Pennsylvania Rep Seeking to Block All Sports Betting, iGaming on School Grounds

• Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-46) recently introduced HB 2631 to block all online gambling on kindergarten through high school property
• The bill would require all online sports betting and iGaming operators to geofence school property from gambling activity
• This bill will not require geofencing of Pennsylvania colleges or universities

---

A Pennsylvania House of Representatives member is looking to prohibit any and all online sports betting and iGaming activity on Pennsylvania school property from kindergarten through high school.

Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-46) recently introduced HB 2631, which will require licensed online sports betting and iGaming operators to geofence all Pennsylvania elementary through high school property from any online gaming activity.

“Our schools should be a place for learning, not a place to lose your future one bet at a time,” Ortitay said in a press release. “The technology to stop this already exists. We are simply asking the operators who profit from gaming to make sure their products cannot be used by a child sitting in a classroom. This is common sense, and it is long overdue.”

Stemming Underage Gambling Use

The legislation currently sits in the House Gaming Oversight Committee and has yet to be scheduled for consideration.

The bill will require any Pennsylvania licensed gaming company offering online sports betting or iGaming to prohibit their services within “any public school ground and buildings owned by or under the control of a school entity.”

This will include the prohibition of online gaming activity in all Pennsylvania public school districts, public schools, intermediate units, area career and technical schools, charter schools, cyber charter schools, and regional charter schools.

According to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the state has 500 public school districts that range in size from approximately 200 to 140,000 students. In addition to public school districts, the state has more than 160 brick-and-mortar charter schools and 14 cyber charter schools responsible for educating more than 135,000 students.

Online operators will also be responsible for prohibiting gaming activity at Pennsylvania’s 29 intermediate units, which provide special education, professional development, and technical assistance to school districts, charter schools, and private schools.

The bill does not include a geofencing requirement for Pennsylvania colleges, universities, postsecondary or higher education institutions. New York Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-26) recently introduced S10470, a bill requiring online sports betting operators prohibit and geofence their services from New York colleges.

“Now, I was told this will take some time to do, and there is a cost to it, but this is something that is very doable,” Ortitay said in a recent interview with KDKA Newsradio.

In Honor of Pennsylvania Student

According to Ortitay, the legislation is designed to stem underage online gambling in the state. With a smartphone in nearly every single students pocket, Ortitay said minors have been reported using a parents account and credentials to place bets and play casino games while in class.

Ortitay introduced the bill in honor of Ray Mikesell, a student from South Fayette Township whose developed a gambling addiction during his time as a student. The addiction followed him for years, Ortitay said, before ultimately costing him his life.

His father, Raymond Mikesell Jr., approached Ortitay asking for legislation to ensure no other family experienced the same type of loss.

“Ray’s story is one too many families across Pennsylvania know all too well,” Ortitay said in a press release. “His father turned his grief into a mission to protect other kids. The least we can do is honor that by getting this done.”

The bill will go into effect 60 days after it is potentially signed into law.