A public hearing on online gambling and fantasy sports before the Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee was cancelled last week, leaving the state’s legislature less time to deal with and online gambling bill this session. The hearing was re-scheduled for October 18.
Pennsylvania’s House has already passed a bill that would legalize online gambling and daily fantasy sports. The hearing was to examine how other states have benefitted from online gaming and daily fantasy sports and was seen as a move to prompt the state’s Senate to act. No reason was given for the delay.
Even with a successful hearing, there remains a precious few days left in the session to get the Senate to vote on iGaming and/or DFS. Rep. John Payne, the leading supporter of iGaming in Pennsylvania, will retire at the end of this session, and it’s unclear if there is any legislator willing to pick it up in next year’s session.
