An online gambling bill in Pennsylvania remains in limbo as a deadline for the state budget looms and an impasse between Gov. Tom Wolf and Republicans in the legislature is unresolved.
Since a Senate hearing in the Community, Economic, and Recreational Development Committee held earlier this month, there’s been little to report in terms of progress for any of the five proposed bills in Pennsylvania that would regulate internet gambling.
The online gambling bill, though, is just one of the moving parts as Pennsylvania attempts to pass a budget to fund the state government. The budget has a soft deadline of Tuesday. Republicans have passed a budget bill in the house, and a vote is expected on Tuesday in the heavily Republican senate. The budget does not currently contain new provisions concerning online gambling.
Despite Republicans moving forward on a budget, the bill appears headed to a veto if it reaches Wolf’s desk. The Democratic governor and Republicans are split on many of the issues in the budget, as the two sides try to find away to trim a deficit that is in excess of $1 billion and could reach $2 billion in future years, without action by the government.
