Clock Ticking for Pennsylvania to Tighten Online Gambling Laws

Pennsylvania’s online gambling industry could be tightened depending on the success of a range of new bills introduced this month. However, with just weeks until the end of the current legislative session, lawmakers are rolling the dice on getting anything over the line.  

Representatives Tarik Khan and Jamie Flick introduced HB 2879, which would impose bet and daily loss limits on customers. Additional bills will outlaw credit card usage and crack down on micro bets and VIP offers.

The proposals also factor in better protection for gamblers in Pennsylvania wanting to self-exclude.

Bipartisan Push Could Run Out of Time

The wide-ranging proposals wouldn’t outlaw Pennsylvania’s online gambling industry. However, PA lawmakers feel that online gamblers need more protection.

Rep. Khan said in a statement that people “should be able to enjoy an occasional bet” but that studies show that there are areas of concern for a portion of the state’s gamblers.

Therefore, Khan and co-sponsor Rep. Flick want a reduction in bets depending on age. 24-hour loss limits would also be introduced under the proposals.

However, Khan and Flick face a race to get their proposals voted on. The Pennsylvania legislative session ends Nov. 30. The final voting days are scheduled for this month. Any proposals not enacted expire after Nov. 30 and must be reintroduced in the next session in January.

Pennsylvania’s Proposed Online Gambling Changes

• HB 2879 – Imposes limits on wagers, depending on age and ban microbets. Heavy restrictions on VIP programs are also proposed. Players would also be required to provide biometric information when setting up an account.
• HB 2875 – Bans credit card usage for online gambling in Pennsylvania.
• HB 2874 – More protection for self-excluded gamblers.

Age-Related Gambling Caps Proposed

In addition to a crackdown on VIP programs, the proposals will target maximum wagers at online casinos and sportsbooks. Pennsylvania is one of a handful of U.S. states that legalizes both.

HB 2789 would cap bets at $2 for anyone aged 21–25. Anyone aged 25 or over can place $5 maximum bets.

There would also be prohibitions on games that last less than 15 seconds. Therefore, slots Autoplay functions would be scrapped.

Loss limits are also on the table. For the first age bracket – 21–25 – a $750 daily loss threshold is proposed. Anyone between those ages would be restricted to $2,500 in monthly losses on online slots or table games.

Those numbers jump for anyone aged 25 or over. Gamblers would be allowed $1,500 in daily losses, plus $5,000 across a 30-day period.

Pennsylvania’s Sports Betting Success Story

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported growth in its gaming sector for last month, with a big rise in sports betting revenue.

Total gaming revenue grew over 4% Y-o-Y, with tax revenue also up. Sports wagering was one of the biggest success stories, with a 50% jump in total revenue.

Khan and Flick’s proposals also tackle gambling advertising around sports betting. Their law proposals call for gambling advertisements to be banned during live sports broadcasts up until 10 p.m.

As in some other states, such as New York, gambling advertising near schools and colleges would be outlawed.

Could Midterms Affect Other Gambling in PA?

Pennsylvania went blue in this month’s midterms, with the Democrats winning the Senate for the first time since 1978. With Gov. Josh Shapiro winning re-election, PA is now a totally Democratic state.

Shapiro has been thwarted by Republicans on many of his proposals, but where does he stand on gambling?

Both the governor and his beaten challenger Stacy Garrity agreed that skill games should be legalized. However, Shapiro favors a much stricter tax regime for the machines.

With Shapiro back in office, he may have more time to get regulation introduced. That was something that failed to happen before the Supreme Court banned the machines.