House Gaming Oversight Committee Rushes to Fix Pennsylvania’s Gaming Act

The Pennsylvania House Gaming Oversight Committee held a rare hearing Wednesday on an issue the committee and overseeing legislative body had already passed. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Chairman John Payne is retiring next month after 13 years representing the state. He’s worked tirelessly for years to bring consumer protections and added revenue to Pennsylvania, putting its casino industry on an even playing field with neighboring New Jersey. This was the 55th and final meeting on Internet gaming that he’s held in the committee, yet he has no say in the outcome for the language he introduced and crafted to bring online gaming to the state.

He already did his part in getting AB 2150 — a comprehensive gaming bill regulating Internet poker, online casino games and daily fantasy sports, as well as expanding use of video game terminals in the state — passed through the House in June.

The issue is in the hands of the Pennsylvania Senate, which only has one more scheduled three-day session this year from Oct. 24-26. So Payne did the only thing he could to remind his legislative colleagues why this issue is important and needs to be addressed now.

Nothing really took place at the meeting that hasn’t been said before. Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas spoke about why this should not be put …

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