Online Gambling in Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee is getting aggressive about the regulation of gambling with an online poker bill that has already been voted on to continue through the floor for final approval. Now the state is turning to daily fantasy sports and looking for ways to regulate and permit it.
The Pennsylvania House will be holding a public hearing on fantasy sports at the Hollywood Casino at the Penn National Race Course which is the first of what are now 13 traditional brick and mortar casinos in the state.
The ultimate goal of this proposed regulation and hearings is that such daily fantasy sports operators such as Draft Kings and Fan Duel would have to partner up with state casinos that are licensed.
Pennsylvania officials have made it clear that they are looking to regulate daily sports fantasy websites, not restrict them. But whenever the government gets involved however restrictions and hassles and red tape are usually not far behind. Although Pennsylvania officials talk of regulation and consumer protection there is no doubt that the real reason for this proposal is to make sure that the government gets a cut of the financial action. Consumer protection, much like the youth, is a traditional blanket for governments looking to get a cut of revenue from various outlets all with the veil of having good intentions.
The proposal is that each daily fantasy sports concern would have to pay $50,000 for a license. Keystone State politicians will also address the thought that fantasy sports is addicting.
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