There was a time when many experts believed Pennsylvania would become the only state to join the existing U.S. online gambling pioneers in 2015. That was before a budgetary impasse between Gov. Tom Wolf and the Republican legislative majorities deadened the pulse.
Or so we thought.
According to an interview in Card Player State Rep. John Payne said ‘nothing could be further from truth,’ when questioned about the door being closed on online gambling legalization in 2015.
The view seems to be that until Wolf & co agrees on the Pennsylvanian budget, all bills remain on the table. Only Nevada has a bigger casino enterprise than the Keystone state. Numerous online gambling bills have been submitted including one containing a world record 54% tax on gross gaming revenue (SB 900).
The bill submitted by Payne pitches a tax on gross gaming revenue at just below 15%, and the man himself told Card Player that he was willing to negotiate around that number if needed. Nevada set their tax rate at just under 7%, New Jersey decided on 18%, and Delaware went a little crazier with 45%.
It’s believed online poker can be worth $129m, annually, to Pennsylvania once it reaches maturation, and the online casino business could rake in $178m.