The Pennsylvania House passed bill HB2150 without a single word of debate. The bill was passed with a majority of votes of 114-85. The next step for the bill is to be heard by the Senate. The supporters of the HB2150 hope that the hearing in the Senate will end up with the same outcome.
The result means that the Pennsylvania state is one-third of the way to become the fourth state to legalize and regulate online poker. The bill was passed on Tuesday and if it is passed by the Senate and Gov. Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania will join New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada as the state where online gambling is regulated.
If HB2150 is passed, the Pennsylvania state will gain a new source of revenue of a proposed $31.5 billion budget. What is more, the fiscal note that is attached to the bill, estimates that in 2023-17 the combined gaming expansion will generate from licenses and taxes an astonishing $266.5 million in revenue.
As it was exclusively announced in the iGaming Post, online gambling in Pennsylvania WILL now happen although there is expected to be some traction against the bill in the Senate but not enough to halt it from hitting State Governor Tom Wolf’s desk.
Getting the bill signed by the Gov. Wolf should not be much of a problem as well. As it is generally known, Wolf is not completely against online gambling. The only threat for the HB2150 is Sheldon Adelson who is a member of the Senate and his oppostition may influence Wolf’s final decision on the matter.
Executive director of the PPA, John Pappas said “It is about time — this legislation is long overdue! Pennsylvanians deserve robust consumer protections and today the Pennsylvania House delivered. Additionally, this legislation will create jobs and help the Commonwealth close its budget gap. This commonsense legislation is a win-win for Pennsylvania. The online poker community urges the Senate and Governor Wolf to act swiftly to approve this measure”.
