Pennsylvania bill proposes to block online gambling platforms in school areas
House Bill 2631 proposes licensed operators use geospatial technology to draw digital boundaries around school premises.
US.- Jason Ortitay, a Republican state representative for Allegheny and Washington counties, has introduced a bill proposing that online gaming and sports betting operators block access to their platforms from inside schools. The legislation has been developed in coordination with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).
House Bill 2631 would require licensed operators to use geospatial technology to draw a digital boundary around school buildings, inside which their platforms would not function. The bill now awaits consideration in the House Gaming Oversight Committee.
Pennsylvania authorises online gambling for adults under a licensed and regulated framework, and it was never meant to reach classrooms, Ortitay said. With a smartphone in many students’ pockets, however, “the line between a regulated adult activity and the school day has blurred,” he said. In some cases, he said, minors are using their parents’ accounts to place bets and play casino games while in class.
Meanwhile, two Pennsylvania House representatives are preparing to put forward a set of bills intended to tackle problem gambling and bolster consumer protections. Democrat Tarik Khan of Philadelphia and Republican Jamie Flick, who represents Lycoming and Union counties, intend to present gambling addiction as a public health challenge amid the growth of online wagering in the state.
