PA Rep. George Dunbar sees “greater chance” of sports betting ban removal with Trump president

What does a Trump win mean for the industry?

Having been a part of the industry, I assume he will be better versed in the issues that involve gambling. One thing I have realized is how few elected officials have a grasp on the gambling industry. The largest issue that a Trump presidency could address is sports wagering.

What can we expect to happen with the current sports betting ban under his administration?

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There certainly is a greater chance of the removal of the sports betting ban than there would be under a Clinton administration but there are many hurdles to clear

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My understanding is that some leagues (NBA, NHL) are in favor of legalizing E-Sports betting. While the NFL is still opposed.

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I’m not sure of Trump’s relationship with the NFL owners especially after his heavy involvement in the USFL

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Will the US see greater liberalization of gambling?

I have always believed and still believe that will be the case. Most notably in the internet arena because, let’s be honest, this is taking place illegally already, so it makes sense to legalize and get some tax revenue.

Although Trump is believed to be pro-gambling, Republican views are mixed. What changes will the casino sector witness at a federal level?

I have served in the Pennsylvania Legislature which is heavily Republican. I was told that I could never get a gaming bill out of the house which presently sits with a 121 to 82 Republican majority. I have gotten omnibus gaming legislation which included DFS, Internet Gaming and Poker, OTB parlors and other changes out of the house on 2 occasions.

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The point is that there are enough open minded Republican legislators that will be pragmatic when it comes to gaming

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Pennsylvania's Daily Fantasy Sports and online gaming bill appears to be dead for this year. According to prospects, when is the proposal slated to be revived?

The legislation will be reintroduced in January, both in the House -where it has passed twice- and the Senate -where it has died twice-. The problem has been that not all of our casinos have been on board with the all parts of the legislation and convinced their senators to oppose. Taking these Republican Senators in conjunction with those who were unwilling to vote for gaming and we would have needed Democrats votes to insure passage. I assume but do not know for sure that the Senate Democrats wanted too much for their votes. The Senate Republicans won 3 additional seats from the Democrats in November so now have an even greater majority (34 to 16). So it should help in getting this passed early in 2017.