The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has laid out a series of rules and regulations that will govern sports wagering in Pennsylvania, subject to review after two years. The good news for Keystone State residents is that the available wagers mirror what you can find in most large and established sportsbooks in Las Vegas.
According to Section 1401.6 (Permitted sports wagering activities) of the PGCB regulations, all license and certificate holders must submit to the Board for approval the type of events and wagers they wish to offer their customers. This is a standard requirement, but it means that Pennsylvania sportsbooks may not all offer the same options.
Laid out in part B of that section are the types of events on which legal wagers may be placed:
- Professional athletic events.
- Collegiate athletic events.
- Professional motor race events.
- International team and international individual athletic events, including but not limited to events governed by the International Olympic Committee and the International Federation of Association Football.
All Pennsylvania sportsbooks will offer the big four North American sports as well as the major NCAA events. But if English Premier League soccer is what you’re after, or if you like Aussie Rules football, you may need to shop around.
As for the types of wagers you can play, the PGCB has also followed the industry standard, allowing parlays, propositions, straight bets, in-game wagering, and exchange wagering — a marketplace which permits customers to bet with or against one another through a gaming platform operated by the sportsbook.
As for what will not be allowed, the PGCB expressly prohibits the following sports wagering activities:
- Wagering on high school athletic events governed by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association or a similar governing body.
- Wagering on amateur athletic events other than collegiate events, unless otherwise specifically approved by the board.
The PGCB also has laid out the restrictions and prohibitions for who is not allowed to place sports wagers in the state. No one younger than the age of 21 is permitted to place a bet on any event. Furthermore, athletes, coaches, trainers, referees, and other officials who can directly influence an outcome or result are not allowed to wager on an event in which they participate.
All these regulations are industry standards and should make the sports gaming experience in Pennsylvania feel just like any other.