Pennsylvania has 17 licensed casinos, spread across a state that became one of the most significant commercial gaming markets in the country after lawmakers passed the Race Horse Development and Gaming Act in 2004. For anyone wondering how many casinos are in Pennsylvania, the short answer is 17 active facilities, a mix of large resort casinos, smaller Category 3 mini-casinos, and online gaming operators that hold physical licenses. Pittsburgh sits in the western corner of the state, putting three of those properties within a practical drive.
The full count: 17 licensed casinos in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board oversees every licensed facility in the state. The 17 active casinos break into several categories: Category 1 (racetrack casinos, also called "racinos"), Category 2 (standalone resort casinos), and Category 3 (smaller satellite casinos, capped at 750 slot machines and 30 table games). A fourth category covers truck-stop gaming, which remains limited.
The largest properties by floor size sit in Philadelphia and its suburbs. Parx Casino in Bensalem is one of the highest-grossing commercial casinos in the country. Live! Casino Pittsburgh in Lawrence County is the region's closest major facility. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh, located directly on the North Shore, is the one most city residents know by name.
Pittsburgh's closest casinos
Three casinos serve the Pittsburgh market in a meaningful way.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh sits on the North Shore, steps from the Allegheny River and a short walk from PNC Park. It opened in 2009 as a Category 2 facility and operates roughly 2,500 slot machines, more than 100 table games, and a poker room. It's the most accessible casino in the region for anyone living in the city proper, reachable by bus or a short drive across any of the bridges. The North Shore location puts it in a part of the city that has seen significant investment: for context on how that neighborhood fits into Pittsburgh's broader development picture, the ongoing story of Pittsburgh's North Shore redevelopment shows how much of the district is still taking shape around it.
Live! Casino Pittsburgh opened in 2023 in Westmoreland County, about 25 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh. It's a Category 2 resort property with a hotel, a 1,200-seat entertainment venue, and a full table game floor. The drive is easy on the Parkway East. It draws Pittsburgh residents who want a larger resort experience without crossing the mountains to Atlantic City.
The third nearby option is The Meadows Casino in Washington County, about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh. The Meadows is a Category 1 racino built around a harness racing track. It's been operating in some form since 2007 and carries a loyal local following, particularly among older residents who made it a weekend habit before Rivers opened in the city.
Mini-casinos and satellite facilities
Pennsylvania's Category 3 mini-casino program, launched under a 2017 gaming expansion law, added smaller satellite facilities across the state. These properties operate with a 750-slot cap and table games limits, targeting markets that are too small for a full resort but large enough to support a gaming floor. None of the Category 3 sites opened directly in Allegheny County, though Nittany Mall in Centre County and several others were among the first approved.
The 2017 expansion also legalized online gaming, online poker, and sports betting in Pennsylvania. That means the total count of "casinos" depends partly on what you're counting. If you include online platforms operated under Pennsylvania gaming licenses, the number of entities with a legal right to offer Pennsylvania gambling products is considerably higher than 17. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board's licensing page lists all active certificate holders.
How the gaming map affects Pittsburgh neighborhoods
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh generates tax revenue that flows back to both the state and the city. Under Pennsylvania law, a portion of slot revenue is directed to the host municipality, the host county, and a range of state programs including property tax relief. Pittsburgh's share has funded public safety and municipal operations since the casino opened. It's one of the more visible examples of how the state's gaming framework reaches into individual neighborhood budgets.
The casino's North Shore footprint also sits adjacent to a neighborhood conversation that extends well beyond gaming. The area around Rivers has absorbed a hotel, restaurants, and event spaces, but significant parcels remain underdeveloped, something the city's planners have been working through for years.
Gaming in Pennsylvania also overlaps with the state's long-running debate over skill games, the unregulated terminals found in bars, gas stations, and corner stores across Pittsburgh. Those machines operate outside the casino licensing framework entirely, which is part of why the legal fight over them has dragged on so long. If you've been following that story, the breakdown of whether skill games are legal in PA covers exactly why the line between licensed casino gaming and bar-floor terminals has been so hard to draw.
What to know before you go
Pennsylvania casinos are open 24 hours, every day of the year. Rivers Casino Pittsburgh requires guests to be 21 or older. Free parking is available at Rivers, with a garage connected to the gaming floor. Table game minimums vary by night and by season; weekends run higher, and holiday weekends at Rivers can push blackjack minimums to $25 at most tables.
Pennsylvania's gaming market ranks second in commercial casino revenue nationally, behind Nevada. That's not an accident of geography. The state positioned itself aggressively in the mid-2000s to capture revenue that was otherwise leaving for Atlantic City and West Virginia. It worked. The 17 licensed casinos now operating across the state collectively generate billions in annual revenue, with western Pennsylvania accounting for a substantial share through Rivers, Live!, and The Meadows combined.