HomeGambling IndustryPennsylvania possibly seeking esports gambling legalization

Pennsylvania possibly seeking esports gambling legalization

LAWS AND REGULATIONS30 Jan 2023
3 min. read
Esports gaming

A brief update appeared over the weekend that Pennsylvania may consider the legalization of esports gambling. The news was shared by CBS News Pittsburgh, a local media outlet, which cited Democrat Ed Neilson from Philadelphia, who said that the time had come for the KeystoneState to consider allowing wagers on competitive video gaming.

Neilson said that the industry was "up-and-coming" in Pennsylvania and that there was sufficient interest from consumers to participate in esports betting contests. He also said that there are already successful precedents. New Jersey has recently passed a law that effectively allows betting on the outcome of video game competitions.

While Neilson is hopeful that his fellow lawmakers may act on his advice, there is no determined legislative attempt to introduce esports gambling at this point. Esports is not a small fry by any means. The industry creates billions worth of value and it’s already been picked up by mainstream bookmakers who have been looking to leverage it to attract new consumers. Originally, sportsbooks thought they could seduce esports fans and introduce them to sports betting, but just the opposite happened.

Esports has spawned its very own betting vertical and segment, which Neilson and other forward-thinking lawmakers are now looking to tap into. Pennsylvania is not alone in its recent attempts to regulate esports betting.

Nevada is another state that has not only pushed for the legalization of the segment but has also experienced it firsthand. When the pandemic struck and suspended most other forms of betting, Nevada allowed esports betting on exclusive bases, meaning that events had to be sanctioned by regulators before sportsbooks could offer any fixtures.

However, that brief experiment has sparked a bigger interest in the segment, bringing the Silver State to effectively launch esports betting as a fully-fledged part of the gambling experience as of today. Earlier this month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board recommended approval of rules that would make esports betting legal.

It’s not yet clear if the regulator has decided in favor of esports betting during its last regulatory meeting last Thursday. In the meantime, there is a lot of sense in expanding gambling to cover esports in Pennsylvania where sports betting, online poker, and casinos are already licensed, along with their land-based counterparts.

The state can further benefit from channeling interest in esports not just from its gambling aspect, but also from the vibrant ecosystem already in place, driving additional tax dollars for the treasury.


Image credit: Unsplash.com

30 Jan 2023
3 min. read
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