Called a ‘good starting point’ by responsible gambling advocates, state Rep. Ortitay’s legislation would block gambling platforms from operating within Pennsylvania’s K-12 school zones.
Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) has introduced legislation to close a gap that has allowed students to gamble during the school day. If passed, House Bill 2631 would require online casinos and sportsbooks to block access to their platforms from within Pennsylvania schools. Introduced on June 12, Reps. Anderson, Flick, Merski, Kuzma, Verobish, and Kutz are the bill’s co-sponsors.
“Our schools should be a place for learning, not a place to lose your future one bet at a time,” Ortitay said in the release announcing the bill.
“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.”
In an email to Gambling Insider, Ortitay confirmed the bill would apply to K-12 only, not colleges or post-secondary institutions.
School Geoblocking Bill Relies on Technology Pennsylvania Operators Already Use
Pennsylvania allows online gambling for adults under a licensed and regulated framework never meant to reach classrooms, Ortitay explained in the release.
However, with a smartphone in many students’ pockets, “the line between a regulated adult activity and the school day has blurred,” he argued. Minors are even using their parent’s accounts to place bets and play casino games while in class, he said.
House Bill 2631 places the responsibility on licensed operators to use geofencing technology to “draw a digital boundary around school property.” Within that boundary, the platforms will simply not function, regardless of the account. Regulated operators already use geolocation technology to keep gambling inside state lines.
Ortitay told Gambling Insider he spoke to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) about operators employing technology to geofence schools.
“It’ll take some work and time to implement, but it can be done,” he said.
Ortitay Honors Pennsylvania Man Lost to Suicide
Ortitay introduced the legislation in honor of Ray Mikesell, a South Fayette Township man whose gambling addiction began when he was a student. After struggling with the addiction for years, he ultimately committing suicide. His father, Raymond Mikesell Jr., asked for Ortitay’s help in preventing others from experiencing similar tragedies.
“If this legislation helps even one person, it is worth it,” Mikesell said in the release. “This is for my son.”
“Ray’s story is one too many families across Pennsylvania know all too well,” said Oritay. “His father turned his grief into a mission to protect other kids. The least we can do is honor that by getting this done.”
Ortitay told Gambling Insider that, after speaking with his colleagues, he believes the bill has the support it needs to pass.
At the end of the day, who’s going to come out and say they want minors gambling illegally at schools? It’s a pretty straightforward issue.”
The bill now sits with the House’s Gaming Oversight Committee.
Regulators ‘Missing a Potential Opportunity’ of Gambling Education
Ortitay said he developed the legislation in coordination with the PGCB, which supports the approach.
He also noted that the bill builds on his record of consumer- and gaming-related protections. As an example, he referenced helping consolidate problem gambling resources into a single, easy-to-remember helpline, 1-800-GAMBLER.
The PGCB did not respond to our request for comment.
Josh Ercole, executive director of Pennsylvania’s Council on Compulsive Gambling (CCGP), said the bill is “a great starting point.” Still, he told Gambling Insider there’s a need to do more than simply block access while kids are in school.
If kids shouldn’t be gambling, and let’s face it, if adults shouldn’t be gambling while they’re at school because they’re typically working there, or a parent picking up a child, it probably isn’t a bad thing to have some type of law or ruling in place. But you also have to consider, is that enough?”
Since such a law indicates an awareness that kids are gambling, said Ercole, mandating prevention programming is also a logical step.
You have to look at it from other angles and see: is this effective enough? … It’s a great starting point, but there are a lot of bills that are great starting points. … If we’re not addressing it with any formal education or explanatory prevention messaging, then we’re missing a potential opportunity.”
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