Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania
Online sports betting is legal in PA. Pennsylvania passed a bill regulating both sports betting and online casinos. A number of casinos now offer retail sports betting, with online betting apps launching on. Pennsylvania is a liberal state when it comes to sports betting and gambling overall, and sports betting is legal all throughout the state. PA is well-known for its casinos and sportsbooks and for giving. Legal Sports Betting Age By State. For many new sports bettors, the minimum age requirement for legal sports betting is one of the single biggest concerns. Even at legal sports betting venues in 2021, underage gambling is viewed as a major offense that can prompt heavy fines or even jail time for sports betting operators, so sportsbooks are extremely strict about who they allow to gamble. LEGAL US ONLINE GAMBLING GUIDE Gambling online is quickly becoming the way to place a bet. More Americans are turning to their mobile devices and laptops to play their favorite slots, poker games or bet on sports online.
[toc]Pennsylvania could join Nevada with single-game sports betting, thanks to a law signed by Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday.
That bill authorized a myriad of new gaming options in the state, including online poker and casino games and regulation of daily fantasy sports. But it also sets up Pennsylvania to offer legal sports betting, should things break right in the near future.
The author of a standalone sports betting bill — Rep. Rob Matzie — offered this statement to ESPN’s David Purdum:
Statement from Pennsylvania Rep. @RobMatzie, who spearheaded the state's sports betting efforts: pic.twitter.com/JYsv5VtPzA
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) October 30, 2017
Still, 2018 could be an optimistic timeframe for sports betting to happen in PA.
PA sports betting needs more than just the new law
Everything else PA just legalized on the gaming front needs nothing more to become law, from a purely legal standpoint. (Obviously, more goes into implementing the different aspects of the law, including licensing and writing of regulations.)
The same is not the case for the sports betting portion of the PA law, however. The law needs a change at the federal level to take effect. Currently, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) bans single-game wagering outside of Nevada.
That means a change to that law would need to come first. The quickest and most likely avenue to that is the New Jersey sports betting case in the US Supreme Court. A verdict declaring PASPA unconstitutional would allow PA to move forward right away.
Still, that decision is not likely until the spring of 2018, and that outcome is far from a given.
Here’s the language from the bill mentioning federal law:
The Board shall, when federal law is enacted or repealed or a federal court decision is filed that permits a state to regulate sports wagering, publish a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin certifying the enactment or repeal or the filing of the decision.
Short of a SCOTUS decision in New Jersey’s favor, PA would need Congress to repeal or amend PASPA for the sports betting law to take effect.
Delaware passed a law in 2009 attempting to legalize single-game wagering, but that was struck down in court because of PASPA. Delaware still offers parlay wagering legally.
What’s in the PA sports betting law?
More about the nuts and bolts of the law here, including analysis of timing and other provisions.
The bill includes a 36-percent tax rate on sports wagering revenue, which is a ridiculously high number for what is a low-margin gaming product to start out with. Lawmakers would be smart to rein that number by changing the law in 2018, before it takes effect. (The licensing fee is also a steep $10 million.)
Beyond that, the bill also provides for mobile and online sports betting — meaning it can take place outside of the state’s land-based gaming facilities. It also allows for wagering on professional and collegiate sports, potentially putting the state at odds with the NCAA.
Full sports betting language from the PA gaming bill here:
PA Sports SectionWhere will you be able to bet on sports in PA?
The short answer: Potentially anywhere in the state.
Here’s the definition of “sports wagering” from the law (emphasis added):
“Sports wagering.” The business of accepting wagers on sporting events or on the individual performance statistics of athletes in a sporting event or combination of sporting events by any system or method of wagering, including over the internet through websites and mobile applications.
Betting online
Because the statute allows for online sports betting, all you would need to bet is an internet connection or a mobile device with cell service. That means you would simply need to be within the state’s borders to legally place a bet; you don’t have to be a resident of the state.
You would still have to register an account in PA, and the logistics of how that will happen for sports bettors would still need to be worked out. And we still have no idea who will attempt to offer mobile/online wagering. But certainly some licensees would.
Betting at casinos
If you didn’t want to bet online, you would obviously be able to place bets at a physical location.
Where that will happen is still up in the air. The law allows any “slot machine licensee” in the state to apply for a “sports wagering certificate” at a cost of $10 million each. Because of the huge outlay of cash up front and the high tax rate, it’s not a guarantee that every licensee would buy into this, as written.
But, if they all did, you could eventually place sports bets at all 12 of the state’s licensed casinos/racinos:
- Harrah’s Philadelphia, Chester
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, Grantville
- The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, North Strabane Twp.
- Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, Wilkes-Barre
- Parx Casino and Racing, Bensalem
- Presque Isle Downs & Casino, Erie
- Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mt. Pocono
- Rivers Casino, Pittsburgh
- Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem, Bethlehem
- SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphia
- Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin, Farmington
- Valley Forge Casino Resort, King of Prussia
There’s also another casino — Live! Philadelphia Casino and Hotel — that is planned. That’s in the city’s stadium district and would be a no-brainer for a sportsbook.
The law even thinks of the fact that there is likely not space in some casinos, as constructed, to put a sportsbook. So it authorizes temporary books:
Temporary facilities.–the board may permit a sports wagering certificate holder to conduct sports wagering at a temporary facility that is physically connected to, attached to or adjacent to a licensed facility, as approved by the board, for a period not to exceed 18 months.
“Don’t trust everything you see. Even salt looks like sugar.“
The same warning should apply for regulated and unregulated betting sites.
Pennsylvania is home to 12 regulated online sportsbooks. However, 75% of Pennsylvanians in a recent survey could not differentiate legal and illegal betting sites.
The mix-up can have worse outcomes than adding a cup of salt to a cake recipe. Regulated sports betting apps offer users more safety, easier payment processing and higher responsible gambling safeguards than offshore sportsbooks.
To help educate consumers about the risk of illegal betting sites and improve their understanding of online sports betting, Conscious Gaming launched “Bettor Safe.” The national campaign aims to educate consumers about the risks of betting on illegal websites. And conversely, it will share benefits of legal and regulated gaming options.
The campaign’s arrival comes with two state-specific initiatives: Bettor Safe Pennsylvania and Bettor Safe New Jersey. Its goal is to have a presence in additional states soon.
Most don’t know regulated from unregulated sportsbook
Fifteen states, including Pennsylvania, have some form of legal online betting. In Pennsylvania, there are regulated sites for iGaming, sports betting and poker.
Data points to customers being confused about the legitimacy about online betting sites.
A recent survey conducted by Conscious Gaming on behalf of the Bettor Safe campaign polled more than 500 adults in New Jersey and Pennsylvania on their online betting habits. GeoComply, which provides geolocation services to online sportsbooks and casinos, created the independent non-profit Conscious Gaming.
The Pennsylvania survey revealed:
- 75% of New Jersey and Pennsylvania residents could not, or are not sure, if they could differentiate a legal betting site from an illegal website.
- 45% who have placed a bet say that they are only betting on legal websites in Pennsylvania following legalization.
- More than 30% are unaware if online betting is legal in their state or responded that it was not legal.
- 42% overwhelmingly cite “safety and security” as most important to them.
The American Gaming Association conducted a survey on sports betting consumer behavior that showed bettors are “increasingly” choosing legal sportsbooks over illegal operators. But 55% of consumers who placed most of their wagers with illegal operators reported that they believed they were betting legally.
Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania State
Bettor Safe aims to inform
Is Sports Gambling Legal In Pennsylvania Pa
Bettor Safe leverages a multi-channel approach to reach consumers through advertisements, videos, an informational website and state-specific resources. The purpose of the content is to empower individuals to know where online betting is legal and distinguish between regulated and unregulated sites.
Conscious Gaming VP of Corporate Social Responsibility & Communications, Seth Palansky said:
“Bettor Safe underscores Conscious Gaming’s commitment to consumer protection and safety by directly educating individuals about the risks of unregulated online betting. This campaign comes at a pivotal moment when American sports fans are gearing up for the NCAA basketball tournament amid a pandemic that continues to push individuals online. Now more than ever we must educate consumers and equip them with the tools to make more informed decisions about online betting.”
Reasons to wager at legal sportsbooks instead of offshore
Some benefits of wagering at regulated online casinos and sportsbooks in PA include:
- Safety: The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board regulates and licenses online casinos in sportsbooks in PA. Offshore sites do not have nearly the same oversight, leaving you little recourse or help if your money is missing.
- Deposit/withdraw methods: What seems safer? Wiring money to an offshore account or using PayPal, Visa or Mastercard credit cards? PA’s legal casinos and sportsbooks have various safe and secure withdraw.
- Responsible gambling: Legal sportsbooks have various safeguards to prevent underage gambling. In addition, they have features for responsible gambling like deposit limits, cool-off periods, and self-exclusion.
- User experience: Regulated sportsbooks are much more user-friendly.
- Promotions and bonuses: Because legal sportsbooks are in a competitive market, they offer better sign-up offers and promotions.
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Executive Director Kevin O’Toole commented:
“Educating Pennsylvanians about the security and safety advantages of legal online betting is critical. Approved operators in Pennsylvania have been vetted and they meet high regulatory standards which permits consumers to wager on legal sites with the confidence that their funds and identity are secure and that regulated websites will be responsible and accountable. The Bettor Safe campaign is an important resource to empower consumers to identify and use these regulated sites in Pennsylvania.”
Problem Gambling Awareness Month
March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month and also the start of NCAA basketball’s March Madness. Bettor Safe hopes to equip people with resources to be able to identify legal, regulated websites. In addition to Bettor Safe, in September 2020, Conscious Gaming launched PlayPause to help the gaming industry manage self-exclusion and impermissible bettor programs.
The North American Gaming Regulators Association (NAGRA) released a statement in support of Bettor Safe.
“The regulator community sees, firsthand, the risks that illegal gambling present to consumers and state governments. We cannot cede the established rules and safeguards of regulated internet gaming to offshore websites that have zero accountability. NAGRA is pleased to support Bettor Safe and we encourage all stakeholders to rally behind this campaign to educate consumers and stamp out unregulated internet gambling.”