Pennsylvania lawmakers have delayed a key vote on its main bill to legalize online gaming. The House Gaming Oversight Committee had been scheduled to discuss and vote on a bill sponsored by its chairman, Rep. John Payne, which would legalize a full slate of online casino games and poker. However, the panel opted to delay the vote due to ongoing budget negotiations.
Those budget negotiations include proposals for online gaming as one of several gaming expansion moves intended to raise new revenue to address a gaping deficit. Other measures before the chamber include slots at off-track betting parlors and at slots at airports.
Payne’s bill would legalize online gambling sites along the same lines as New Jersey’s current law, with iGaming licenses restricted to 14 land-based casino licensees. It provides for a 15 percent tax on online gaming revenue.
