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Pennsylvania Live Dealer Casinos – The Best Online Live Dealer Casinos in PA

Live Dealer Gambling Online in Pennsylvania

It’s taken some time, but playing at Pennsylvania Live Dealer Casinos is now legal thanks to the PA Gaming Board. PA has become the second state in the US to legalize the playing of Live Dealer table games online.

After a lengthy process, Evolution has been granted a license enabling them to offer their range of live casino games to Pennsylvanians online.

This has required Evolution to build a dedicated live casino studio and modify their existing game rules to meet the exacting standards of the PA Gaming Board.

The result is an online experience that is almost the same as playing in a real land-based casino. You can interact with other players, the dealers and enjoy the thrill of playing with real cards and the spin of a real roulette wheel, all from the comfort of your own home.

This article will explain how the live casino operation works and the games you can play. And I’ll show you the rules you can expect, where to get the best bonuses, promos, and comps at online Pennsylvania casinos. For the times when gambling has lost its fun, I’ll show you where to get some help and support.

Is Playing Live Dealer Games Online in Pennsylvania Legal?

It is legal to play live dealer games online in Pennsylvania.

Before controls and licensing were introduced it was illegal, but it was still possible for players to play at offshore casinos.

However, the offshore casino and live casino providers, like Visionary iGaming, offer players very little protection. The quality of the live dealer games is poor in comparison to licensed operators.

With licensing, players are protected. The games are checked and audited and you know you’re going to get a fair game. The licensing model keeps the rogue operators out of the market and players safe.

Where Can I Play Live Dealer Games Online in Pennsylvania?

Online casinos have to be licensed to offer games online in Pennsylvania. I’m finding that only the bigger operators are going through that process, so the choice of where you can play is restricted.

However, that doesn’t mean we can’t create a list of the best Live Dealer Casinos in Pennsylvania, because we can.

Even with a larger list, there will be a few casinos that simply outperform the others.

My current recommendations for the best live dealer casinos in PA include PlaySugarHouse, BetMGM, Unibet, and BetRivers.

Choosing The Best PA Live Dealer Casinos?

In my experience, the best PA live casinos all have similar qualities. To qualify for my list they must:

  • Have a great range of live dealer games. There is no point in visiting the casino if it doesn’t have the games you want.
  • PA best Live dealer casinos must be licensed with the PA gambling Control Board. This is a must. If you want player protection and know you’re dealing with a legit outfit that only accepts Pennsylvanian players, it must have an appropriate license.
  • Must offer good Bonuses, Welcome offers, and Comps. Racking up player points is one way to get something extra, so having a great retention program is a must in my opinion.
  • Make deposits and withdrawals easy. There is no point in being able to deposit money quickly if you can’t do the same for withdrawals. Any casinos hanging onto your money don’t make the list!

How Does Online Live Dealer Games Operate in Pennsylvania?

Live Dealer games are supplied to an online casino by a 3rd party service provider, who specializes in providing online streamed live dealer games.

There are about 30 or so operators around the world offering these services. The biggest and best by far is Evolution.

For an operator to be able to offer their games to Pennsylvanians they must have a license from the PA Gaming Board.

They must also have an in-state live casino studio, employ local dealers, and modify the games to conform to Pennsylvania gaming standards.

For the smaller operator, this is a big ask, so only the biggest and best operators are likely to go through that process to be able to provide their games.

The studios are normally open 24 hours a day and the games tables are normally open during the same period. However, some tables have restricted times in which they open, generally, during the day the tables are less busy, so only a few are open. The evening is the busiest time for playing, so that is when most of the tables are open.

Who Provides The Live Dealer Games In Pennsylvania?

Currently, only Evolution is able to provide the live dealer games in PA.

This is because it’s a lengthy and expensive licensing process and also because the licensing requires the operator to have its studio based in Pennsylvania.

This is because the PA Gaming Board wants to protect jobs and create wealth rather than letting the money go out of state.

Evolution Live Casino in Pennsylvania

evolution logo

The exact studio location is not normally revealed in the public domain for security reasons. But I can reveal that it was built somewhere in Philadelphia.

Evolution is a huge live casino operator, registered in Sweden, with live casino studios dotted around the world. The largest is located in Riga, Latvia with others in Romania, Georgia, and Malta to name a few.

They also provide live dealer games in New Jersey from their studio at the Hard Rock Cafe Casino in Atlantic City.

Game-wise they have most of the main casino table game titles, plus some innovative Entertainment games, like Crazy Time, Monopoly Live, and Lightning Roulette.

Evolution PA Studio
Evolution Pennsylvania Studio

What Live Casino Games Can I Play Online in Pennsylvania?

At the moment (March 2021), three live dealer games have been licensed:

  • Blackjack – which comes in two options, 7 Seat Blackjack and Multi-Player, one-handed Blackjack.
  • Roulette – This also comes in two options – Real live dealer American roulette and Automatic Roulette, which uses a real wheel controlled by a computer.
  • Baccarat – 8 deck Baccarat, with a Player/Banker Bonus Side bet. Good selection of roadmaps. Commission of 5% is taken on Banker wins.

Other live dealer games are expected to be rolled out during the course of 2021, these include:

  • Ultimate Texas Hold’em
  • Three Card Poker
  • Dream Catcher – Wheel of Fortune
  • Lightning Roulette – Roulette with win multipliers of up to 500 times stake.
  • Side Bet City – A game based on poker hands

PA Live Dealer Blackjack

Live Dealer Blackjack in Pennsylvania comes in two formats:

  • 7 Seat Blackjack is just like the traditional brick-and-mortar casino game. Up to seven players can sit at the table and play one or more hands if the multi-hand facility is available. The dealer will deal the hands from his left to right, with each player given two hands at the initial deal. Then play is in order, with players indicating whether to Hit, Stand, Double or Surrender. An Optional poker side bet, 21+3 can be played alongside the main hand.
  • Infinite Blackjack is a game that has been developed for Online live casino players. It offers an unlimited number of players the ability to play just one Player Hand. The software is clever enough to remember your actions and apply them only to your hand. Infinite Blackjack is played with normal Blackjack rules, including having the ability to Surrender, unlike European Infinite Blackjack where Surrender is not allowed. Again the poker side bet 21+3 can be played. Infinite Blackjack does have an extra 3 Side bets but they are not currently available in Pennsylvania.

Seven Seat PA Live Dealer Blackjack

PA Live Blackjack

PA Infinite Live Dealer Blackjack

Pa Infinite Blackjack with Trips

PA Live Dealer Blackjack Rules

Online Live Blackjack in PA is played to this set of rules:

  • Played with 8 decks.
  • The game presenter always stands on 17.
  • Game presenter checks for Blackjack on 10-J-Q-K.
  • Surrender and keep half of your main bet.
  • Double Down on any 2 initial cards.
  • Double Down after Split.
  • Split initial cards of equal value.
  • Only one Split per hand.
  • A single card is dealt to each Split Ace.
  • Insurance offered when game presenter shows an Ace./li>
  • Blackjack pays 3 to 2.
  • Insurance pays 2 to 1.
  • Push game when hands tie.

RTP – Return To Player

The RTP for the main hand is 99.59%. While the optional side bet, 21+3 has a return of 87.11%.

PA Live Dealer Roulette

Live Dealer Roulette is based on the standard American Roulette that has a Zero and Double Zero on the roulette wheel.

It comes in two formats:

  • Live Dealer Roulette – with a real wheel, and a real dealer spinning the ball.
  • Auto Roulette also has a real roulette wheel, but the game is controlled by a computer responsible for spinning the wheel and releasing the ball. No Dealer is required with this game, which makes the games so much faster.

Betting is achieved through a comprehensive playing interface, which allows single and multiple bets, including pre-configured special bets.

The game rounds take about 60 seconds to complete.

Live American Roulette

pennsylvania live dealer roulette table

Roulette Closeup

closeup of roulette wheel in pennsylvania

Auto American Roulette

pennsylvania live auto roulette

PA Live Dealer Baccarat

Live Baccarat in Pennsylvania follows the traditional style of the game. Although there is no squeezing of the cards and the reveal of each hand is quite quick.

The game is played with an eight-deck manual dealing shoe.

The playing interface allows one side bet to be played, which is the Banker/Player Bonus. The value of the payouts is determined by the winning margin of the hand.

Commission of 5% is taken on Banker wins. Player wins pay 1:1, Banker Win pays 0.95:1. Ties are paid at 8:1.

There is a good selection of Baccarat Roadmaps, which can be used to view the history of past results. Specialists use these to help determine which hand to bet on next.

The table is open from 16:00 each day.

Full-Screen View

pa live baccarat

Baccarat Closeup

pa baccarat close up of hand

Frequently Asked Questions

Are The Live Casino Games Played in Real-Time?

All of the live casino games are played in real-time.

As most of the games require some interaction with the player, they have to be to make them work.

How Do I Know That Live Dealer Games in Pennsylvania Are Not fixed?

The live dealer games go through the same level of auditing that you see in land-based casinos, with oversight being provided by the PA Gaming Board.

Each game is tested for its fairness and Return To Player values.

Alongside that, every game is being monitored as it’s being played, so roulette wheels operating outside of certain tolerances, strange-looking results, or as patterns develop are identified and investigated immediately.

Plus, all action is recorded, so it can be reviewed at a later date by the regulators if needed.

Are PA Online Live Dealer Games The Same As Land-Based Casino Games?

The short answer is Yes.

The PA Gaming Board set out the standard the games must adhere to, which includes the rules for each of the games.

You should have exactly the same playing experience online as you would get in a land-based casino in Pennsylvania.

Will All PA Online Casinos Offer Live Dealer Games?

The Best PA Online Casinos will have live dealer games.

In the case of Pennsylvania, all of them will have the same games, because Evolution is the only licensed live casino operator.

That’s not a bad thing as they have the best live dealer games in the world!

How Old Do You Need To Be To Play Live Dealer Games Online in Pennsylvania?

You need to be 21 years of age to gamble online.

You will need to provide your name, age, and address details when signing up at an online casino.

Automatic identity monitoring and verification software are used to confirm the details you have supplied.

Do I Have To Be In Pennsylvania To Play Online Live Casino Internet Games?

Yes. The Gaming Control Board has put in place a system that, through the use of GPS software and IP Address identification, will block entry and play of Pennsylvania-licensed internet gaming if a user is outside of the state.

In addition, participating in internet gaming when in a Pennsylvania casino will also be blocked.

Is There Help for Problem Gamblers in Pennsylvania?

Yes. The law mandates that mechanisms are in place through internet gaming software to block access to any person who has placed themselves on the Gaming Control Board’s Self-Exclusion List.

You can find details of how to exclude here.

Responsible Gambling Control in Pennsylvania

While gambling is meant to be fun, sometimes you can feel that it’s getting out of control.

If you have any of these signs, it may be worth speaking to someone before things begin to get out of hand:

  • Being preoccupied with gambling.
  • Feeling restless and irritable when you’re not gambling.
  • Having to increase your bet size to increase your excitement from gambling.
  • Lying about how long or how much you gamble.
  • Having to borrow money to gamble.
  • Chasing losses in an uncontrolled way.
  • Withdrawing from the things that you like to do normally.

If you exhibit any of these then you can call 1-800-GAMBLER or Text +1-800-522-4700 for a confidential discussion.

Or visit the Responsible Play Website for further information and advice.