Pennsylvania online casinos offer welcome bonuses to entice new players to sign up and deposit. Some of the best welcome bonuses at PA online casinos include no deposit bonuses as well as deposit bonuses.
No-deposit bonuses are awarded when you sign up with the casino. These bonuses are great for gamblers who want to try a new PA online casino before making a real-money deposit.
Deposit bonuses require depositing funds at a casino site. Deposit bonuses give you a chance to earn even more bonus money. Learn about the best casino bonuses in PA and how they work below.
New bonuses for March 2023
- Best new offer: New customers at FanDuel Casino PA can get up to $2,000 to play again if you’re down after your first day on the site.
- Best no-deposit casino bonus: DraftKings PA is offering $60 just for signing up, plus an additional $25 in bonus credit when you deposit.
- Best deposit match bonuses: BetMGM Casino will match 100% up to $1,000 and DraftKings Casino will match your first deposit up to $2,000.
Best PA Online Casino Bonuses 2023
| PA Online Casino | No Deposit | Deposit Bonus | Click to Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| BetMGM Casino | $25 Freeplay® | 100% up to $1,000 | Play Now! |
| BetRivers Casino | N/A | 100% up to $250 | Play Now! |
| Caesars Casino | $10 free | 200% up to $200 | Play Now! |
| DraftKings Casino | $60 | $25 + 100% Match up to $2,000 | Play Now! |
| Borgata Casino | $20 | 100% up to $1,000 | Play Now! |
| FanDuel Casino | N/A | Up to $2,000 Play it Again for first 24 hours | Play Now! |
| Unibet Casino | $10 | 100% up to $750 | Play Now! |
| PokerStars Casino | N/A | Bet $1 Get $100 Free Play | Play Now! |
Online casinos typically require you to use a casino bonus code to qualify for welcome bonuses.
All online casino bonuses feature terms and conditions that must be satisfied before the money can be withdrawn. Each casino lists bonus terms on its website. Be sure to read the fine print and pay attention to playthrough requirements so you know what you’re signing up for.
How to get real money bonuses at Pennsylvania online casinos
The first step to qualifying for PA internet casino bonuses is to sign up at a legal, regulated PGCB-licensed gaming site. You will be required to provide different personal details, which we outline below. The casino will send you a verification email that may sometimes include an activation link.
The required account details vary between casinos. But the following account fields are commonly seen throughout the market:
- First name and last name
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Last four digits of Social Security Number
- Username
- Password
- Email address
- Home address (city, state, zip code, country)
- Mobile phone number
- Age verification
- Bonus code
After the operator verifies your account, you’ll be eligible to claim the no-deposit bonus. The deposit bonus, on the other hand, is only available after you make the minimum deposit required.
Who can sign up at a Pennsylvania online casino?
You don’t have to be a PA resident to play at the state’s online casinos. But you must be located within Pennsylvania borders to create a real money account and to qualify for bonuses.
Anyone who attempts to play for real money while outside the state will be barred from doing so. Pennsylvania uses geolocation technology to determine if players are within state lines when accessing a licensed online casino.
You also need to be at least 21 years old to play. It is Pennsylvania’s required minimum age for both online and land-based gambling.
Remember to enter the relevant bonus code
Online casinos use bonus codes to track different promotions. Each code is unique and determines what offers you’re eligible for.
When opening a casino account, you should notice an optional “promo code” or “bonus code” field in the registration form. The code that you enter in this field determines what welcome bonus you receive.
Some bonus codes allow you to claim larger no-deposit or deposit bonuses than a casino’s standard offer. For example, an online casino’s website might feature a code that qualifies you for a $10 no-deposit bonus. But using an exclusive bonus code could earn you a $20 reward instead.
This example highlights the importance of finding the best-available PA bonus codes, which are provided above on this page.
Is there a difference between bonus & promo codes?
Some Pennsylvania online casinos use the term “promo code” when referring to the codes they use to keep track of promotions. This practice can create confusion about whether a promo code is the same as a bonus code.
But these terms refer to the same thing, whether it be a welcome bonus or temporary promotion for existing members. The only difference is in which term an operator prefers to use. However, some casinos will use the term “promo code” to refer to short-term promotions exclusively.
No deposit bonuses at PA online casinos
No deposit bonuses become available once you’ve completed account registration and after you’ve entered the appropriate bonus code. The bonus size depends on the operator and the specific code used. Generally, no-deposit bonuses are worth between $15 and $30.
A no deposit bonus gives you the chance to win real money. This situation differs from playing free online casino games, where everything you win constitutes play chips.
No deposit bonus terms and conditions
No deposit bonuses cannot be cashed out until you’ve met certain terms and conditions. This policy prevents players from receiving their bonus and withdrawing it right away. The terms include wagering requirements (a.k.a. playthrough or turnover), time frames, and game restrictions.
Wagering requirements are expressed as a multiple of the bonus. For example, let’s say that you’re eligible for a $10 no-deposit bonus with a 50x playthrough. You would have to wager $500 (10 * 50) to unlock your bonus and withdraw it.
Time restrictions are placed on both claiming your bonus and meeting its turnover requirement. A casino might give you three days (72 hours) to claim the bonus once your account is verified. After you’ve claimed the reward, you’ll have a set number of days (e.g. seven) to complete playthrough requirements.
Game restrictions refer to when a bonus can only be used on specific types of games. For example, some internet casinos only let players wager no-deposit bonuses on slots. Other sites don’t have restrictions, which enables you to meet turnover requirements through any game.
Pros and cons of no deposit bonuses
One good aspect to no-deposit bonuses is that you can win real money without making a deposit. Meeting wagering requirements allows you to either cash out the bonus or continue using it to earn more winnings.
Another benefit is that you can try an internet casino and see if you like it before depositing. Pay special attention to game selection, website navigation, filtering options, and game stability.
The one downside to these bonuses is that they can be difficult to earn and withdraw. At some online casinos, the average player has low chances of clearing the bonus because of the requirements to play through a high volume of bets. But most players are fine with the low odds, provided they get to try out the games with no financial investment and have a reasonable shot at turning a profit.
Why do online casinos offer no deposit bonuses?
Online casinos use no-deposit bonuses as marketing tools to attract new customers. Players are more motivated to try a new casino if they can do so with little to no financial risk of their own. They’re also more likely to make a deposit when they play at a casino and like it.
The other reason why gaming sites offer no-deposit bonuses is to collect emails. Players must enter their email address when filling out an account registration form to receive the bonus. Casinos use these emails to expand their marketing reach for promotions and other offers.
Deposit bonuses at Pennsylvania online casinos
Players become eligible for a deposit bonus when they make their first deposit at a PA online casino. Some of the best online casinos feature match bonuses, which offer bonus credit based on a percentage of your deposit.
For example, let’s assume that an online casino offers a 100% match bonus up to $500. If you were to deposit $200 under this deal, you’d be eligible for a matching $200 bonus.
The bonus funds are separated from the deposit money. You must meet playthrough requirements before the bonus funds get transferred to your real money balance.
How to deposit at PA online casinos
PA casino sites should accept a variety of payment methods, including:
- Credit cards
- Debit cards
- eWallets
- Bank transfers
- eChecks
- Prepaid cards
- Cash at the cage
The exact deposit options vary from one casino to another. For example, one gaming site may accept Neteller and PayPal eWallet payments, while another may only take Neteller.
Before creating an account, make sure to browse a casino’s banking section to make sure that they have a deposit option you can use. Doing so helps you avoid wasting time with the account creation process, only to later find out that you can’t deposit.
Generally speaking, though, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a banking method that you can use. Each PA casino site offers a good variety of deposit options.
Cashback bonuses
Some online casinos offer cashback as a deposit reward instead of a match bonus. Cashback gives you money back based on a percentage of your losses.
For example, you might be eligible for cashback worth up to 90% of your first deposit. If you deposited $50, the most cashback you could earn would be $45 (50 * 0.09).
These offers are only available for a certain number of days after you deposit, seven to fourteen being the most common.
Deposit bonus playthrough requirements
Match deposit bonus wagering requirements can be based either on a multiple of the bonus or a multiple of the bonus plus deposit amount. Neither method is superior to the other in terms of value, but knowing the difference helps you determine that value:
Here’s an example:
- You deposit $50 at two casino sites
- Both sites offer a 100% match bonus
- The first casino’s playthrough is 40x the bonus
- 40 x 50 = $2,000 to release funds
- The second casino’s playthrough is 20x the bonus plus deposit
- (50 + 50) x 20 = $2,000 to release funds
You can see that the same amount must be wagered to earn both bonuses. The only differences include how the playthrough is expressed and what math formulas are used to carry out calculations.
Use theoretical losses to determine bonus value
Theoretical losses indicate the average losses you can expect to suffer while playing a casino game with a positive house edge. For example, betting $100 on a slot with 95% payback would result in a $5 theoretical loss.
Due to the luck element, nothing is ever certain in a casino game. Therefore, in the example above, you can’t know whether you’ll end up losing $5 for certain. But the math suggests that this is the most likely outcome, and the longer you play and the more you wager, the higher the likelihood that your results will reflect the game’s true house edge.
You can combine theoretical losses with playthrough to determine the value of a bonus. Here’s an example:
- A Pennsylvania casino site is offering a 100% match bonus
- Playthrough is 30x the bonus
- You deposit $150, which makes you eligible for a $150 bonus
- 30 x 150 = $4,500 turnover requirement
- You play a slot with 96% payback, meaning the house edge is four%
- 4,500 x 0.04 = $180 loss
- 180 – 150 bonus = $30 net loss
You can take this further by comparing bonuses between two casino sites:
- Two online casinos are offering a 100% match bonus
- You deposit $200 at each casino, making you eligible for a $200 bonus
- You play a slot with 95% payback at both sites
- Playthrough at the first casino is 30x the bonus
- 30 x 200 = $6,000
- 6,000 x 0.05 = $300 loss
- 300 loss – 200 bonus = $100 net loss
- Playthrough at the second casino is 20x the bonus
- 20 x 200 = $4,000
- 4,000 x 0.05 = $200 loss
- 200 bonus – 200 loss = break even
You theoretically won’t lose any money when going after the match bonus at the second casino under these conditions.
Wagering requirements differ from one game to another
Internet casinos feature different turnover requirements on different games. Slots, Keno, and scratch cards typically have lower playthroughs, because they feature higher house edges. Common wagering requirements for these games range from 10x to 30x the bonus.
Table games and video poker have higher turnover requirements because they feature lower house edges. Playthrough on these game groups typically ranges from 50x to 200x.
The high turnover on table games doesn’t always indicate that it’ll be tougher to earn bonuses. Depending on the house edge, you may have an even better chance to release your bonus.
Here’s a comparison between slots and Blackjack:
- You’re eligible for a $100 bonus
- Slots playthrough is 25x the bonus
- 100 x 25 = $2,500 to release funds
- You’re playing a slot with 95% payback (5% house edge)
- 2,500 x 0.05 = $125 loss
- Blackjack playthrough is 100x
- 100 x 100 = $10,000 turnover
- You’re playing a blackjack game with a 1% edge
- 10,000 x 0.01 = $100 loss
Despite having wagering requirements that are four times as high as slots, the blackjack games online offers better value in this scenario.
Look for deposit bonuses that offer incredible value
Regulated US online gaming markets offer great bonuses in comparison to other markets. A big reason why US bonuses are better has to do with the low wagering requirements.
Delaware and New Jersey started the trend by offering some of the world’s friendliest online bonus turnover. Pennsylvania has followed suit.
These wagering requirements are much better than what’s available to Americans in states without regulated online gaming. Such states only have access to offshore online casinos, which serve unregulated markets. Standard playthrough requirements at offshore internet casinos is often upwards of 40x on slots and 400x on table games.
What’s unique about Pennsylvania’s online casinos?
PA casinos can take advantage of mainstream advertising to attract new players – this allows them to reach audiences that would be otherwise difficult to target. Offshore internet casinos, in contrast, can’t advertise through mainstream channels like TV, radio, or billboards. Plus, operators can advertise to their land-based casino customers through various channels.
PA’s online gaming regulations also inspire consumer confidence. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) oversees the market and provides certain protections to players. If a serious player-casino dispute arises, the PGCB can step in and make a fair ruling. This setup gives players more confidence in depositing at PA online casinos.
Finally, because the PA online casino market is highly competitive, brands must do their best to attract and retain customers. And what better way to entice gamblers than to offer attractive welcome bonuses?
Overview of Pennsylvania online casinos
Ten of the state’s land-based casino operators offer online casino gambling through various iGaming partners. Each licensee may have multiple skins, though, which is how a company like Penn National (now Penn Entertainment) offers multiple online casinos (Hollywood, Barstool, BetMGM, DraftKings and PointsBet).
Online gambling licenses did not come cheap in PA. In fact, casinos had to purchase a separate license for online poker, slots, and table games, which cost $4 million individually. Most operators that wanted all three and applied for them at the same time paid the discounted rate of $10 million.
The 54% tax rate on online slot profits is among the world’s highest for online gaming. Online table games and poker revenue is taxed at 16%. In Pennsylvania, only the net revenue for each month is taxed. That means bonus dollars that casino sites award customers are deducted before taxes, which incentivizes more promo spend.
Combined with a very competitive market of more than a dozen casino apps, PA is actually one of the best states in the US when it comes to online casino promotions and bonuses.