Pennsylvania regulator limits skins in latest sports betting regs

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board appears to have taken a different course to its online gambling regulations in its latest set of regulations, issued Wednesday to control land and online sports betting, specifically concerning the controversial issue of skins.

Our readers may recall that two months back the regulator ruled regarding online gambling:

“There is no limitation to the number of skins that a slot machine licensee may employ to deliver games, but every ‘skin’ that a casino offers must be branded in a manner that makes it clear that it is offered on behalf of the slot machine licensee consistent with language of the act.”

Contrast that with the latest sports betting regulation, which says that one of the provisions through which a sports betting certificate holder, or a sports wagering operator licensee on behalf of a certificate holder, can accept wagers is:

“Through a single interactive website or mobile application that clearly and prominently displays the name of the sports wagering certificate holder.”

That would appear to impose an ‘only one online sportsbook per casino…no skins’ limitation.

The 59-page regulatory guide issued by the Board Wednesday after a closed door executive session details which properties can accept sports bets, and how they will be able to offer sports betting.

State land casino licensee, Penn National will be pleased with the regulations; the company has opposed the concept of multiple skins per operator on grounds that it would “present significant new competition to the incumbent casino operators and result in overall saturation of the marketplace, as is occurring in the online gaming marketplace in New Jersey.”

See the latest set of regulations here