Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania

[toc]Pennsylvania could join Nevada with single-game sports betting, thanks to a law signed by Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday.

• Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania Lottery
• Is It Legal To Bet On Sports In Pennsylvania
• Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania Pa
• Online Sports Gambling Legal

That bill authorized a myriad of new gaming options in the state, including online poker and casino games and regulation of daily fantasy sports. But it also sets up Pennsylvania to offer legal sports betting, should things break right in the near future.

No, but it’s not explicitly illegal either. The Pennsylvania Constitution doesn’t offer a definition of illegal gambling. Instead, their criminal code is mainly focused on illegal operators – especially those offering. The ruling lifted the federal ban on gambling and essentially allowed sports betting to be legal in the US. There was a bill introduced to allow for a referendum that would allow sports betting, but the legislation failed to garner the two-thirds support necessary to place the issue on the 2018 ballot. The types of online gambling that are legal in the US include casino games, online poker, online lottery and online sports betting. See the next question for details on exactly where and how you can gamble online in the United States. Remember, just because a site accepts players from the US doesn’t mean that it’s a legal online gambling site.

The author of a standalone sports betting bill — Rep. Rob Matzie — offered this statement to ESPN’s David Purdum:

Statement from Pennsylvania Rep. @RobMatzie, who spearheaded the state's sports betting efforts: pic.twitter.com/JYsv5VtPzA

Pennsylvania is a liberal state when it comes to sports betting and gambling overall, and sports betting is legal all throughout the state. PA is well-known for its casinos and sportsbooks and for giving. Legal retail and online sports betting is now alive and well in Pennsylvania. Retail books began launching in late 2018, and online sportsbooks began taking bets in May 2019.

— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) October 30, 2017

Still, 2018 could be an optimistic timeframe for sports betting to happen in PA.

PA sports betting needs more than just the new law

Everything else PA just legalized on the gaming front needs nothing more to become law, from a purely legal standpoint. (Obviously, more goes into implementing the different aspects of the law, including licensing and writing of regulations.)

The same is not the case for the sports betting portion of the PA law, however. The law needs a change at the federal level to take effect. Currently, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) bans single-game wagering outside of Nevada.

That means a change to that law would need to come first. The quickest and most likely avenue to that is the New Jersey sports betting case in the US Supreme Court. A verdict declaring PASPA unconstitutional would allow PA to move forward right away.

Still, that decision is not likely until the spring of 2018, and that outcome is far from a given.

Here’s the language from the bill mentioning federal law:

The Board shall, when federal law is enacted or repealed or a federal court decision is filed that permits a state to regulate sports wagering, publish a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin certifying the enactment or repeal or the filing of the decision.

Short of a SCOTUS decision in New Jersey’s favor, PA would need Congress to repeal or amend PASPA for the sports betting law to take effect.

Delaware passed a law in 2009 attempting to legalize single-game wagering, but that was struck down in court because of PASPA. Delaware still offers parlay wagering legally.

What’s in the PA sports betting law?

More about the nuts and bolts of the law here, including analysis of timing and other provisions.

The bill includes a 36-percent tax rate on sports wagering revenue, which is a ridiculously high number for what is a low-margin gaming product to start out with. Lawmakers would be smart to rein that number by changing the law in 2018, before it takes effect. (The licensing fee is also a steep $10 million.)

Beyond that, the bill also provides for mobile and online sports betting — meaning it can take place outside of the state’s land-based gaming facilities. It also allows for wagering on professional and collegiate sports, potentially putting the state at odds with the NCAA.

Full sports betting language from the PA gaming bill here:

Where will you be able to bet on sports in PA?

The short answer: Potentially anywhere in the state.

Here’s the definition of “sports wagering” from the law (emphasis added):

“Sports wagering.” The business of accepting wagers on sporting events or on the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event or combination of sporting events by any system or method of wagering, including over the internet through websites and mobile applications.

Betting online

Because the statute allows for online sports betting, all you would need to bet is an internet connection or a mobile device with cell service. That means you would simply need to be within the state’s borders to legally place a bet; you don’t have to be a resident of the state.

You would still have to register an account in PA, and the logistics of how that will happen for sports bettors would still need to be worked out. And we still have no idea who will attempt to offer mobile/online wagering. But certainly some licensees would.

Betting at casinos

If you didn’t want to bet online, you would obviously be able to place bets at a physical location.

Where that will happen is still up in the air. The law allows any “slot machine licensee” in the state to apply for a “sports wagering certificate” at a cost of $10 million each. Because of the huge outlay of cash up front and the high tax rate, it’s not a guarantee that every licensee would buy into this, as written.

But, if they all did, you could eventually place sports bets at all 12 of the state’s licensed casinos/racinos:

• Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester
• Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Grantville
• The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, North Strabane Twp.
• Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre
• Parx Casino and Racing, Bensalem
• Presque Isle Downs & Casino, Erie
• Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mt. Pocono
• Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh
• Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Bethlehem
• SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphia
• Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, Farmington
• Valley Forge Casino Resort, King of Prussia

Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania Lottery

There’s also another casino — Live! Philadelphia Casino and Hotel — that is planned. That’s in the city’s stadium district and would be a no-brainer for a sportsbook.

The law even thinks of the fact that there is likely not space in some casinos, as constructed, to put a sportsbook. So it authorizes temporary books:

Temporary facilities.–the board may permit a sports wagering certificate holder to conduct sports wagering at a temporary facility that is physically connected to, attached to or adjacent to a licensed facility, as approved by the board, for a period not to exceed 18 months.

For many new sports bettors, the minimum age requirement for legal sports betting is one of the single biggest concerns. Even at legal sports betting venues in 2021, underage gambling is viewed as a major offense that can prompt heavy fines or even jail time for sports betting operators, so sportsbooks are extremely strict about who they allow to gamble. Federal law provides fairly extensive guidelines for most forms of gambling, but it has always left the specificity of legal gambling age requirements to individual states. International online sportsbooks are free to set their own limits, but domestic providers are subject to state age requirements.

Some states offer limited forms of gambling (bingo, charity games, etc.) starting well before the age of 18, but all states require that players be at least 18 years old to bet on sports. 35 states set their legal gambling age higher than 18, which is unfortunate for sports bettors. Thankfully, even in these states, legal sports betting is available to all players who are 18 years old as long as they use international online sportsbooks.

Use Sports Betting Sites When 18 To Bet On NFL

The great thing about legal online sportsbooks such as Bovada, BetOnline or MyBookie is that they require bettors around the country to be 18 years of age rather than 21 years of age in some states. No matter what state you are in, these sites will require you to be just 18. With that said, bettors can enjoy all of the NFL odds that are available right on your 1 birthday.

Sports Betting Ages By State

Each of the states with sports betting is different, but the legal sports betting age by state is almost always 21, while the legal lottery and pari-mutuel betting age is usually 18 (except for Alabama, where all gambling ages are 19 for some reason). The following age minimums for sports betting are what you should stick to, listed alphabetically by state. (Note: The states with an age range indicate areas where there is a different limit for commercial vs. tribal casino gaming and betting, and you can typically err on the side of the lower age.)

• Alabama Betting Age – 19
• Alaska Betting Age – 19
• Arizona Betting Age – 21
• Arkansas Betting Age – 21
• California Betting Age – 18-21
• Colorado Betting Age – 21
• Connecticut Betting Age – 21
• Delaware Betting Age – 21
• Florida Betting Age – 21
• Georgia Betting Age – 21
• Hawaii Betting Age – 18
• Idaho Betting Age – 21
• Illinois Betting Age – 21
• Indiana Betting Age – 21
• Iowa Betting Age – 21
• Kansas Betting Age – 21
• Kentucky Betting Age – 18

• Louisiana Betting Age – 21
• Maine Betting Age – 21
• Maryland Betting Age – 21
• Massachusetts Betting Age – 21
• Michigan Betting Age – 18-21
• Minnesota Betting Age – 18-21
• Mississippi Betting Age – 21
• Missouri Betting Age – 21
• Montana Betting Age – 18
• Nebraska Betting Age – 21
• Nevada Betting Age – 21
• New Hampshire Betting Age – 21
• New Jersey Betting Age – 21
• New Mexico Betting Age – 21
• New York Betting Age – 21
• North Carolina Betting Age – 21
• North Dakota Betting Age – 21

• Ohio Betting Age – 21
• Oklahoma Betting Age – 18-21
• Oregon Betting Age – 18-21
• Pennsylvania Betting Age – 21
• Rhode Island Betting Age – 18
• South Carolina Betting Age – 21
• South Dakota Betting Age – 21
• Tennessee Betting Age – 18
• Texas Betting Age – 21
• Utah Betting Age – 18
• Vermont Betting Age – 18
• Virginia Betting Age – 18
• Washington Betting Age – 18-21
• West Virginia Betting Age – 21
• Wisconsin Betting Age – 21
• Wyoming Betting Age – 18

Legal Sports Betting Age At Land-Based Sportsbooks

Generally speaking, the legal sports betting age at land-based sportsbooks is 21 years old. Now that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA, 1992) has been overturned, each state is allowed to set its own age minimums for its own sports wagering industry. Most states have chosen 21, as this aligns well with their existing gambling policies at the venues where new sports betting lounges are opening. In some ways, it’s silly to sort out any legal sports betting age by state, as almost all of them seem to be in agreement on this one point (and only this one point, truth be told).

The caveat here comes when the entirety of a state’s gambling market is tribal in nature, with casinos located totally on sovereign tribal land (i.e. reservations). In these states, there are often added challenges to getting new sports betting laws passed, as the tribes tend to have sweeping exclusivity deals as part of their state compacts. It is conceivable that in such states, where sports wagering is limited to tribal venues, that the sports betting age would be 18, in line with most pari-mutuel and lottery age minimums nationwide.

Legal Sports Betting Age At Online Sportsbooks

The legal sports betting age at online sportsbooks can be different depending on where you live. For example, Rhode Island, Oregon, and New Hampshire only require people who are using online sportsbooks to be 18 years old or older. However, in places such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, you have to be 21 years old or older in order to use legal sports betting sites. A general rule of thumb to follow is to check your state’s casino gambling laws as those are the ones usually used to define the required sports betting age.

When it comes to using online offshore sportsbooks, those sites usually require users to be 18 years old or older. However, if your state’s sports betting laws require bettors to be 21 years old or older than you will have to follow that guideline before using offshore options. This will ensure that you are totally safe when using these sites, otherwise, you may run the risk of running into trouble down the line. These offshore sites take underage gambling very seriously and those that are caught betting as a minor will have their winnings confiscated and their account terminated.

Betting Age To Bet On College Football

When it comes to betting on your favorite college team, online sportsbooks will have all the games that players would like to choose and bet from. There are plenty of prop bets that you can choose and most of the time these games are close and could turn out to help players win a lot of money. The age requirement is one thing that is very important and when it comes to online sportsbooks, all players have to be is 18 and older to sign up. So as exciting as it is to bet on your favorite college football team, make sure you’re old enough to place big wagers.

Betting Age To Bet On Basketball

With the NBA Season starts just weeks away, knowing the legal NBA betting age in your state is incredibly important. While it varies from state to state, most states requiring bettors to be at least 21 years old or older in order to wager, knowing the legal gambling age is a great way to be fully prepared to go into the NBA season. International sportsbooks operate legally in every state, even those that have yet to regulate legal sports betting in their legislations. With online sportsbooks, you can bet on your favorite NBA team by being at least 18 years old. Underage sports betting is prohibited and bettors who attempt to bet on the NBA while not being old enough could run into some trouble. It is important to know the legal age to bet on the NBA in your state before you try and wager.

Age To Bet On MLB Baseball

All American players must be at least 18 years old to bet on MLB baseball games, while bettors in some states have to be at least 21 years old to bet with state-licensed sportsbooks. With the coronavirus limiting the capability of most brick-and-mortar sportsbooks, most MLB betting in 2021 will take place online during the season. You will be required to provide proof of valid, government-issued ID before you can withdraw winnings from betting on baseball.

The Risk Of Underage Sports Betting

Underage gambling is strictly prohibited, and the act of such can result in real legal troubles. This is why knowing and understanding your state’s gambling laws is incredibly important. If you are caught attempting to bet on sports while under the required betting age by your state, then you run the risk of being permanently banned from the sportsbook, fined by the courts, or legally persecuted. Illegal gambling of any kind can result in misdemeanor or even felony charges. It Is an unnecessary risk to take place in underage gambling as the negatives are life-altering. Waiting until you are in the legal gambling age in your state is the best way to go.

Legal Horse Betting Age

The legal horse betting age is the same as it is for sports betting on the list above. Horse betting is one of the reasons that legal gambling ages exist in the first place, so it is no wonder that they use the same laws as casinos and sportsbooks. Overall, if you are 21 then you can bet on horses and are old enough to bet on sports anywhere in the world. If you are over 18, then you are only old enough to bet on horses in these states.

Alabama – California – Hawaii – Kentucky – Michigan – Montana – Oklahoma – Oregon – Rhode Island – Tennessee – Utah – Vermont – Virginia – Washigton – Wyoming

Why Is There A Minimum Age Limit To Bet On Sports?

When it comes to betting on sports inside of a casino sportsbook, there is often an age restriction because the sportsbook will serve alcohol on the premises. In order for the casino to keep their liquor license and comply with the federal law, everyone in their building must be 21 or older. Certain states, such as Rhode Island, have sportsbooks that accept bettors as young as 18 because the sports betting laws will allow them to. When it comes to betting on sports online most of the sites in the US will set their age restriction according to the state that they are based in. When using on offshore sports betting site, most of them will set their minimum age at 18 because that is the legal age to gamble in the country that they are based in.

How Do I Verify My Age To A Sportsbook?

Is It Legal To Bet On Sports In Pennsylvania

With both land-based and online sportsbooks, you will need to provide legal documentation that shows you are legally old enough to bet on sports. This can be a standard government-issued ID. It is also a requirement at international sportsbooks, with online sports betting operations requiring ID in order to prevent you from making multiple accounts as well as ensuring they are sending the payments to the correct person. It is not a difficult process to prove your age at sportsbooks and if you are looking to bet on sports you must have documentation proving your age.

Is There An Age Limit To Go Inside Of A Sportsbook?

Yes, and as of right now, almost every legal land-based sportsbook in the US requires anyone trying to enter the venue to be 21 or older. Only Rhode Island, New York, and Montana will allow bettors as young as 18 to enter their sportsbook. Some casinos have their own betting apps or post their odds on their website so you can view lines from there, but in order to physically enter the casino or racino you must meet their age requirement.

Will I Get In Trouble If I Am Sports Betting Underage?

Where Can I Bet On Sports Under 21?

As of right now, your only land-based options would be in Rhode Island and New York. Once Montana launches their sports betting operations those would become an option as well. The same goes for sports betting in New Hampshire. Oregon will let those 18 years old or older to use the lottery’s mobile sportsbook known as Scoreboard. Some states that are working on sports betting legislation are aiming to set the legal gambling age at 18 as well. We will update you as soon as we have confirmation on which states do so. Online offshore sportsbooks will normally accept members 18 or older, but it is best to comply with the age requirement set by your state. If you take a look at the list above, we have laid out which states you can start online sports betting under the age of 21.

What Is The Legal Age For Horse Betting?

Most states have set the legal age for horse race betting at 18 or older. This includes betting on live races and simulcast races. However, there are a handful of states, such as Arizona, that require pari-mutuel bettors to be 21 or older. There are even some states that say you have to be 19 or older to bet on the ponies, so be sure to check your state laws. Most online racebooks will require their users to be at least 18 or older in order to bet on the races.

Which Online Sportsbooks And Betting Apps Do Not Check Age?

Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania Pa

What Is The Legal Betting Age At Bovada?

Online Sports Gambling Legal

Bovada only requires that users be at least 18 years old, no matter what state they might live in. But, Bovada does not accept any players from Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New York or Nevada. Players in all other states should still consult the betting age in their state and know if their age limit is higher. Though it is good to understand your local betting age, there has not been any reports of a single person arrested for underage gambling online. There are, however, consequences for someone who fails to meet minimum betting ages at Bovada or any other online sportsbook.