A new bill to regulate online gambling in PA has been filed in the Pennsylvania Senate.

Text here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/...r=0900&pn=1029
Tracking here: http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/...type=B&bn=0900

A Senate Committee will be hearing this bill tomorrow. More details on that in this thread.

It's easy to write off news like this as "just another bill" but SB 900 has the backing of incredibly powerful sponsors / co-sponsors in the Senate, including the state's leading voices on gaming.

The bill is also a broader package of casino reforms as opposed to a standalone online bill that might be easier for opponents to brush aside.

That, plus PA's budget needs, plus the strong push in the PA House all add up to a reasonable chance that PA passes online gambling regulation this year.

I had a chance to read the bill and here are some of the key points:

- Internet gaming permits (IGP) are limited to entities that hold a table games certificate and a slot machine license (Category 1 or 2).

-The PA Gaming Control Board has broad latitude to determine what games are acceptable to offer online.

-IGP permit fee is $10mm and is valid for 5 years. Renewal fee is $1mm. These appear to be fees and not tax prepayments.

-The bill does not appear to have any so-called “bad actor” provision.

-The bill does require in-person registration ((13)(a)(2): “Except as provided under paragraph (4), an individual must apply to establish an Internet gaming account at the premises of a permittee’s facility and must hold an active players club membership.”

-The exception to the in-person registration requirement: “The board shall promulgate regulations for an individual who resides at least 20 linear miles from a facility to allow the individual to become an account holder using the Internet website of a licensed gaming entity.”

-Tax rate is 54% on gross Internet gaming revenue.

The in-person requirement and tax rate are going to be contentious issues.

Oh wow 54% tax rate on the operators + $10mm startup fee. No one is going to want to be the 2nd or 3rd biggest site in that environment. Would it even be profitable for a site that isn't wsop.com or 888 to open there?

Pennsylvania only has about 35% higher population than NJ according to google.


Did you happen to see anything in there about interstate compacts?