Pa Gambling Locations

4/4/2022by admin

Introduction to Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling consists of twelve casinos of which six are pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines, four are standalone casinos, and two are casino resorts.

Gambling and Lottery Winnings Class of Income. Gambling and lottery winnings is a separate class of income under Pennsylvania personal income tax law. Between July 21, 1983 and Dec. 31, 2015, all prizes of the Pennsylvania Lottery were excluded from this class of income.

Pennsylvania has both minimum and maximum theoretical payout limits. Return statistics are publicly available online.

This post continues my weekly State-By-State Slot Machine Casino Gambling Series, an online resource dedicated to guiding slot machine casino gambler to success. Now in its third year, each weekly post reviews slots gambling in a single U.S. state, territory, or federal district.

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Casino gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931 and it was the only state to offer that type of gambling until 1977 when New Jersey legalized casinos for its seaside resort town of Atlantic City. It is these land-based, stand-alone, casinos that were the original forms of casinos until riverboat and Indian casinos came along in the 1990s. Pennsylvania legalized online gambling as of the summer of 2019, making it the fourth state to join the party after New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada. The Keystone state comes just second to Nevada with the largest gambling market in the United States. Before 2019, gamblers in Pennsylvania were either playing poker in their friends' basement or driving to the closest brick and mortar to try.

There are 12 casinos in activity within the territory of PA. In total the gaming offer include more than 30,000 slot machines, 1,000 gaming tables, 290 poker tables as well as 9 horse tracks. The Parx Casino & Racing of Bensalem is one of the biggest gaming venue with an offer of 3,500 slot machines as well as 130 gaming tables such as. Pennsylvania Real-Time News; Unregulated gambling finds a corner in the corner store (and bar, and lots of other places, too).

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Relevant Legal Statutes on Gambling in Pennsylvania*

The minimum legal gambling age in Pennsylvania depends upon the gambling activity:

Land-Based Casinos: 21
Poker Rooms: 21
Bingo: 18
Lottery: 18
Pari-Mutuel Wagering: 18

In 2004, the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act passed. This Act legalized slot machines at fourteen locations. Of these locations, gaming licenses have yet to be issued for a standalone casino and a pari-mutuel racetrack with slot machines.

Since July 2010, table games are in Pennsylvania casinos.

In October 2017, the state legislature legalized casino gambling at truck stops, airports, and online. This bill also authorized ten new satellite casinos with location restrictions.

Satellite casinos of existing casino operators must be within 25 miles of their existing Pennsylvania casino. Further, local municipalities may prohibit such a casino. These satellite casino licenses allow up to 750 slot machines and 50 table games.
Racetracks and standalone casinos can have up to 5,000 slot machines and 250 table games, while casino resorts can have up to 600 slot machines and 50 table games. Truck stops approved by their county may have up to 5 slot machines.

Casino operators may operate a gambling parlor at any of Pennsylvania’s international and regional airports, assuming successful agreements with the airport authority. None have yet opened, but expected in 2020.

To gamble within a casino resort, players must be a guest there. Put another way, the gaming floors within the casino resorts are not open to the public.

*The purpose of this section is to inform the public of state gambling laws and how the laws might apply to various forms of gaming. It is not legal advice.

Slot Machine Private Ownership in Pennsylvania

It is legal to own a slot machine privately in the state of Pennsylvania if it is 25 years old or older.

Gaming Control Board in Pennsylvania

The state gaming commission is the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). The PGCB is responsible for overseeing slot machines and casino gambling in the state.

Two different state gaming commissions are each responsible for the state lottery and charitable gaming.

Casinos in Pennsylvania

There are two casino resorts, four standalone casinos, and six racetracks with slot machines in Pennsylvania.

The largest casino in Pennsylvania is Parx Casino with 3,238 gaming machines during the last week of January 2020.

The second-largest casino is Wind Creek Bethlehem with 3,046 gaming machines during the last week of January 2020.

Commercial Casinos in Pennsylvania

The two casino resorts in Pennsylvania are:

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, 69 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, 21 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The four standalone casinos in Pennsylvania are:

Mount Airy Casino Resort Spa in Mount Pocono, 31 miles southeast of Scranton.
Rivers Casino Philadelphia, 3 miles northeast of the downtown area.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh in the downtown cultural center.
Wind Creek Bethlehem, 58 miles north of Philadelphia.

The six pari-mutuel racetracks with slot machines in Pennsylvania are:

Harrah’s Philadelphia in Chester, 18 miles southwest of Philadelphia.
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, 17 miles northeast of the capital of Harrisburg.
Mohegan Sun Pocono in Wilkes-Barre, 15 miles southwest of Scranton.
Parx Casino in Bensalem, 19 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
Presque Isle Downs & Casino in Erie, 126 miles north of Pittsburgh.
The Meadows Casino Racetrack Hotel in Washington, 26 miles south-southwest of Pittsburgh.

Tribal Casinos in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has no federally-recognized American Indian tribes. Therefore, Pennsylvania has no tribal casinos as allowed by the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1989.

However, Pennsylvania is one of the few U.S. states with commercial casinos owned and operated by an American Indian tribe:

Mohegan Sun Pocono is owned and operated by the Mohegan Indian Tribe of Connecticut through their Mohegan Gaming and Entertainment corporation.
Wind Creek Bethlehem is owned and operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians through their Wind Creek Hospitality corporation.

Other Gambling Establishments

As an alternative to enjoying Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling, consider exploring casino options in a nearby state. Bordering Pennsylvania is:

North: New York Slots and Lake Erie
East: New Jersey Slots
South: Delaware Slots, Maryland Slots, and West Virginia Slots
West: Ohio Slots

Each of the links above will take you to my blog for that neighboring U.S. state to Pennsylvania.

Our Pennsylvania Slots Facebook Group

Are you interested in sharing and learning with other slots enthusiasts in Pennsylvania? If so, join our new Pennsylvania slots community on Facebook. All you’ll need is a Facebook profile to join this closed Facebook Group freely.

There, you’ll be able to privately share your slots experiences as well as chat with players about slots gambling in Pennsylvania. Join us!

Payout Returns in Pennsylvania

The theoretical payout minimum for slot machines in Pennsylvania is 85%. Further, the maximum theoretical payout limit may not equal or exceed 100%. Both limits apply to each single play.

The PGCB makes monthly return statistics publicly available for Fiscal Year 2019/2020 for each gaming facility. To calculate player win%, divide payouts by wagers provided in each report.

For February 2020, the player win% at slots for each casino and statewide were:

Pa Gambling Commission

Harrah’s: 89.47%
Hollywood: 89.38%
Mohegan Sun: 89.63%
Mount Airy: 90.35%
Nemacolin: 89.18%
Parx: 90.43%
Presque Isle: 89.43%
Rivers Philadelphia: 90.49%
Rivers Pittsburgh: 89.68%
The Meadows: 90.11%
Valley Forge: 90.25%
Wind Creek: 89.98%
Statewide: 89.97%

For February 2020, the highest player win% went to Rivers Philadelphia at 90.49%, followed closely by Parx and Mount Airy. The lowest player win% went to Nemacolin at 89.18% followed closely by Hollywood Penn National and Presque Isle.

Summary of Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling in 2020

Pennsylvania slot machine casino gambling consists of two casino resorts, four standalone casinos, and six racetracks with slot machines. Other locations should still open in 2020.

The theoretical payout limits are a minimum of 85% and a maximum of up to 100%. Monthly return statistics by casino are available online from the state gaming control board.

Annual Progress in Pennsylvania Slot Machine Casino Gambling

In the last year, the Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem became Wind Creek Bethlehem, acquired by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians through their Wind Creek Hospitality corporation for $1.3 billion.

Pa Casino Locations

Otherwise, there have been numerous casino name changes including:

Lady Luck Nemacolin became Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
Valley Forge Convention Center Casino became Valley Forge Casino Resort.
Mount Airy Resort & Casino became Mount Airy Casino Resort Spa.
Sugar House Casino became Rivers Casino Philadelphia.