Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is one of the largest US gaming markets, and online play makes up a big share of it. In Fiscal Year 2025/2026, combined gross revenue from all games the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) regulates was $7,005,987,435. The PGCB calls this an all-time fiscal-year high. Taxes and fees returned to the Commonwealth were $3,098,193,583, also a record.

The PGCB's 20th Annual Report release counts the current outlets:

• 18 land-based casinos
• 17 retail sports wagering locations
• 11 online sports wagering sites
• 22 sites for online casino-type games (slot machines, table games, poker)
• 7 online fantasy sports contest sites

Regulator and licensing

The PGCB is an independent state agency created by the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act of 2004, which has been amended several times since. It oversees the land-based casinos, online casino games, retail and online sports wagering, video gaming terminals at qualified truck stops, and fantasy contests. The agency lists the licensed online sports wagering, interactive gaming and fantasy operators on its website. It also asks consumers to check for its official logo on licensed operators' sites and materials.

August 2026 shows the current mix of revenue:

• Online casino: casino games offered online generated $245,699,011, up 6.25% on August 2025.
• Sports wagering: handle was $498,503,057, down 3.29%. Taxable revenue fell 19.92% to $39,361,628.
• All gaming: combined revenue, including fantasy contests, was $569,738,545, down 2.16%.

Business-to-business companies are licensed as gaming service providers (GSPs), either through certification or through registration. Certification has four categories: land-based, gaming-related, sports wagering and interactive. For land-based enterprises, dollar thresholds decide which route applies. Certification is required above $500,000 in transactions with slot machine licensees in any 12 months, plus work on the gaming floor or in a restricted area. Registration covers $100,000 to $500,000. The PGCB's forms state that these thresholds do not apply to interactive or sports wagering GSPs.

Key rules for affiliates

Revenue-share affiliates need certification. The PGCB's GSP Certification Form lists the interactive and sports wagering GSPs that must complete the certification package. The list includes "an individual or entity acting as an interactive affiliate that receives a revenue share for promoting, marketing and directing business to an online gaming site." It also covers payment processors, identity, age and geolocation providers, odds and data suppliers, and risk management or integrity services.

The form lists these fees:

• certification application fee: $2,500
• holding companies: $500
• qualifiers: $1,000
• Land Based, Interactive or Sports Wagering certification: $5,000 for five years

Anyone with a 10% or greater ownership interest files a personal history disclosure form. So do salespeople who solicit business from licensees or have regular contact with them. The separate GSP registration route has an Interactive Gaming Service Provider category, with a $500 application fee and a $2,500 registration fee covering five years.

Advertising standards. Under 58 Pa. Code § 813a.2, interactive gaming certificate holders and operators must follow the general advertising rule. Advertising aimed only at Pennsylvania residents must be co-branded, showing the certificate holder and the operator in equal size and quality. This covers TV and radio, direct mail, email and text, billboards, and Pennsylvania-based print and online publications. Advertising may not specifically target players who have been excluded from play.

The general rule, § 501a.7, applies to licensees and to entities certified or registered by the Board, and to their agents. Advertisements must not contain false or misleading information, or fail to disclose conditions or limiting factors. Every advertisement must carry a gambling assistance message, and the rule sets font-size minimums by format. On websites and social media, the message must appear on each page or profile page and on any gaming-related ad posted there. The Board's Office of Compulsive and Problem Gambling (OCPG) can order a particular advertisement withdrawn if it could adversely affect the public or the integrity of gaming.

Recent changes

• March 25, 2026: the Board approved a $100,000 fine against BetMGM, LLC for insufficient know-your-customer procedures on its BetMGM and Borgata platforms. In one instance, 1,567 accounts were created using other people's personal identifying information.
• May 5, 2026: the PGCB's Executive Director sent comments to the CFTC arguing that sports-related contracts on prediction markets are sports wagering offered in violation of state law. The comments also raised concerns about participation by people under 21.
• July 17, 2026: the PGCB reported record FY 2025/26 revenue of just over $7.0 billion and taxes and fees of about $3.1 billion.
• September 17, 2026: August 2026 results showed online casino revenue up 6.25% year on year and sports wagering taxable revenue down 19.92%.
• September 30, 2026: the PGCB released its 20th Annual Report, covering FY 2025-2026.