Pennsylvania is a step ahead of most states in implementing legal sports gambling, thanks to the gambling expansion bill signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf last year, writes Joe Trinacria in Philadelphia magazine.

That legislation, which was approved with the new state budget, included a measure that authorized sports gambling in Pennsylvania upon its future legalization by the federal government.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down a 25-year-old federal law prohibiting any state other than Nevada from accepting wagers on individual athletic events has set the stage for this legislation to take effect.

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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) will begin notifying the public of the change in law. Then, gaming officials will draft regulatory measures before any of the state’s 13 licensed casinos are invited to apply for permits.

Gambling on sports events through illegal “sports books” or offshore-based Internet sites is a $150 billion industry, according to the PGCB. The state is eager to accept a slice of that revenue.

“Sports betting certainly has the opportunity to bring in a new type of patron to the casinos, so from that standpoint, it’s a positive,” said Doug Harbach, spokesman for the PGCB. “Certainly, at a 34 percent tax rate, it should bring in some additional significant revenue to the commonwealth.”

Read more about sports gambling in Philadelphia magazine by clicking here.

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