Pennsylvania takes first steps towards legalised sports betting

Pennsylvania has moved closer to the introduction of a legalised sports betting market after the Gaming and Oversight Committee in the US state’s House of Representatives voted to move legislation forward.

Introduced in February, House Bill 519 would enable Pennsylvania to legalise sports betting activities, pending federal authorisation.

The bill passed with a unanimous vote of 24-0 and will now move on to the full House for consideration.

Measures set out in HB 519 include Pennsylvania-based casinos that already hold a licence to offer slot machines being able to apply to offer sports betting.

The licence fee would be set at $5 million (€4.6 million) up front and a renewal fee of $250,000 would need to be paid every three years.

Should the bill gain approval and come into law, sports betting services would only be available to punters aged 21 or over.

Horse racing, which is covered under its own law, does not feature in the bill.

Although daily fantasy sports (DFS) is also excluded, a separate piece of legislation that would legalise such activities is currently being considered by the state’s senate.

Earlier this year, a number of Democratic state senators put forward Senate Bill 524, which focuses on legalising and regulating online gambling in general across Pennsylvania, and also includes language to legalise DFS and online lottery in the state.

Related article: Pennsylvania senators present new online gambling bill