- A Pennsylvania senator wants to prohibit credit cards from being as a payment method at online casinos.
- Wayne Fontana introduced Senate Bill 1159 back in March but has now received six co-sponsors for the consumer protection bill.
- Pennsylvania online casinos offer plenty of alternative deposit methods to make up for the potential credit card ban.
PHILADELPHIA – A bill introduced by Senator Wayne Fontana would eliminate credit cards as a deposit method for online casinos in Pennsylvania. Fontana’s online gambling bill would remove credit cards usage for online casinos, online sportsbooks, iLottery, and daily fantasy sites in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Has A Gambling Addiction And Credit Debt Problem
The bill makes plenty of sense considering more than 36% of Pennsylvania online gaming participants reported they have a gambling problem, according to the 2022 Online Gaming Report. The study was put together by Pennsylvania State University, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to identify gambling addictions in the state.
Not to mention, the average Pennsylvania resident has a credit card balance exceeding $5,640. That explains why Fontana and his six bill co-sponsors want to eliminate credit cards from being used at Pennsylvania gambling sites for deposits.
“Gambling and credit card debt often go hand in hand since this disorder can lead to financial problems that affect one’s ability to pay off debt. Therefore, I will be introducing legislation that would prohibit the use of credit cards for iLottery, online casino games, and sports betting and fantasy sports. With the average Pennsylvanian having a credit card balance that exceeds $5,640, online gaming should not be another scenario to accumulate more debt,” said Senator Fontana. in his memorandum to Senate members in regards to Senate Bill 1159.
Players still have plenty of options for real money online gambling in Pennsylvania. Debit, eCheck, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Cash App, Venmo, and plenty of other deposit methods are available outside of just credit cards.