Pennsylvania online gambling branding debate

The conversation on the legalisation of online gambling in Pennsylvania took a new turn Tuesday when the spokesman for a land gambling operator suggested that any legislation should bar out-of-state online operators from entering into partnerships with state land casinos for the purposes of setting up branded real-money gambling websites.

For several observers and online companies the sort of protectionism recommended by Penn National’s exec for government relations, Eric Schippers, goes too far and could keep out highly successful and established online companies that would enhance the chances of legalised gambling being successful in the state, thereby generating tax revenues and jobs.

Schipper’s justification for his opinion was that out-of-state operators would not have the same commitment to generating business for land operations, but then he went further and claimed that there was the danger that online operations might cannibalise brick and mortar business.

Both of these points have been disproved by established practical industry evidence, including from his own company.

Pro-online gambling companies, including the Golden Nugget in New Jersey and Pokerstars, were quick to refute Schipper’s views based on their operational experience.

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