Pennsylvania awaits online gambling legalisation outcome

Local media reports from Pennsylvania indicate that the passage of an omnibus gambling bill that includes DFS and online gambling legalisation elements could be pushed out to the end of the current legislative season in November.

State lawmakers returned to work this week for a brief period before the next adjournment, but seemed relaxed about the passage of the bill, which the House has already included in its budget calculations as contributing $100 million to state coffers (see previous  reports).

Opposition is expected in the Senate, where the bill’s provisions for allowing slot machines in airports and off-track betting locations are not popular in some quarters.

Given the July 1-June 30 fiscal year, legislative leaders said that a gambling bill does not necessarily need to reach the governor this Fall.

“Because the initial money is mostly license fee money, it would not be the end of the world if it went into the spring, but certainly we’d prefer to have it done this fall,” said House Majority Leader Dave Reed this week.

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