Players enjoy taking advantage of a good casino bonus, but with so many different kinds available these days, it can be a bit of a minefield knowing which bonus does what.
On this page, we break down precisely what each bonus does and how to navigate important terms and conditions (T&Cs) to ensure you know how to claim your bonus.
For each bonus type, we will define what the bonuses generally do and then provide a real example of a bonus that is currently operating in PA. We will then explain the fundamentals of playthrough requirements and how to calculate them. Finally, we will provide some useful information on how to find and choose your preferred bonus.
So, if you want to find out everything important there is to know about online casino bonuses in PA, read on!
For the majority of promotions, players need a promo code, also known as a bonus code. While some casinos apply promotions automatically, it’s always worth double-checking as it may not always be possible to have the promotion added on after.
In some cases, the promo code must be added at the deposit step after account creation. If you have a promotion code but can’t see a field to enter it during sign-up, this is probably the case.
The table below is a handy tool for finding various casino promo codes for some excellent PA casinos. Remember, we only deal with casinos licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
Casino
Offer
Bonus Code
Wagering
Secure Link
BetRivers
100% Deposit Match Up to $250
Promo Code: IGAMING
Copy
1x
SugarHouse
100% Deposit Match Up to $250
Promo Code: PACASINO250
Copy
1x
Hollywood
100% Deposit Match Up to $502 on First Two Deposits
Promo Code: DOUBLETAKE
Copy
10x
Types of Casino Bonuses in Pennsylvania
There are many different kinds of bonuses that casinos offer to new and returning players, covering everything from free spins to free play bonuses to rewards for getting your friends onboard.
In a competitive PA online casino market, casinos offer these exciting bonuses as a way to interest new and existing players to come and play at their casinos.
As players can sign up for more than one online casino, it makes sense to take advantage of as many promotions as you feel like participating in, so browse what casinos have to offer and pick a bonus that stands out to you.
No Deposit Casino Bonuses
Also known as a free cash or free play bonus, no deposit casino bonuses are free casino bonuses that you get just for signing up.
The bonus will be credited to your account as bonus money and will need to be played with on casino games until it can be withdrawn. Always check the T&Cs, as each casino has slightly different rules on eligible games and wagering requirements.
Many casinos that offer a no deposit bonus give players between $10 and $50 to play with, which usually comes with just 1x wagering requirements, although wagering is sometimes higher.
The vast majority of times, a no deposit bonus is eligible alongside another promotion, such as a deposit match bonus or cashback bonus. In some cases, the casino may require you to make a deposit or complete a different deposit bonus in order to withdraw any winnings.
If you’re playing at a casino for one of its bigger bonuses, it’s almost always worth taking the no deposit offer at the same time because you can’t lose with them.
Example of a No Deposit Bonus: Borgata PA
Borgata Casino
6 players already claimed
100% Deposit Match Up to $1,000 + $20 Free on Sign Up
Full T&Cs Apply. To be eligible, players must be at least 21 years old, playing within the state of Pennsylvania. Players must make a single deposit of $5. The bonus money has a 15x wagering requirement.
Borgata is offering new players a $20 no deposit bonus that comes with wagering requirements of just 1x, and they give you a generous three days to enjoy the money. Players must deposit at least $5 to withdraw any winnings from the no deposit bonus.
Welcome Deposit Bonuses
Welcome deposit bonuses are the bread and butter of online casino welcome bonuses. The majority of online casinos offer some kind of deposit match bonus to new players.
A deposit match bonus gives you a percentage of bonus money to play with alongside your deposit, usually around 100%. Players enjoy this as it extends their bankroll and playtime on pretty much any game they want to play.
Deposit match bonuses always come with wagering requirements, usually in the range of about 10x to 30x. Some outliers, like the BetRivers PA bonus, come with lower requirements of just 1x.
It’s vital that players know the wagering requirements of an offer and how they work. On our site, when we talk about any deposit match bonus, we clearly illustrate wagering requirements, as bonus money won’t be eligible for withdrawal until wagering requirements are met.
Example of a Deposit Bonus: BetRivers PA
BetRivers Casino
100% Deposit Match Up to $250
Full T&Cs Apply. To be eligible, players must be at least 21 years old, playing within the state of Pennsylvania. Players must make a single deposit of $10. The bonus money has a 1x wagering requirement.
The BetRivers PA bonus is a 100% deposit match of up to $250 that comes with industry-low wagering requirements of just 1x and doesn’t come with restrictions on any games.
For example, to fully take advantage of this bonus, you would have to deposit $250 and play through the bonus amount ($250) just once, as per the wagering requirement.
This bonus doesn’t carry any restrictions on games that contribute towards these wagering requirements. However, most casinos impose restrictions such as table game contributions of around 10% and exclusions on selected slots.
Cashback Bonuses
A cashback bonus, sometimes marketed as a ‘risk-free’ period of play, is an offer that refunds the player a percentage of their losses back as bet credits should they have a net loss after a set amount of play.
The most common cashback bonuses are welcome offers. In PA, FanDuel Casino, Barstool Casino, and Stardust Casino all have a cashback element as part of their welcome bonus.
While the term ‘risk-free’ is used, it is somewhat untrue, as any refunds are processed as bet credits that players must then wager one more time to be withdrawn as cash. It is, then, entirely possible to lose at least some money.
However, cashback bonuses are some of the best value you can get in a welcome offer, and should you have a net profit, you need not worry about any wagering requirements.
Example of a Cashback Bonus: FanDuel PA
FanDuel Casino
$1,000 Risk Free for 24 Hours
Full T&Cs Apply. To be eligible, players must be at least 21 years old, playing within the state of Pennsylvania. Players must make a single deposit of $10. The bonus money has a 1x wagering requirement.
The cashback welcome bonus at FanDuel Casino refunds any net loss in the first 24 hours up to $1,000 as bet credits that come with a 1x wagering requirement. FanDuel will refund bet credits within 72 hours.
Free Spins Bonuses
Pretty much everyone loves free spins bonuses, and PA casinos know it, so they offer them in buckets. Free spins can be found in their hundreds as part of new player welcome bonuses, as part of weekly promotions, daily promotions, and more.
Exactly what it says on the tin, a free spins bonus provides the player with a number of free spins on either a specified slot or a range of eligible slots.
The bet value of each spin can be found in the T&Cs of the offer but usually ranges from between 10 and 20 cents. Also found in the T&Cs, the wagering requirements on winnings can range from anywhere between 1x and 20x, although low wagering requirements are common.
Example of a Free Spins Bonus: betPARX PA
betPARX Casino
5 players already claimed
100% Deposit Match Up to $750 + 500 Free Spins
Full T&Cs Apply. To be eligible, players must be at least 21 years old, playing within the state of Pennsylvania. Players must make a single deposit of $10. The bonus money has a 10x wagering requirement. The 500 Free Spins are valid on Better Wilds, Eternal Lady, Jinns Moon, and Legacy of the Wild 2. The free spins bonus money has a 20x wagering requirement.
New betPARX players can get a 100% deposit match of up to $750 with a whopping 500 free spins on the Better Wilds, Eternal Lady, Jinns Moon, or Legacy of the Wild 2 slots. Spins are released weekly, seven days after the initial deposit. The minimum deposit to take advantage of the offer is just $10.
In this offer, winnings from free spins must be wagered 20x, and the bonus cash amount from the deposit match must be wagered 10x.
Reload Bonuses
Often given to already registered players as part of a weekly bonus or email marketing campaign, reload bonuses are deposit match bonuses that are usually somewhere in the 20-50% range. While this is less than their new welcome deposit counterparts, they’re great if you were already planning on making a deposit.
Most reload bonuses come with wagering requirements between 10-30x, so always check the T&Cs before going through with an offer, as you may want to avoid being locked behind a huge wagering requirement for a 20% bonus.
These bonuses are an ideal way for casinos to reward players for ongoing play or get old players back on the site, especially with the number of new casinos and welcome bonuses now available in PA.
The best place to check your eligibility for a reload bonus is usually the casino’s promotions tab when you’re signed in. Sometimes reload bonuses also come up on the deposit page, where you can opt-in.
Refer-a-Friend Bonuses
Popular yet relatively rare, refer a friend casino bonuses are a different type of welcome bonus where you, as an already registered player who may have claimed a different welcome bonus in the past, bring your friends in on the action. When a friend claims the refer-a-friend bonus, they will be ineligible for all other welcome bonuses at that casino.
Refer-a-friend bonuses reward both the referer and the referee, so if your friends aren’t really looking to take advantage of one of the large incentive deposit match offers, a refer-a-friend bonus could make sense. These bonuses often come with low deposit and wagering requirements, making them more casual-friendly.
On the flip side, as the bonuses are typically smaller in value, void the use of other welcome bonuses, and require friends, they may be unworkable for some people. It’s always free to ask, though.
Example of a Refer-a-Friend Bonus: Stardust Casino
The Stardust Casino refer-a-friend program gives both the referrer and referee a $50 bonus after the referee signs up through a specified link and plays through $10 of funds. Both $50 casino bonuses carry 1x wagering requirements, so any winnings can be cashed out immediately. You may refer up to 10 friends.
Example of a Refer-a-Friend Bonus: Unibet Casino
The Unibet Casino refer-a-friend program gives both players a $50 bonus when the referee signs up through a special referral link and wagers through at least $50. Bonus funds from the offer are subject to 3x wagering requirements. Referred players are also eligible for a $500 bonus cash refund on their first sports bet, should they lose.
VIP Casino Bonuses
VIP casino bonuses, often known as loyalty or reward programs, are ongoing programs offered by many casinos in PA.
VIP casino bonuses vary wildly, from the lower end offering small bonus cash incentives worth about a cent on the dollar, to huge bonuses like free cruises, mobile devices, and complimentary stays at five-star resorts.
These programs usually work in a tiered system in which players earn points by spending real money on online casino games in order to progress, earning set rewards as they go. Usually, these set rewards go hand in hand with a type of spendable currency, where players can buy things like free bonus cash, complimentary hotel stays, or other prizes.
To keep your status, it’s usually a requirement that you make a certain amount of wagers during a set period, usually each month; otherwise, you will be demoted a tier or even have to start again.
The top rewards are often reserved for the high rollers, though, so most casual players should look at VIP reward programs as a nice extra rather than something worth working towards.
How to Claim Casino Bonuses at PA Online Casinos and How They Work
Online casino bonuses are pretty easy to get started with, although the information below will make it easier to understand just how valuable a particular bonus is.
Before we get into technicalities, here are five steps on how to claim a casino bonus:
Pick an online casino with a great bonus; our list at the top of this page can help;
Sign up for the casino using the required documents. We have an example of such documents below;
Remember to use a promo code if required. Sometimes the promo code is entered when making your first deposit;
Make your first deposit. Usually, with new player bonuses, only your first deposit counts, so make sure you’re ready to deposit the required amount;
Play through your wagering requirements to convert your bonus cash into a withdrawable balance.
To sign up for an online casino, you may need some of the following documents and information to hand:
Personal details (name, DOB, etc.)
Address details
Last four digits of the SSN
Mobile phone number
Age verification documents (driver’s license, passport, government-issued photo ID)
A bonus code, if required
Remember: By law, you can only have one account per online casino, even if the welcome bonus changes. That said, you can sign up for as many different online casinos in PA as you wish.
What Are Wagering (Playthrough) Requirements?
Wagering requirements, sometimes known as playthrough requirements, dictate the number of times you must wager through the bonus amount before it becomes withdrawable as cash. They are usually based on the bonus amount received, but some casinos multiply both the bonus and deposit amount.
How Wagering Requirements Work
Your wagering requirement is your bonus amount multiplied by the wagering requirements stipulated in the T&Cs of the offer. This number ranges anywhere from 1x to 40x.
For example, Unibet PA has two new player welcome bonuses. The first is a simple $10 no deposit bonus, often referred to as free bonus cash. This offer comes with just 1x wagering requirements, so the total wagering requirement is always $10, and you can’t lose.
A slightly more complicated offer, the Unibet PA 100% deposit match comes with wagering requirements of 20x. So if you deposit $100, you have to play through the bonus amount of $100, times the wagering requirement of 20x, which is $2,000.
This number sounds a bit much at first but remember, with each win, large or small, you have a little more cash in your balance to wager through. High return-to-player (RTP) slots and table games give players the best chance of cashing these bonuses out.
Wagering requirements exist so the casino can ensure players are using the deposit to actually play casino games and not just instantly withdraw cash.
Example
You Sign up and get 50 free spins
* From 50 Free Spins, 0.10 per spin
Wagering requirements
20x
Your win*
$10
You Need to Wager
$10 x 20 = $200
How to Calculate the Real Bonus Value and Theoretical Losses
Every casino game is designed in such a way that they have a house edge, a slight advantage in the casino’s favor. This means that statistically, the more you bet at a casino, the more likely you are to lose money over time.
For example, a bet of $1.00 on an online slot that has a theoretical RTP of 97% results in a theoretical loss of three cents with every bet. While players may experience larger wins and larger losses, over time, the theoretical loss is likely to be statistically correct.
We can use some quick calculations to see if a casino bonus actually favors the casino or the player:
The casino site is offering a 100% deposit match
The playthrough requirement is 20x the bonus
You deposit $100, meaning you receive a $100 bonus
Your $100 bonus must be played through 20x, giving you a $2,000 total wagering requirement
If you play a slot with a 95% RTP, the house edge is 5%
2,000 * 0.05 means you will lose an average of $100
100 loss – 100 bonus means you are theoretically breaking even
This is a good example as it highlights that changing a few aspects of the offer can take an offer from breaking even to being well in your favor. For example, changing the RTP of the slot above from 95% to a still-reasonable 97% takes the outcome to a theoretical $40 profit. Changing the playthrough requirements to 10x takes the results to a theoretical $70 profit.
How Wagering Requirements Differ for Various Games
Online casinos have different rules for how games contribute to overall wagering requirements, so it’s important to always read the T&Cs of an offer. Generally speaking, games with a higher RTP, such as blackjack and other table games, can contribute as little as 10% of the bet amount towards playthrough requirements.
Quite often, all slot games contribute 100% towards wagering requirements, so finding a slot with a high RTP of 97-98% can be a great way to get through wagering requirements. Some slot games may be excluded from an offer, as stipulated in the T&Cs.
When high RTP slots aren’t available, you may find playing table games such as blackjack, which can have an RTP as high as 99%, is better for your wagering requirements, even when it only contributes 10%.
Reviews of Weekly PA Casino Bonuses
Weekly bonuses are great little recurring bonuses that players often overlook. They aren’t close to what’s on offer in your typical new player bonus, but with the ability to take advantage of every casino’s weekly bonus, you’ll have plenty to do each week.
BetRivers Weekly Bonus
Each week until December 31, 2022, players at BetRivers who earn 1,500 Casino Loyalty Points between Sundays and Thursdays will be registered for a slot tournament on Friday and Saturday to win a share of $10,000, with the top prize coming in at $2,500.
Borgata Weekly Bonus
Every Wednesday at Borgata, a $40 bet on Black & Yellow Roulette will get a player 40 Free Spins on the Starburst slot. Quick and easy.
Unibet Weekly Bonus
Unibet PA offers a weekly Table Game Race, where every $1 wagered on a qualifying table game will net the player 1 point on the leaderboard, with 20 spaces to win and a top prize of $2,000.
How to Find the Best Casino Bonus in Pennsylvania
Whether you are looking for your first casino bonus or are selecting the next one you wish to complete, the tips below may help you decide.
1
Check Out the Bonuses We List
We rate and review plenty of casinos in PA, so we know a thing or two about online casino bonuses. With our impartial and up-to-date information on the latest and greatest bonuses, you can make a decision even faster.
2
Check Available Games
Of course, finding a casino bonus with great monetary value is important, but so is the choice of games available. After all, there is little point playing at a casino that has no games that interest you.
3
Explore the Casino’s Desktop Site
Most online casinos let you explore the site, its games, and various pages to get a feel for it before signing up. Some even let you test games out in demo mode.
4
Double-Check the T&Cs
Avoid disappointment by familiarizing yourself with the T&Cs of the welcome bonus before signing up. The last thing you want is to be stuck with super-high wagering requirements or an offer that expires before you’re ready.
How to Choose an Online Casino in Pennsylvania to Play
Every casino on our site is reviewed with a certain set of criteria to allow our readers to see the information most important to them at a glance. These criteria also help keep our reviews accurate and fair.
Bonuses & Promos
When we review bonuses and promos, we are looking for lots of value. That could mean high-limit deposit matches, lots of free spins, large cashback amounts, and even the odd no deposit bonus added on. All with low wagering requirements, of course.
Games Variety
We know the variety of games offered by a particular casino can be a dealbreaker, and that’s why we look for a robust catalog with a large overall size as well as plenty of choices in each category.
Customer Support
To score well in the customer support category, we look for casinos with easy-to-access customer service, including 24/7 phone lines and live chat support. We also love seeing a casino have a well-thought-out FAQ page.
Mobile & Apps
A casino’s mobile app should be easy to download and get started with. Players should expect to find most of their favorite games available on the desktop site in a smooth, touch-optimized format, with all banking and customer support services built into the app. For players who don’t wish to download an app, a casino’s desktop website should be somewhat optimized for mobile browsers too.
Banking Options
Players are beginning to expect faster banking from casinos, and we agree. Accordingly, we rate casinos on the speed of their withdrawals, as well as the range of deposit and withdrawal methods available. Casinos with high-limit banking methods will score better, too.
Wrapping Up
Casino bonuses are a fun way for the casino to reward a player for their patronage at a casino. They come in all shapes and sizes and are generally really good value for the player.
While the best bonuses one will receive usually come in the form of new player bonuses, taking advantage of weekly and daily bonuses can also be worth your time.
That said, it’s important to always go through the T&Cs of a bonus offer to ensure you know what you’re signing up for. Hidden aspects such as high wagering requirements or excluded games can make a seemingly good bonus no longer worthwhile.
FAQ
Do online casinos in Pennsylvania have bonuses?
Yes, almost all Pennsylvania online casinos have a welcome bonus. This page is home to an up-to-date list of bonuses, which is currently at 20 items.
What are the best places to look for promo codes?
There are two ways to look for promo codes – one by checking our website and the other by visiting casinos’ official websites.
What games should I play to redeem a bonus?
Not all online casino games contribute to the bonus wagering requirements, or at least not with the same contribution percentage. The best idea is to play online slots because, in most cases, they contribute 100%.
How do I meet wagering requirements to redeem a bonus?
You should check the wagering requirements in the terms and conditions section and wager the bonus amount the same number of times as requested. Once you meet the requirements, you can withdraw the winnings.
What should I watch out for before claiming a deposit bonus?
Deposit bonuses come in many shapes and sizes, but the best bonuses have a large maximum bonus amount and match percentage, a low minimum qualifying deposit, and low wagering requirements. Check the T&Cs to ensure your favorite games aren’t excluded and be sure to check the length of time you have to complete the offer, too.
Which banking methods can be used to claim a deposit bonus?
Players can use any banking method to claim a bonus, but given the opportunity, players should choose those with higher limits. On the rare occasion that a particular banking method is excluded from a bonus, it is usually made very clear.
Can the bonuses be cashed out immediately?
No. Casino bonuses are designed to allow players to experience what a casino has to offer, providing some great extra value along the way. To cash out a bonus, you must complete its wagering requirements. You can find out more about wagering requirements on this page.
