In late May, a new bill was introduced by Pennsylvania Senator, Wayne Fontana. His proposed law is seeking to help people who have self-excluded from gambling activities across the state. Senate Bill 1211 wants to enforce new rules for gambling advertising. Specifically prohibiting operators from targeting people who are on Pennsylvanua’s self-exclusion list. Senator Fontana referred this proposal to the Community, Economic, and Recreational Development Committee. This bill has gained bi-partisan support but only has two weeks to advance. Pennsylvania’s legislative session will end on June 30.
Fontana wants to stop self-excluded gamblers from receiving any type of betting promotion
As it currently stands in Pennsylvania, players who have self-excluded themselves from gambling are still subject to advertising or messages from gambling operators. These players are trying to do the right thing by excluding them from any gambling activities. Senator Fontana’s proposal wants to eliminate the possibility of these self-excluded players from seeing gambling ads. Under SB 1211, gambling operators in Pennsylvania would be prohibited from engaging in advertising or marketing with a player on the self-exclusion list.
Additionally, Pennsylvania casino operators will not be allowed to send promotional offers. That includes incentives like free spins, credits, rewards, or anything else with a monetary value. On top of that, the bill will prohibit credit card extensions for any player on the self-exclusion list. As of June 10, 2024, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported that there are 19,678 people are on the self-exclusion list. Senate Bill 1211 is set out to protect these people who are trying to exclude themselves from gambling activities. If the bill is passed, it will require gambling operators to update their marketing lists every 48 hours. This will help ensure they are not advertising to anyone who has seld-excluded themselves.
Operators will face tough fines if they breach the proposed rules of SB 1211
If an individual breaches a rule under SB 1211, they would be subject to a fine of no more than $150,000. Penalties for manufacturers of gambling devices get more expensive. The minimum fine would be $150,000 and the maximum is $300,000. Finally, the toughest penalties would apply to gambling operators in the state. Their minimum fine for breaching a rule would be $300,000. The maximum fine could be up to $600,000. The fines mentioned above apply to first-time offenders. Any further violations would be penalized as felonies and could face harsh penalties.
