On Wednesday, there will be another key hearing in the Keystone State regarding the legalization and regulation of casino games on the Internet, operated by the state’s existing brick-and-mortar casinos.
The Senate Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee, chaired by Sen. Kim Ward, author of Senate Bill 900, will hold its second hearing in as many weeks. The committee last met on June 10 to discuss online gaming.
This Wednesday’s hearing will feature testimony from the state’s Gaming Control Board.
The 9 a.m. EST hearing can be viewed via a live stream here.
There are several bills on the table that aim to legalize the games, but it appears Ward’s proposal could very well be the vehicle. A bill from House Gaming Oversight Committee chairman John Payne had a robust hearing in April and could also be the vehicle.
One bill will need to pass the House and Senate and then be signed by the governor. Hearings are being held to iron out exactly how online gaming should be implemented.
It’s a matter of when, not if in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania concluded in a study that regulated online poker could be worth up to $129 million annually once it reaches maturation. It also found that house-banked online casino games could reach $178 million annually under the same conditions.
Those revenues would add roughly 10 percent to the state’s casino gambling market, worth around $3 billion annually. Gaming revenues haven’t grown for the past two years in Pennsylvania.
The state faces an estimated $2 billion general fund deficit, and many are calling for Pennsylvania to regulate online gaming, which could yield more than $100 million in taxes annually.
