Penns’s existing commercial casinos will now be able to apply for a new online gaming license and begin offering services to punters via desktop, mobile and tablet devices.
Licenses will be priced at US$10 million each, although if some of these are not claimed after the initial roll-out, then they will be offered at a lower price of US$4 million for certain market segments.
Pennsylvania plans to tax online slots at a rate of 54% while internet table games and poker face a rate of 16%.
The state lottery will now also be able to sell tickets online, while the bill opens up the potential for daily fantasy sports operators to begin offering services in Pennsylvania, should Congress give clearance to such activities on a national scale.
The bill will also allow for the creation of 10
Chris Sheffield, senior vice-president and managing director interactive for PA casino operator Penn National, criticised the 54% online slots tax as being "completely unworkable”.
"Obviously we are pleased that this has finally moved but 54% for online slots is the highest tax rate on the planet,” Sheffield said.
Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey are the only other US states to have legalized some form of online gaming.
Source: GMB / iGaming Business
