Pennsylvania Bills Seek to Ban Micro Bets, Parlays, VIP Programs

Over the last couple of weeks, Pennsylvania state representatives Tarik Khan and Jamie Flick introduced a series of bills to ban micro bets, game parlays, and prop bets, and to limit online casino wagers in the state. These would also include stricter limits for younger players. 

These bills were introduced the same day the Problem Gambling Caucus launched, and both state reps joined it.

One of the bills, HB 2879 (the Pennsylvania Online Consumer Protection Act), covers these reps' priorities across 34 pages. Also among the other things they'd like to ban and change, they want daily and monthly loss limits and VIP programs banned. 

Two other bills are HB 2875 and HB 2874. The former would ban credit cards from funding accounts, while the latter would provide more protections for those on the self-exclusion list. 

The current Pennsylvania legislative session ends on November 30, and bills cannot cross into 2027. 

Pennsylvania is unique in that it's one of just seven states that offer legal sports betting and casino play. 

Pennsylvania Lawmakers Propose Stricter Gambling Limits for Young Adults

Khan and Flick want stronger safeguards to protect those in the state. 

“People should be free to enjoy an occasional bet,” Khan said in a statement. “But the gambling industry shouldn’t be allowed to exploit addiction for profit. We studied the problem, we followed the evidence, and now we’re taking bipartisan action to protect Pennsylvanians.”

The package of bills emphasizes protecting those who recently turned 21. 

“Kids today are growing up surrounded by sports betting advertisements and gambling apps,” Flick said. “We need to make sure the next generation isn’t being drawn into gambling addiction before they fully understand the risks. This bipartisan bill puts meaningful protections in place, especially for young adults who are particularly vulnerable.”

Under this pact, players ages 21 to 25 would not be able to wager more than $2 per play, while those older than 25 would be capped at $5. Additionally, players 21 to 25 would be cut off after losing $750 in a day or $2,500 in a month. As for those over 25, it would be $1,500 per day and $5,000 per month. 

Something else the bill would include is banning operators from targeting anyone under 21 with ads, and ads on college campuses would be banned. 

Proposed Gambling Restrictions Target VIP Programs and AI Promotions

This comes as a few lawmakers have pressed FanDuel and other sportsbooks about their VIP programs, including one where a FanDuel VIP received a video from Bryce Harper. 

Khan and Flick believe VIP programs are "predatory," and micro-bets would include wagers on the result of the next pitch or the next play call in the NFL. 

More proposed bans include restricting the use of AI to create player promotions. That also comes at a time when the Massachusetts Gaming Commission conducted a review of operators like DraftKings after a story emerged in which DraftKings was accused of using AI to send promotions to players.