Pennsylvania left iGaming bill on hold
Pennsylvania carried out a meeting on DFS regulation and online casinos.
US.- Pennsylvania’s House Gaming Oversight Committee hold another hearing on Tuesday morning to debate the current status of daily fantasy sports and the online gambling bill introduced earlier this year. The Committee urged the Senate to pass the project before the 2016 sessions end.
The House Committee approved the iGaming bill in June, but the Senate has not debated the issue yet. As the year is facing its last months, gambling lobbyists expect the legislators to hurry up and pass the bill this year. If the bill is not approved in October 24–26, the Senate will have to resurrect the discussion next year.
This week’s hearing held a debate on why online regulation is necessary, but legislators have not voted on the issue. “There is no policy or political justification for delaying regulation of internet gaming in Pennsylvania. Each and every day that the Commonwealth goes without regulation is another day that consumers are left unprotected and revenue is left on the table. Doing nothing is simply not an option; Pennsylvania consumers and taxpayers have waited long enough,” Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas said in testimony yesterday.
The Pennsylvania’s Senate has held over 50 meetings since 2013 to debate the regulation of online gambling services, including daily fantasy sports, casinos and poker. The State’s budget for 2016-2017 includes US$100 million from online gaming, but the games haven’t been approved yet.
