Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board passes temporary sports betting regulations

Apparently ignoring the fact that there has not yet been a single application for the expensive Pennsylvania sports betting licences, the state Gaming Control Board on Wednesday voted to approve the temporary regulations currently standing.

The Board decided what types of sports betting will be allowed and what will be prohibited, rules regarding the testing of systems that would be used for sports wagering, and reports that licensees would be required to submit to the board. The regulations also cover integrity monitoring, organisational requirements, some consumer protection measures, as well as compulsive and problem gambling issues.

The regulations permit betting operators to offer wagers on local college sports but maintains the discouragingly high fees and taxes imposed by legislators which are believed to be keeping state casino operators away.

A $10 million Application Fee is required, and companies are expected to pay 34 percent tax on GGR and a further 2 percent local tax.

Commenting on the lack of applications, the Board’s communications chief Doug Harbach said:

“I don’t know if there is a specific reason no petitions have been submitted as of yet, but it’s our understanding that there is interest from some of the casinos and they have publicly stated their plan to bring legal sports betting to Pennsylvania.

“I think the New Jersey numbers are showing that people want to participate in sports wagering and a lot of it was going on underground and that we feel that sports wagering is going to be very lucrative in Pennsylvania,”

The next Board meeting is scheduled for September 12, which means that there will be no licensed sports wagering in Pennsylvania when the NFL football season starts.

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