When Pennsylvania passed its massive gambling expansion bill in 2018 it allowed for compacting with other states for poker and online casino games, more than five years have passed and the state still hasn’t joined the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement (MSIGA).
Past Gov. Tom Wolf said he was taking time to weigh the option. Now current Gov. Josh Shapiro has spent more than a year taking no action as well.
Now, Pennsylvania Rep. George Dunbar is hoping the legislature can force the issue.
Dunbar introduced HB 2078 this week. The relatively short bill directs the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to act and join within 30 days of the bill’s passage.
So far, the bill has only been introduced and has yet to receive a reading or any hearings.
In January, Pennsylvania online poker sites generated just short of $2.7 million in revenue, which is on par with what the industry generates in the state each month. If it joins the compact, which includes Nevada, New Jersey, and Michigan, the belief is that revenue would grow substantially.
Delaware is also part of the MSIGA. However, with the switch from 888 to Rush Street Interactive as the operator for the state, online poker was shuttered.
West Virginia announced it was joining the MSIGA last November. No online poker sites have launched in West Virginia despite the state legalizing online poker in 2019. To date, no poker sites have launched since the announcement but operators like BetMGM did applaud the state for the change.
