The National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) is forming a new committee that is going to help legislators legalize online casinos in more states across the country. NCLGS President and Minority Whip in the West Virginia House of Delegates, Shawn Fluharty, announced the news earlier this month at the NCLGS winter meetings.
The new committee, which is expected to come together over the summer, should look no further than Pennsylvania. It all starts with a strong foundation, which includes a thorough tax structure and gaming board. Because of that, PA online casinos have a proven track record for success in every area of the industry.
Keystone State online casinos feature successful tax structure
Pennsylvania is one of only six states where online casinos are legal, compared to the 38 that have sports betting. There appears to be a disconnect between the legislature and the power of online casinos. On the Safe Bet Show podcast last month, Fluharty said:
“I serve with a lot of people that struggle to silence their cell phones during a committee meeting. And now we’re trying to get them to understand how an iCasino can be on their phone. There’s clearly an education gap when it comes to those who are passing laws in this country.”
The committee is going to close that gap and hopefully implement online casinos across more states over the next several years. The NCLGS is gathering for summer meetings at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh this July, where more information on what the committee will look like should come together.
Other states can take advantage of what has worked in Pennsylvania, the most robust market of the six available.
The Keystone State has one of the most effective online casino tax structures. According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), the framework is as follows:
- 16% on poker
- 16% on table games
- 54% on PA slots
The tax on slots is rather high. PGCB Director of Communications, Doug Harbach, told PlayPennsylvania:
“The Pennsylvania legislature has been aggressive in setting tax percentages on legalized gaming higher than other states. Some gaming experts therefore predicted that companies would not choose to operate in the state under those rates. That has not been the case, with most major gaming operators indeed choosing to do business here. The result is that Pennsylvania returns more tax-generated revenue to its citizens than any other gaming state.”
Pennsylvania has delivered $2.03 billion in lifetime taxes since online casinos launched in 2018.
https://www.playpennsylvania.com/nclgs-online-casino-committee-model/