’s Hollywood Casino York.
Dec. 21, 2021: PA sportsbooks take in approximately $761.6 million in bets in November, while Pennsylvania saw sports betting revenues climb to $84.9 million.
Nov. 17, 2021: Pennsylvania registers its highest sports betting handle to date, $776.3 million for the month of October, eclipsing the previous high from January 2021.
Nov. 10, 2021: Betway enters into a partnership with the Philadelphia Flyers, including on-ice branding during the team’s home games.
October 2021: Pennsylvania sees its sports betting handle for September hit nearly $580 million, largely due to NFL wagers.
Sept. 22, 2021: MaximBet secures market access in Pennsylvania through a deal with Caesars Entertainment.
May 2019: SugarHouse becomes the first PA sports betting site to go live.
November 2018: Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course accepts the first legal sports wager in Pennsylvania.
May 2018: The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is struck down by the Supreme Court, meaning sports betting can be legalized at the state level.
Oct. 30, 2017: Gov. Tom Wolf signs bill H 271 into law, officially legalizing PA sports betting.
December 2015: Rep. Rob Matzie led a bill that urged the US Congress to lift the federal ban on sports betting.
October 2015: Rep. Rick Kotik introduced a bill that aimed to repeal the ban on Pennsylvania sports betting.
