Maria Scavello Says Online Gambling Is a Major Concern
Pennsylvania lawmakers are planning new laws to punish people in their state who participate in online gambling. At present, gambling is illegal in Pennsylvania, but no laws are in place to punish those involved in online gambling.
Pennsylvania State Republican Mario Scavello has introduced a bill which would punish offenders with fines and jail sentences. According to a Fox News report on the proposed new gambling legislation, Mario Scavello introduced a bill which would fine offenders up to $300 and place them in jail up to 90 days. For a second violation, online gamblers could be fined up to $2,500 and face up to one year in prison.
Scavello Likens Online Gambling to the Wild West
In discussing his plan, Scavello said, “Online gambling is best described as the Wild West. Online, there’s no one around to keep an eye on someone who doesn’t know when to stop.” He went on to say that the new legislation would protect vulnerable parties, including problem gamblers and children. He states that such legislation would protect jobs at the land-based gaming facilities throughout the state. Scavello also suggested online casinos could be used by criminals to launder money.
Mario Scavello was the mayor of Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, and has been in the state senate since his election in 2002. The 61 year old politician was born in Cosenza, Italy and identifies himself as a conservative Republican. The United States federal agencies have punished online operators and the services who support their gaming operations, but no American citizen has ever faced prosecutions or fines for their gaming activities. In the past, enforcement tended to target the people who prey on gambling addicts, making their actions punishable, but not the actions of private citizens.
State Senator Scavello believes operators are only part of the problem. Therefore, criminalizing online gaming activities could have a major impact on curbing activities. “I believe that if you hit people in their wallets, we can start to crack down on the lawbreakers.”
Pennsylvania May Legalize Online Gambling
At the same time, the Republican-controlled Pennsylvania Congress is set to consider legalizing online gambling in 2014. The state faces a serious revenue shortage, including a long term deficit, and it appears to be looking at legal gambling as a possible solution.
A new bill is being considered that would expand the state lottery. A significant number of GOP legislators want to legalize online gambling while expanding lotto gaming in the state. If so, Pennsylvania would not punish gamblers, but provide legal land-based operators a license to provide regulated gambling on the Internet. If so, Pennsylvania would swing away from the kind of laws Mario Scavello hopes to enact. Thus, Pennsylvania has reached a watershed moment in its relationship to betting online.
Support for Scavello’s Bill
The Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling voiced its support of the new bill, while citing a recent poll by Quinnipiac University found that 62% of Pennsylvanians are against legalizing online gambling in the state. Others have expressed support, including representative David Millard, a Republican from Columbia, Pennsylvania. Representative Millard said, “Being addicted to gaming is like a cancer in our community.”
Some Philadelphia and Pittsburgh pundits see the bill by Scavello as an attempt at a blocking action. With a bill on the agenda which might legalize, license, regulate, and tax online gambling in Pennsylvania, having a competing bill which sets new penalties for gambling might make it hard for many politicians to vote for increased gambling. When the next vote happens, it might be hard to justify supporting a pro-gaming bill, if those same politicians have voted down an anti-gambling bill. At the same time, those who support Scavello’s bill can run as law-and-order candidates who’ve protected the citizens against a perceived social ill.
Even without a decision coming on legal online gaming in Pennsylvania, such laws could be seen to protect state interests. With nearby New Jersey and Delaware already legalizing gambling, Pennsylvanians who might otherwise go to their state’s casinos and racinos might otherwise stay at home and play from the privacy of their own home on their desktop PC, laptop, or tablet computer. Punitive actions might deter these potential customers from gaming on the Internet, forcing them to travel out of state or gamble at the local betting facilities.
