Pennsylvania Bill Would Ban Bonuses, VIP Schemes and Prop Bets
A nine-member group of state lawmakers has filed legislation that would impose deposit limits, cooling-off periods and marketing curbs on Pennsylvania's online sportsbooks and casinos.
Eight Democrats and one Republican in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives have filed House Bill 2879, which would place extensive new restrictions on the state's online sports betting and internet casino operators.
The bill, titled an act providing for Online Gambling Public Health and Consumer Protection, is led by Rep. Tarik Khan, a Philadelphia Democrat. It has been referred to the House Gaming Oversight Committee, according to Casino.org News.
Khan and his cosponsors wrote in a memo to colleagues that problem gambling is increasingly treated as a public health issue given its effects on mental health, financial stability and family life. They said operators' marketing tactics are fuelling concern about debt and wellbeing, and that the impact on young adults, particularly young men, is a particular worry, Casino.org reported.
The legislation would cap consumers at two account deposits per 24 hours and ban the use of credit cards, government assistance cards and gambling gift cards for funding accounts. Total deposits would be limited to $5,000 over any 180-day period unless an operator carries out a formal affordability check confirming a customer can absorb further losses.
Bettors aged 21 to 25 would face tighter rules still. Wagers on online casino games would be capped at $2 per play for that age group, and anyone in the bracket who loses $750 in a day or $2,500 in a month would be subject to a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period.
All customers would have to set daily and monthly loss limits before placing a first wager. Lowering a limit would apply immediately, but raising one would trigger a cooling-off period under the bill's terms.
Operators would also be required to eliminate microbets and proposition bets from sports betting markets. Push notifications encouraging further betting or deposits, sign-up bonuses, bonus bets and VIP programmes would all become illegal under HB 2879, as reported by Casino.org.
The bill would additionally bar marketing language such as "risk-free" and prohibit gambling advertisements between 8am and 10pm, as well as during live sports broadcasts.
Opponents cited by Casino.org argue the restrictions would push consumers toward unregulated offshore gambling websites and apps, which fall outside Pennsylvania law and carry none of the consumer protections the bill proposes. Licensed sportsbooks and iGaming operators maintain that responsible gaming is central to their business model and that protecting customers from harm supports the industry's long-term sustainability.
Pennsylvania's General Assembly session runs until November 30, and any bill not passed by then does not carry over into 2027, leaving a narrow window for HB 2879 to advance through committee.