Blackjack Casinos Pennsylvania Guide: Everything You Need to Know

What You Should Know Before Playing for Real at Online Blackjack Casinos PA

To start your play online casino PA adventure with real money, there are three things you need to do: choose a website from our list of best online blackjack casinos Pennsylvania, open an account, and make your first deposit. Of course, it is also possible to play blackjack games for free in demo mode, but you need an active balance to take advantage of the bonuses and win real payouts.

You have many options for making a deposit. Among them, of course, online payment options come first. Once you click the “deposit” button in your casino account, you will see all the available payment methods. Among these, credit cards, electronic wallets, and online banking will be in the first place. For example, you can deposit with your PayPal account, use VISA/MasterCard, or make an online transfer from your bank account.

But these are not your only options: “physical” payment methods are also supported at Pennsylvania casinos. We mentioned above that every site we listed cooperates with a land-based casino. If you wish, you can pay cash to teller by going to one of these casinos: such payments can also be used in your online casino account. It is possible to do the same thing, namely paying in cash, at merchants that support the PayNearMe system (e.g., 7/Eleven, CVS, Walmart, etc.). After making the deposit, you will be ready to play for real. Before doing that, we have two pieces of advice to give you:

• Don't forget to use casino bonuses. We mentioned above that every casino offers a bonus for new players. You can use the cash bonus part of these promotions to play blackjack. Likewise, if the bonus refunds your losses, this will also cover your blackjack losses. In any case, it would be much wiser to start playing using a bonus.
• Note that casino deposit limits and the limits required to trigger bonuses may differ. In the sites listed above, both limits are almost always set at 10 USD, but this may not always be the case. For example, a casino may have a minimum deposit limit of 10 USD, but you may need to deposit at least 15 USD to activate the bonus. Don't forget to read the bonus terms.

Rules of Live Online Blackjack PA

Whether you play Rivers Casino online blackjack PA or join the Harrah's blackjack tournament, the general rules are the same if you are playing against a real dealer. Your goal is to reach 21 points or beat the dealer – simple. In the majority of games you play, blackjack will always pay 3:2, the dealer will stand on soft 17, you will be able to double down any cards, and surrender will always be an option. These are the rules you will see the most. 

However, note that live blackjack games offer different variants, too, so you can still find games with different rules. For example, surrender may not be available, there may be a side bet that offers a high payout, or the dealer may be forced to hit on soft 17. Therefore, it is best to take a look at the game table and the paytable before you start playing. If there is a difference from the basic rules above, this will be indicated in both.

Main Types of Games Available at Blackjack Sites PA

Like any other card game, blackjack has many variants. You can find and try all these variants on online blackjack sites PA. Blackjack variants differ from each other according to different parameters. For example, the only difference between the two variants might be something simple, like when the surrender option can be used. Likewise, differences such as whether insurance bets are possible or whether the dealer uses hole cards can be what distinguish blackjack variants from each other.

That being said, we can say that the most basic distinction is made according to whether the game contains a side bet or not. This applies to both RNG and live blackjack. In some blackjack games, you can enter a separate side bet: this bet pays a very high multiplier when a special card combination is obtained. For example, if you make a blackjack using only Ace of Diamonds and 10 of Diamonds, you can get paid 10x total bet. However, for this, you must first place money for this side bet. However, playing blackjack games with a side bet may not be such a good idea. Although they look attractive due to high payouts, side bets have a fairly low RTP and a rather high house edge.

However, as we mentioned, it is possible to differentiate blackjack variants based on many different factors, not just whether they contain side bets or not. Below we provide more information on this topic and list the best variants to play.

Best Online Blackjack PA Variants You Can Play

First of all, it is possible to make a basic distinction according to whether American or European rules are used. The difference between the two is actually quite simple but effective enough to directly change your chances of winning and the number of losses.

In both variants, the dealer takes two cards for himself and places them on the table, one face up and the other face down. In the European variant, after all players dealt their cards and placed their bets, the dealer opens his face-down card. In the American variant, the dealer checks his card first (this is called a “peek”), and if he has blackjack, the game is over immediately. In this respect, it is possible to say that the American variant is more advantageous, as the game can end before the total bet amount increases too much. The main distinguishing features of the most common other variants are:

• Spanish 21: There are no 10 cards in the deck, the player can bet on insurance.
• Pontoon: Both cards of the dealer are face down.
• Blackjack Attack: Blackjack pays 1:1, not 3:2. 10s have been removed from the deck, and there is a side bet.
• Atlantic City Blackjack: Late surrender is possible, and you are allowed to split three times.
• Double Exposure Blackjack: Dealer’s both cards are face up. A single split is allowed. Blackjack pays 1:1.
• Blackjack Switch: Two hands are played simultaneously, and it is possible to switch cards between hands.

You can find all these variants on the websites in our list of best new online casinos Pennsylvania. 

Best Online Blackjack PA Variants You Can Play

First of all, it is possible to make a basic distinction according to whether American or European rules are used. The difference between the two is actually quite simple but effective enough to directly change your chances of winning and the number of losses.

In both variants, the dealer takes two cards for himself and places them on the table, one face up and the other face down. In the European variant, after all players dealt their cards and placed their bets, the dealer opens his face-down card. In the American variant, the dealer checks his card first (this is called a “peek”), and if he has blackjack, the game is over immediately. In this respect, it is possible to say that the American variant is more advantageous, as the game can end before the total bet amount increases too much. The main distinguishing features of the most common other variants are:

• Spanish 21: There are no 10 cards in the deck, the player can bet on insurance.
• Pontoon: Both cards of the dealer are face down.
• Blackjack Attack: Blackjack pays 1:1, not 3:2. 10s have been removed from the deck, and there is a side bet.
• Atlantic City Blackjack: Late surrender is possible, and you are allowed to split three times.
• Double Exposure Blackjack: Dealer’s both cards are face up. A single split is allowed. Blackjack pays 1:1.
• Blackjack Switch: Two hands are played simultaneously, and it is possible to switch cards between hands.

You can find all these variants on the websites in our list of best new online casinos Pennsylvania. 

Learn the Odds Before You Play Online Blackjack PA

Have you ever wondered what your actual odds in blackjack are? Before starting to play at the best blackjack sites Pennsylvania, you should learn them: this way, you will have a better understanding of your real chances of winning. There are two odds you need to know: the odds of you busting out and the odds of the dealer busting out. “Busting out” means exceeding 21 points, which results in losing the game. So the “busting odds of the dealer” show the probability of the dealer losing the game based on his/her face-up card. Likewise, busting odds of the player” show the probability of player losing the game based on his/her first two cards.

Busting Odds of the Dealer

Busting Odds of the Player

Please note that these odds may vary depending on the variant being played. For example, as we mentioned above, 10 cards are removed from the deck in some variants. Reducing the number of cards in the deck will naturally change the odds. However, this list will at least give you an idea of which of the particular card combinations offer the best chances of winning. 

Laws & Regulations for Online Blackjack Casinos Pennsylvania

All of the websites in our best online blackjack casinos PA list are subject to the gambling laws and regulations of Pennsylvania. Online gambling first became legal in this state in October 2017 and the first online casino launched in 2019. Currently, the law that regulates PA online casinos (and other online gambling services) is called “The Expanded Gaming Act”. The organization responsible for overseeing the implementation of the law and issuing online gambling licenses is the “Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board”. 

License fees have a limit of $7.5 million, but as they are auctioned, they do not have a maximum limit: the first licenses were valued at $50.1 million at auction. There are only 39 online gambling licenses in Pennsylvania, and operators have to collaborate with local land-based casinos. For this reason, the home page of each casino site also shows which land-based casino it actually belongs to.