Online Gambling Bill Passes Through Pennsylvania House

This week the Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved HB2105, which will see online gambling legalization passed through as part of the Keystone State's budget.

The bill passed with a 114-85 vote, and would see online gambling as well as daily fantasy sports betting legalized and regulated. The sportsbetting bill was attached to the $31.5 billion budget, which has been in a series of negotiations between Republicans and Democrats over the last several months.

If the bill passes through the State Senate and is signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf, it would allow existing land casino operators the chance to offer games of chance to customers within state borders over the internet.

With that being said, the budget bill's passage is no sure thing, as Governor Wolf said he doesn't believe the budget raises enough money to pay for programs.

Still, the bill's passage generated a positive response from Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas, who said, "Pennsylvanians deserve robust consumer protections and today the Pennsylvania House delivered. This legislation will create jobs and help the Commonwealth close its budget gap. This common sense legislation is a win-win for Pennsylvania. The online poker community urges the Senate and Governor Wolf to act swiftly to approve this measure."

Casino Listings will update this story as more developments arise.