When Did Pennsylvania Legalize Gambling
- States With Legalized Gambling
- Legalizing Online Gambling
- Is Sports Betting Legal In Pennsylvania
- When Did Pennsylvania Legalize Gambling Winnings
- When Did Pennsylvania Legalize Gambling Start
The Pennsylvania online gambling landscape has gone through profound changes over the past year or so. In late 2017, the Keystone State passed a law that authorized and regulated online gambling. In order to properly handle this form of authorization, regulators and online gambling operators alike have invested a lot of joint effort into implementing the law.
The OUSC team has done an in-depth research to bring you this comprehensive overview of the legal online gambling scene in the state of Pennsylvania. Keep reading to learn all the latest details and what to expect for the new year.
Pennsylvania Online Gambling Law: Key Takeaways
As of 2020, Nevada and Louisiana are the only two states in which casino-style gambling is legal statewide, with both state and local governments imposing licensing and zoning restrictions. All other states that allow casino-style gambling restrict it to small geographic areas (e.g., Atlantic City, New Jersey or Tunica, Mississippi ), or to. PGRI re-posted an article released by the Competitive Enterprise Institute on its blog detailing the successful legalization of online gambling in Pennsylvania. This past Monday, October 30, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill legalizing Internet gambling throughout the state. The move makes the Keystone State the fourth in the nation.
There are a few key points of the actual legislature that are worth mentioning, providing just the right introduction to the current situation. Once House Bill 271 was signed by Governor Tom Wolf back in October 2017, online gambling became a legal practice across the state of Pennsylvania. Even though the law has been passed for over a year now, the Pennsylvania online gambling market is still maneuvering towards its official releases.
Gambling and lottery winnings is a separate class of income under Pennsylvania personal income tax law. Between July 21, 1983 and Dec. 31, 2015, all prizes of the Pennsylvania Lottery were excluded from this class of income. As a result of Act 84 of 2016, cash prizes of the Pennsylvania Lottery that are paid on. Pennsylvania legalized gambling 5 years ago. Some reforms are now needed. Pennsylvania isn't going to hit the jackpot next year in property tax relief from our slots. Monday's announcement that.
What did the Pennsylvania Online Gambling Bill Legalize?
The first chance to cater to this massive player pool was given to the 13 existing land-based casino establishments, each eligible to receive a license to provide the following online gambling services.
- Fantasy Sports
- Mini-Casinos
- Sports Betting
The licenses are formally known as Interactive Gambling Certificates (IGCs) and are officially issued by the Pennsylvania Gambling Control Board (PGCB). As the first step towards building a formal online gambling platform, all 13 operators were given the initial chance to obtain a license in online slots, table casino games, and poker gameplay.
This resulted in a total of 39 eligible IGCs that existing operators could apply for, throughout the course of 120 days since their initial issuance. During the first 90 days, operators were given a special discount on the $4 million cost per license – $10 million for the full package.
Following the promotional period, all privileges were eliminated and room was made for offshore operators to set up online gambling sites for the Pennsylvania market, either by obtaining their own license or operating as a skin under an existing brand.
States With Legalized Gambling
Pennsylvania Online Casinos: When Will They Launch?
As of now, there are no official launch dates for online casinos. Nonetheless, most of the online gambling and sports betting licenses have already been approved by the Pennsylvania Gaming Contol Board. With this in mind, it’s safe to say that casinos will most likely launch their online gaming format in the first quarter of 2019.
Take a look at the current status of each land-based casino, as well as their existing online partners and products offered.
| Casino | Application Status | Projected Launch | Online Gaming Products | Online Partners |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parx Casino | Approved August 15th | Q1 2019 | Online poker, table games, slots | GAN |
| Mount Airy | Approved August 15th | Q1 2019 | Online poker, table games, slots | 888/ Poker Stars |
| Stadium Casino | Approved October 31st | N/A | Online table games, slots | GAN |
| Sands Bethlehem | Approved October 3rd | N/A | Online poker, table games, slots | N/A |
| SugarHouse | Approved Mid-September | Q1 2019 | Online poker, table games, slots | Rush Street Interactive / Kambi |
| Rivers Casino | Rescinded application October 4 | N/A | N/A | SugarHouse/ Rush Street Interactive |
| Harrah’s Philadelphia | Approved August 15th | Q1 2019 | Online poker, table games, slots | 888 Casino |
| Valley Forge Casino | Approved October 3rd | Q1 2019 | Online poker, table games, slots | IGT/GAN/PartyPoker |
| Hollywood Casino at Penn National | Approved Mid-September | Q1 2019 | Online poker, table games, slots | IGT Casino Software |
| The Meadows Casino | Not Applied | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Mohegan Sun Pocono | Approved November 28 | N/A | Online table games, slots | N/A |
| Presque Isle Downs and Casino | Approved October 31st | Q1 2019 | Online table games, online slots | Golden Nugget |
| Lady Luck Casino | Not Applied | N/A | N/A | N/A |
In order to give a more comprehensive understanding of the Pennsylvania online gambling industry, it’s important to talk about each property and their licensing, as well as their sports betting application status.
The Harrah’s Philadelphia casino is known for their parent company Caesars Entertainment, which is the only to operate online gambling skins across Nevada, New Jersey, and Delaware US online gambling markets. Their long-lasting partnership with 888 will probably see them power their poker room on the back of the same platform.On the other hand, Scientific Games may be the partnering provider for casinos, should they approach the Pennsylvania market with both Caesars and Harrah’s brands. Additionally, a confirmation of their sports betting application on October 31st confirmed Scientific Games as the provider set to power the upcoming online sportsbook.
Legalizing Online Gambling
TSG was officially licensed as their casino games software provider on November 28th. The pending entrance of Mount Airy into the sports betting market was additionally resolved through this move, as BetStars is now expected to make their official entrance in the marketplace.
Is Sports Betting Legal In Pennsylvania
The Parx Casino is definitely a leader in the existing land-based gambling sphere. Back in 2014, the casino entered a long-term partnership with the online software provider GAN, as a result of launching a play money social casino under the Parx casino brand. There are indications towards an additional partnership with another provider, Kambi, which has only recently received their license approval on November 28th.
Sports betting is also part of the casino’s future endeavors, planning to open two land-based operations as well as an online sportsbook.
The Impact of Pennsylvania in US Online Gambling
The state of Pennsylvania is bound to benefit greatly from their legalization of online gambling practices. With about a twelve licenses still available, future projections and estimates should see the state benefiting from the license fees as a primary profit.
Ultimately, the license renewal requirements every few years should see the state achieve sustainability of all the additional bodies and employees necessary for proper handling of the matter. Online casinos and gambling operators, in general, should also benefit from a Pennsylvania online gambling sphere, attracting all potential players to their platforms.
With such positive projections and an evident advantage of an instant influx of money into the state budget, other states are bound to follow suit in due time. Even if the end of 2018 does not see the first online casino and poker action across Pennsylvania licensed platforms, the first quarter of 2019 is bound to provide a positive climate for legal online gambling in the US.
TOBYHANNA, Pa. (CBS) — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is urging legislators to legalize the adult-use of marijuana. Pennsylvania officials say the legalization of adult-use cannabis will provide a new revenue stream to direct toward economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling additional funding for grants for small businesses.
Wolf was at The Mountain Center in Tobyhanna Tuesday, discussing the legalization of marijuana’s potential benefits.
READ MORE: Eastern State Penitentiary To Reopen To Public On FridayHe is urging the General Assembly to take up legislation regarding marijuana’s legalization which they have not done despite multiple requests from Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman this fall.
“This year, I again went to the General Assembly and asked them to make legalizing adult-use cannabis a priority for the fall as we work to find ways to overcome the economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Wolf said. “To date, there has been no movement to advance legislation. So, I’m here today to ask again, and to focus on two particular benefits of legalization – potential economic growth and much-needed restorative justice.”
Wolf, joined by state Rep. Maureen Madden and hemp farmer Eric Titus White, discussed how “legalizing cannabis offers the same potential for economic growth that the historic farm bill of 2018 did for hemp farmer following decades of government prohibition of the industry.”
Hemp, a once widespread crop in Pennsylvania, was cultivated in the state for more than 250 years. It was grown for seeds, fibers and extracts.
Hemp and marijuana are two different varieties of the same plant species, but hemp does not contain high levels of THC, which makes marijuana a controlled substance.
“Much of our knowledge about how to grow, process and use hemp was lost after industrial hemp was regulated and banned along with marijuana in the 1930s,” Wolf said. “And Pennsylvania lost the benefits of an industry with a long history of providing jobs and resources here in the commonwealth. When hemp and marijuana were banned, we didn’t just lose jobs, we lost decades of research opportunities, innovation and economic growth.”
READ MORE: WATCH LIVE: Philadelphia Officials To Provide COVID-19 Response UpdateWhite says that his hemp farm helped provide him with economic opportunities and dig roots in his home state.
“The cannabis plant is capable of stimulating our economy, healing our soil, and bringing the focus back to natural medicine and natural farming,” White said.
Madden says she supports the Wolf administration’s efforts to introduce the legalization of adult recreational cannabis due to its potential to boost the Pennsylvania economy.
When Did Pennsylvania Legalize Gambling Winnings
“I fully support the administration’s efforts to introduce the legalization of adult recreational cannabis in such a way that invests much-needed financial resources in our underserved communities and enacts restorative justice programs throughout the Commonwealth,” Madden said.
Aside from the economic growth opportunities that will be created by legalizing adult-use cannabis, criminalization laws have “disproportionately” harmed minority communities in Pennsylvania, officials said.
“Every year in Pennsylvania, another 20,000 people get cannabis-related criminal charges that can keep them from getting the jobs and housing they want,” said Fetterman. “It’s time we stop ruining people’s futures over something that’s already legal in several states and something that most Pennsylvanians don’t even think should be illegal.”
In 2018, Wolf signed the Clean Slate bill which allows for sealing records of certain low-level offenses if the person has been free from convictions for 10 years.
MORE NEWS: FBI Arrests 2, Including New Jersey Man Roberto Minuta Who Served As Roger Stone's Bodyguard, In Capitol Riot
When Did Pennsylvania Legalize Gambling Start
While that law can be applied to certain marijuana-related offenses, Wolf says there is “much more that needs to be done to reverse decades of injustice. And we need to start by decriminalizing cannabis and legalizing it for adult use.”