While there has been much speculation regarding how many land-based casino operators will take advantage of online gaming signed into law by Pennsylvania with an exorbitant revenue tax, the first online gaming to become reality in the state is likely to be operated by the state—as in the Pennsylvania Lottery.
A recent article on the TribLive website, the online survivor to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, quoted a Pennsylvania Lottery spokesman as predicting online sales of lottery games could begin by the spring.
Retailers will be given the ability to offer an online experience in their retail locations as well, with the addition of online keno and possibly virtual sports. Estimates of online lottery revenue in Pennsylvania has been as high as $250 million over the next five years.
Meanwhile, other budget-strapped states are likely to follow Pennsylvania this year in legalizing iGaming. OnlineGamingReport.com predicts that New York, facing a $4 billion deficit, could be one of the first to follow Pennsylvania’s lead with online poker, and iGaming could be a bargaining chip for other gaming expansion—as it was in Pennsylvania.
The site also mentions Rhode Island and Illinois as likely to get on the iGaming bandwagon this year.
