Best online sportsbook Pennsylvania starts the same way most licensed states do — FanDuel ahead of DraftKings on handle — but the detail that actually separates Pennsylvania from the pack is what the state charges to let that race happen at all. At 36% of sports wagering revenue, Pennsylvania's tax rate sits well above almost every other legal market, a number written into the original 2017 law and never revisited since.
FanDuel Ahead, DraftKings a Real Second
FanDuel carried roughly $243.6 million in Pennsylvania handle in March 2026, operating through its Valley Forge Casino license, to DraftKings' $211.8 million run through Hollywood Casino at The Meadows. That's a real gap, but not a runaway — the two combined for an estimated 62% of a $730.9 million statewide handle that month, and January 2026 figures showed a similar pattern, with FanDuel's $276.3 million outpacing DraftKings' $235.8 million. BetMGM and Caesars operate statewide under their own casino-skin licenses, both well behind on volume but fully regulated.
Pennsylvania sports betting, by the numbers
- Authorizing law: Act 42 of 2017, effective after Murphy v. NCAA (May 2018)
- Launch: retail sportsbooks late 2018; mobile apps mid-2019
- Regulator: Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board
- Sports wagering tax: 36% of gross revenue
- Online slots tax: 54% — among the highest in the US
- March 2026 statewide handle: $730.9 million
Why the Tax Rate Matters to a Bettor, Not Just an Operator
A 36% tax on sports wagering revenue doesn't touch odds or payout speed directly, but it shapes everything around the bet. Pennsylvania promo codes and ongoing boosts tend to run thinner than the same brands offer in states like Michigan, where the tax is 8.4%, or Ohio at 20% — operators have less margin to spend on acquisition when more than a third of revenue goes straight to the state before anything else gets paid. The 54% tax on online slots is even steeper, and it's part of the same 2017 law.
Every App Runs Through a Land-Based Casino
Pennsylvania didn't build a standalone sports betting license. Act 42 extended the state's existing casino licensing structure, so every mobile operator has to run as a "skin" of a licensed land-based casino — FanDuel through Valley Forge Casino, DraftKings through Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, and so on down the list. It's the same model that lets Pennsylvania run one of the country's largest legal online casino markets (slots and table games, not just sportsbook) alongside New Jersey, Michigan, Connecticut, and West Virginia, rather than two separate laws for two separate products.
Worth Betting Legally in Pennsylvania Now?
Yes, for anyone 21 or older physically in the state. FanDuel and DraftKings are the honest answer on volume, BetMGM and Caesars are legitimate statewide alternatives, and the steep tax rate is a detail about state revenue, not operator reliability — every brand on this page has run without interruption since launch. None of that makes sports betting a way to make money; it's 21-and-over entertainment with the house holding the edge, and the Pennsylvania problem gambling helpline, 1-800-848-1880, is free and confidential around the clock.
The short list
- 1. FanDuel — Handle leader, licensed through Valley Forge Casino
Posted roughly $243.6 million in Pennsylvania handle in March 2026 against DraftKings' $211.8 million, and reported $276.3 million in January 2026 through its Valley Forge Casino license — Pennsylvania's steadiest frontrunner on volume.
- 2. DraftKings — A real second, not a distant one, via Hollywood Casino at The Meadows
Ran a $211.8 million March 2026 handle to FanDuel's $243.6 million — a gap, but not a blowout — operating under its skin partnership with Hollywood Casino at The Meadows.
- 3. BetMGM — Statewide license, a clear step behind the top two
Licensed and operating across Pennsylvania through its own casino skin partnership, well behind FanDuel and DraftKings on handle but a fully regulated option for a bettor who wants to skip the duopoly.
- 4. Caesars Sportsbook — Established statewide operator, same casino-tether model
Live under the same PGCB skin-licensing structure as every other operator here, with a long Pennsylvania track record but a share well behind the top two.
The honest verdict
FanDuel is the practical pick on current volume: it carried roughly $243.6 million in Pennsylvania handle in March 2026 against DraftKings' $211.8 million, and the two together wrote an estimated 62% of the state's $730.9 million statewide handle that month. DraftKings stays a close second rather than a distant one — some months have swung the other way, including a January 2026 report that had DraftKings, operating through Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, trailing FanDuel's Valley Forge Casino license by about $40 million. BetMGM and Caesars are the honest next tier, both licensed and live statewide, both well behind on share. What makes Pennsylvania worth a second look regardless of app choice is the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's 36% tax on sports wagering gross revenue, among the highest of any state with a legal market, on top of a separate 54% tax on online slots that makes PA one of the most expensive states in the country for an operator to do business in — a cost structure that shows up in thinner promos than bettors get in lower-tax states, not in a worse product. The PGCB also bars prop bets on individual college athletes outright and fined Betway for breaking that rule, while still allowing wagers on Penn State, Pitt, and other in-state teams as a whole. None of this is a way to make money — it's 21-and-over entertainment with a built-in house edge, and the Pennsylvania problem gambling helpline, 1-800-848-1880, is free and confidential.
Questions this list actually answers
What is the best online sportsbook in Pennsylvania?
FanDuel on current handle — about $243.6 million in March 2026 against DraftKings' $211.8 million, with the two combining for an estimated 62% of the state's wagering. BetMGM and Caesars are licensed, statewide alternatives well behind on volume.
Is online sports betting legal in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Act 42 of 2017 authorized it contingent on a change in federal law, the US Supreme Court struck down the federal ban in Murphy v. NCAA in May 2018, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board turned on retail wagering by late 2018 and mobile apps by mid-2019.
Why is Pennsylvania's sports betting tax so high?
Pennsylvania taxes sports wagering gross revenue at 36%, a rate set in the original 2017 legislation and never lowered, versus 8.4% in Michigan and 20% in Ohio. The same law taxes online slots at 54%, among the highest gambling tax rates anywhere in the country, which is part of why Pennsylvania promo offers tend to run thinner than in lower-tax states.
Can you bet on Penn State or Pitt in Pennsylvania?
You can bet on the team as a whole, but the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board bars prop bets tied to an individual college athlete's performance statewide, and has fined operators — including Betway — for offering them anyway.
Does Pennsylvania have online casino too?
Yes — Pennsylvania is one of only a handful of states (alongside Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia) where DraftKings and FanDuel run licensed online casino products, not just sports betting, under the same Act 42 framework and the same casino-skin licensing model.
Who regulates online sports betting in Pennsylvania?
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which requires every mobile sportsbook to operate under a skin partnership with one of the state's licensed land-based casinos rather than applying for a standalone license, and which publishes monthly handle and revenue figures by operator.