STATE TRACKER · PA
Sweepstakes casinos in Pennsylvania
Current status
Enforcement activity
Regulators have taken tracked enforcement action against operators here.
Regulators are acting against operators here, and terms, availability and redemption windows can change with little notice. Keep your own record of what you deposited and what you redeemed. Tell us what happened to you
- Sweeps Coins (SC) redemption
- Contested, regulators are acting
- Gold Coin (GC) free play
- Generally not targeted. Many operators exclude Pennsylvania in their own terms
- Minimum age
- 18+
That is Pennsylvania's statutory floor. An operator's own terms can set a higher number, and the one that binds you is whichever is higher. Bonus Bandit is written for readers 21 and older. How we handle age
What is specific to Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania classification is tied to the state record and source trail shown below.
- The classification record cites 18 Pa.C.S. §5512 (lotteries; unlawful = 'not specifically authorized by law'); PGCB cease-and-desist program (no sweeps-specific statute).
- 45 tracked operators currently report accepting Pennsylvania players.
- The state record was last reviewed on 2026-06-11T21:23:19.449122+00:00.
This is information, not legal advice. Rules and thresholds change. Confirm the current position with the operator and your state attorney general, or consult a lawyer.
PRIMARY-SOURCE BRIEF
Pennsylvania's record shows a general statute and an unfinished debate
Pennsylvania section 5512 makes setting up or maintaining an unlawful lottery, selling an unlawful lottery ticket or device, or publishing a lottery advertisement a first-degree misdemeanor. For that section, unlawful means not specifically authorized by law, and the provision says purchasers are not liable under it. The text is general lottery law; it does not decide the online sweepstakes-casino question by name.
The legislative record shows attention without an enacted sweepstakes-specific answer. The House Gaming Oversight Committee held an informational meeting on online sweepstakes and social casinos on April 7, 2025, and its archive states that no legislation was considered. A separate House co-sponsorship memo proposed restrictions but says the proposal had not been submitted for introduction. These materials document a policy debate and explain why authorization matters under section 5512. They should not be rewritten as proof that the proposed legislation became law.
- Enforcement search
- The official records reviewed document an informational committee meeting and an unintroduced co-sponsorship proposal, but no enacted sweepstakes-specific ban or named enforcement action in that source set.
- Question still open
- The Pennsylvania question still open is how section 5512's authorization rule applies to a particular dual-currency and free-entry design if no sweepstakes-specific enactment controls it.
Official sources checked for Pennsylvania
Sources rechecked 2026-08-23. Next scheduled review 2026-11-23. This brief explains the record; it does not replace advice about a specific product or situation.
What the law says
Under 18 Pa.C.S. §5512, setting up or maintaining an unlawful lottery ('not specifically authorized by law'), selling tickets, or publishing lottery advertisements is a first-degree misdemeanor (up to 5 years / $10,000 under PA's general grading). The PGCB itself cannot prosecute; its enforcement tool against sweepstakes casinos is the cease-and-desist letter.
Operators and Pennsylvania
Because of Pennsylvania's status, we don't list or link operator promotions for this state. If you hold a balance with an operator that has exited, contact their support about redemption windows, and file a report on how it goes.
How this classification was reached
Show the record, the citation and the method
What this classification rests on
A status word is a summary, so here is the record underneath it for Pennsylvania. Where our database holds nothing, the row says Not recorded rather than leaving the gap for you to misread.
- Source date
- Not recorded
- Last human review
- June 11, 2026
- Effective date
- Not recorded
- Basis of classification
- statutory
Source date is the most recent legal event we track for this state. Basis is derived from those events, from the cited authority where we have one, and from operator-reported exits only when nothing else is on record. Missing rows are gaps in our records, not findings about the law. Research, not legal advice.
Citation as stored
18 Pa.C.S. §5512 (lotteries; unlawful = 'not specifically authorized by law'); PGCB cease-and-desist program (no sweeps-specific statute).
The status hero shows the short form of this reference. This is the complete string as our database holds it, unedited.
Method
How a state gets a classification, what counts as a primary source, and how often each group is re-checked: our methodology. Corrections go to Noah Rafkin, and every tracked change lands in the changelog.
Pennsylvania questions
Are sweepstakes casinos legal in Pennsylvania?
Regulators have taken tracked enforcement action against operators here. Authority: 18 Pa.C.S. §5512 (lotteries; unlawful = 'not specifically authorized by law'); PGCB cease-and-desist program (no sweeps-specific statute).
Did Pennsylvania's sweepstakes proposal become an enacted ban?
The official records reviewed here do not show that. The committee archive describes an informational meeting with no legislation considered, while the co-sponsorship memo says its proposal had not been submitted for introduction.
Can I still play free Gold Coin (GC) games in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania's action targets the dual-currency model: the Sweeps Coin (SC) side that can be redeemed for cash prizes. Free Gold Coin (GC) entertainment play, with no prize redemption, is generally not what these provisions prohibit. But many operators exclude Pennsylvania entirely in their own terms rather than offer a GC-only mode.
Which operators accept Pennsylvania players?
Because of Pennsylvania's status, we don't list or link operator promotions for this state. Trust Score leaderboard →
I still hold a Sweeps Coins balance with an operator. What should I do?
If you hold a balance with an operator that has exited, contact their support about redemption windows, and file a report on how it goes. File a report
This page is research, not legal advice. Statuses are reviewed against primary sources and re-checked as legislation moves; if you spot a change we've missed, email noah.rafkin@bonusbandit.win. Always confirm with the operator and your state attorney general before depositing. Laws change quickly in this space. Last verified June 11, 2026.