Pennsylvania Senate passes gambling expansion bill

The bill had been in limbo for some time due to a disagreement regarding the subject of video gaming terminals (VGTs) and whether these machines should be permitted on a large-scale basis in the state.

According to Penn Live, the Senate moved from a no-VGT position to allowing the machines to be placed in truck stops, in an effort to meet the House halfway on the bill.

Senator Jay Costa, floor leader for the Democrats, said: "There’s no question that that was added to bring consensus between the Senate and the House.”

Should the bill go through, Pennsylvania would become only the fourth state in the US to legalise some form of online gambling.

Pennsylvania’s existing commercial casinos would be able to offer online gaming services to punters located within the state’s borders and that are of age. A Pennsylvania online gaming licence would cover slots, poker or other table games, or a mixture of these types of gambling.

Internet-based games would be taxed at the same rate casinos currently pay for live play at their physical locations, with a portion of slots revenue earmarked for property taxes and other online games contributing to the general fund.