The Pennsylvania House to discuss iGaming legislation
This week, the Pennsylvania House will consider legislation to authorise and regulate online gaming.
US.- A proposal to govern the unregulated online gaming market in Pennsylvania and turn it into a system accountable to consumers and state regulators will be discussed in the Pennsylvania House this week.
It has transpired that legislators on both sides of the political aisle have acknowledged that iGaming is a way to relieve Pennsylvania taxpayers of further financial duress and help release the state from a drawn-out series of budget negotiations.
Legal online gambling gained traction in the Pennsylvania Legislature due to a US$2.3 billion deficit and increased competition for gamblers from neighbouring states. iGaming regulation will protect consumers, raise revenue for our state and create local jobs.
However, the legislative vehicle for iGaming could also force lawmakers to consider an expansion of gambling, which include Video Gaming Terminals (VGTs). If included, this expansion will kill the bill and the promise of consumer protection, revenue and jobs from regulated iGaming as several influential state senators have made it clear they won’t support a bill that includes VGTs, so the bill would die in House. Furthermore, the current VGT proposal is universally opposed by the state’s commercial casinos, which makes it even harder to move forward.
