Online Gambling Study to Take Place in Pennsylvania
With all the talk that surrounded the run-up to the commencement of legalized online gambling in New Jersey, a subject that often came up was the possibility that near neighbor Pennsylvania might be quick to follow in the Garden State’s footsteps.
This week Pennsylvania did indeed inch a bit closer in the direction of regulating Internet gambling, with the Allentown Morning Call reporting that a motion passed unanimously in a State Senate committee that calls for a study into the possibility of regulating online betting in the state.
Many details remain unclear
The paper reported that lawmakers expect the results of the study to come back in the spring of 2014.
Just what types of games might be on offer when – and if – Pennsylvania passes a law to regulate the placing of online wagers is unknown, though supporters in the legislature acknowledge that the move is motivated at least in part by developments in New Jersey, a state that offers real money online casino games in addition to online poker.
According to longtime State Senator Robert “Tommy” Tomlinson, who represents Bucks County, no decision would be made in terms of games until various parties had been consulted, such as the Pennsylvania Lottery and the state’s land-based casino interests.
“We have time to get it right. We have until June.” Senator Tomlinson was quoted by the Morning Call.
Move is part of larger budget considerations
Though the report is due back in May, the June date to which Senator Tomlinson referred is the deadline for the state to determine a budget, and more specifically, to figure out how to fill a budget shortfall. That deadline comes on June 30, and the budget deficit in Pennsylvania is said to be about $1 billion.
Regulated online betting could bring dollars into Pennsylvania – presumably just how many dollars will be more clear with the completion of the Senate-commissioned study.
Pennsylvania – New Jersey competition may heat up
Incidentally, while many supporters of legalized online wagering in Pennsylvania point to the nascent New Jersey iGaming market as inspiration, pressure for gamblers was what drove New Jersey to regulate such gaming itself.
New land-based casino properties in Pennsylvania have proven an effective lure for gamblers who previously visited Atlantic City, which has suffered mightily as a result. Since peaking in 2006, Atlantic City casino revenue has decreased each consecutive year.
With many of Atlantic City’s casinos flirting with bankruptcy and job loss, Republican Governor Chris Christie made New Jersey the third state in the nation with legalized online wagering when he signed the state’s iGaming legislation into law last February.
Should Pennsylvania go in the same direction, it will join Nevada, Delaware, and the aforementioned New Jersey on the list of states that offer some form of legalized Internet betting.
At the same time, it will likely instill new panic into New Jersey gaming officials and its casino industry, which is leaning heavily on online gambling as a means of shrugging off its longtime fiscal slump.
