Online gambling may go live in Pennsylvania by the end of this year, as plans advance in the direction of bringing about a legal and regulated igaming regime in the state. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced recently that manufacturers and suppliers will be allowed to apply for a license from the beginning of April. The date that online gaming operators will be able to apply for a license has yet to be announced by the PGCB.
Just days after a measure to introduce online gambling to Pennsylvania was approved by the General Assembly, Governor Tom Wolf signed the legislation, saying that he was aware that the state needed the recurring revenue. He said that he was convinced that online gambling would not canabalize existing gambling revenue from Pennsylvania’s land casinos.
The Pennsylvania gambling legislation makes the state the fourth in the US to license online gambling. The other three are Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey. The last state to pass online gambling laws was New Jersey in 2013.
The new Pennsylvania laws allows for the legalization of online casino games and slots, as well as online lottery sales and daily fantasy sports. It also allows for sports betting if and when federal laws decide on a change to PASPA, a law banning sports betting across the country (bar four states) that was passed in 1992.
The legislation also makes way for Video Gaming Terminals and gaming devices at approved truck stops and airports.
Interactive Gaming Certificates will be issued by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to land base casino licensees in the state. These casinos will partner with online gaming content providers. Should the allotted number of licenses not be awarded to local casinos, they may be offered to out of state licensed online gaming operators, according to the law.
In all likelihood, Pennsylvania will become part of the shared online poker liquidity pool that is made up of Nevada and Delaware. New Jersey has also committed to joining this pool.
