Pennsylvania online gambling is waiting and watching. Even as New Jersey and Delaware are scheduled to launch Internet gambling this fall, with both states trying to counter the loss of gambling dollars to neighboring states.
But don’t expect Pennsylvania to quickly follow suit, William H. Ryan Jr., chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, said Tuesday at a conference in West Philadelphia.
“I don’t see any real groundswell right now for Internet gaming,” Ryan said during a panel discussion on regulation with officials from New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, and Florida.
Ryan spoke of a more likely route to gambling expansion in Pennsylvania.
“What we are seeing is far more interest in legislation that would give the thousands of bars and social clubs the authority to have small games of chance,” Ryan said.
“The strength of the lobbying groups in those areas is probably greater,” he said. “All of them have very close contacts to the representatives in both the House and the Senate.”
The Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday passed legislation that would allow bars to conduct games of chance, including raffles and drawings. You can read more about Pennsylvania online gambling at Philly.com
