Gambling legislation has been eased all around the USA, and states have recently been trying to incorporate online gambling into their economies. States like Pennsylvania had been losing a lot of money to other places since residents would still sign up with other sites and place their bets. Today, a number of laws have been enacted to allow various forms of online gambling in the state. Here are a few things you need to know about gambling online in the Keystone state:
The Casinos Are Licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB)
For a site to operate legitimately within the PA state borders, it has to be licensed by the PGCB. This license is usually displayed on various pages of the casino as it helps to instill trust in the users. Unlike other states, Pennsylvania only allows people to place wagers in local casinos if they are within the state borders. However, you don’t have to be a permanent resident of the state to enjoy their offers.
If an online casino does not have a PGCB license, they are not allowed to offer or advertise their services to people in Pennsylvania. You may not suffer any legal consequences for placing wagers with these sites, but you may also not be legally protected from fraud.
Legal Online Casinos Are Tied to Land-Based Facilities
Online casinos in the state are tied to land-based facilities. It is not clear whether this is a legal requirement, but it seems to be a simple way for the online sites to get started in the state. The land-based facilities don’t have to launch their own online sports offerings since they can simply partner with more established online gaming companies.
You can expect to see some of the biggest online casinos in the state soon. Traditional casinos are likely to quickly jump into this new business model since they were once concerned that the legalization of online gambling will eat into their profits. By joining the market, they will be able to make profits on both fronts. Moreover, according to Bloomberg.com, the demand for online games and the growing popularity of gambling and the increasing use of smartphones and mobile apps will attract new players on the market.
Taxes Are Paid by Operators
In some US states, players are required to pay taxes on their winnings. This is not the case in Pennsylvania as you will be able to keep your full amount at the end of the day. However, as noted on Investopedia, the IRS still wants its share of your casino loot.
In PA, the gambling taxes are covered by the gambling operators. This is definitely good news for the players since you don’t need to do any math or give up a portion of your winnings.
However, it is worth noting that this law forces the gaming operators to offer worse odds. At the end of the day, you may still be taking home roughly the same amount of money as someone in Nevada who is paying taxes, regardless of whether or not you pay the IRS. This is one of the reasons why illegal gambling operations are still flourishing in the state.
This tax collection model has been noted to be better for tax collection agencies. Although Pennsylvania has only a few gambling sites, it collects the second-highest amount of money in gambling taxes in the USA. Nevada collects the highest amount of revenue in the country.
The Gambling Age
The legal gambling age will depend on the type of games the websites offer. For the lottery, charity bingo, and pull tables, the gambling age is 18 years old. However, an online casino will only allow people to sign up if they are at least 21 years old. The sites use your social security number to verify your age.
It is not advisable to use forged documents when signing up with online casinos. If they discover that you are underage or are using fake documents, they are only required to refund your unwaged funds. And still, most of the sites will never complete the refund process.
As long as you sign up with a legitimate and licensed casino, you don’t need to worry about losing your data. With the stringent privacy laws, the data will be protected and your identity cannot be stolen by third parties. For this reason, you should always use your real documents.
Almost All Casino Games Are Allowed
Casinos licensed in Pennsylvania allow almost all forms of online gambling. These include both skill and luck games. You can enjoy playing poker against your peers in online poker rooms, and you can even play other table games on the sites. Slot machines are also allowed.
Sports Betting is Legal
Pennsylvania has legalized sports betting, and this puts it ahead of states like New York in online casino legislation. Sites in the states can offer multiple online casino skins, but they are only allowed to offer one sports betting skin. Still, you should note that the casinos are only allowed to have one funding option for all their products. The Inquirer mentions that the license for sports betting costs $10 million.
There Are Only a Few Online Casinos in the State
The gambling authority of the state is a little slow in approving online casinos, and that is why there are only a few gambling sites in the state. In fact, online gambling is relatively new in the entire country. According to this review on Online Casino Gems, Bovada was among the first casinos to offer online access to US players. Bovada offers more than 300 different types of games, including poker and a great selection of classic slots. They also accept bitcoin as a payment method.
Conclusion
Although Pennsylvania has only a few online casinos, the state collects the second-highest amount of money in gambling revenue of all states in the country although the state has only a few online casinos. You can enjoy all types of casino games on these sites, but you have to be within the borders of the state to log into your account. If you are over 21 years old, you can sign up, make your deposit, and enjoy the games. Your winnings are not subject to any taxes since the casinos cover the costs on their own.
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