Will Pennsylvania be the Next State to Legalize Online Gambling?
Editors Update: online gambling in Pennsylvania is fully legal. This post contains outdated information, but remains published due to it’s value as a historical archive of how the Keystone state legalized and regulated online gambling sites and apps.
A spate of news reports early this week have hinted at the very real possibility of legal online gambling in Pennsylvania. Representative John Payne (R – Dauphin County) first introduced HB 649 in 2015 before it was sidetracked during last year’s budget negotiations.
That bill may see the light of day again, as John Payne told TribLive.com on Sunday. He believes that at least some parts of the bill could be enacted by July of 2016. His reasons for optimism are simple:
“Look, we need revenue. They’re not going to find votes for taxes in an election year. So I think gaming will be a component.”
The bill is a wide-ranging measure that covers a variety of gaming topics in the state. Included in the bill are provisions to legalize online poker and casino games, to allow slot machines at OTB racing terminals and airports and a directive for the Gaming Control Board to consider officially legalizing daily fantasy sports.
Included in the bill is text that specifically notes the possibility of Pennsylvania entering compacts with other states that have already legalized online betting. This would allow Pennsylvania poker sites to share player pools with other states and for online casinos to link progressive jackpot slot machines across sate lines in order to grow jackpots.
You can see the full bill here, but be ready for a long read. The bill clocks in at 213 pages at last count.
Representative Payne plays an especially important role in shaping online gaming in Pennsylvania as he serves as the Gaming Oversight Committee Chairman. He recently announced his intent to retire at the end of his term (November 30th 2016) but plans to push for online gaming until his last day in office.
Payne believes legal online betting could raise more than $120 million for Pennsylvania in the first year alone. It may sound like an optimistic projection at first, but New Jersey online betting sites did raise $149 million in 2015. Pennsylvania, with a population roughly 50% larger than New Jersey (12.8 million vs. 8.9 million), could very well put up similar numbers. Plus, gaming compacts with other legal states would likely provide a boost in momentum for every state.
Last year, Rep Payne said that he is also optimistic thanks to bipartisan support coming from the Democratic Gaming Oversight Co-Chairman Nick Kotik (D – Allegheny). Here’s what he said back then:
“I think because we have bipartisan support – representative Kotik and I both introduced this bill and he’s my co-chair on the Democratic side – so we tried to set the tone by saying the two chairman are going to cosponsor the bill and introduce the bill.”
That quote may be over a year old now, but Payne and Kotik still chair the Gaming Oversight Committee today. However, Kotik also announced recently that he too plans to retire at the end of his term. If HB 649 isn’t enacted soon, the future of the bill will lie with heretofore-unknown replacements on the Gaming Oversight Committee.
Mike Murphy is the founder of BettingUSA.com and has over 10 years of experience in the legal gambling industry. A regular attendee of industry trade shows and conferences, Mike is a strong proponent in the idea of a well regulated online betting industry.
