Pennsylvania lawmakers have introduced sweeping bipartisan legislation proposing rigorous new restrictions on VIP programmes, microbets, promotional offers, and gambling advertising, alongside mandatory deposit, wagering, and loss limits. House Bill 2879 (HB 2879), introduced on October 21 by legislators including Tarik Khan and Jamie Flick, seeks to bolster online gambling consumer protections and address problem gambling across the state.
The bill also incorporates strict prohibitions against operators utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning, and behavioral data to target customers with promotional incentives based on past losses or vulnerability to harm.
Proposed limits on deposits and wagering thresholds
If enacted, HB 2879 would restrict online players to a maximum of two separate deposits within any 24-hour period. Individuals depositing more than $5,000 across a 180-day window would be subjected to a mandatory affordability assessment before further funds could be accepted. Furthermore, operators would be barred from accepting wagers within 15 minutes of a deposit, with the sole exception of an initial bet placed immediately following account creation.
Individual interactive casino game wager caps are also outlined, proposing limits of $2 per play for customers aged between 21 and 25, and $5 for individuals aged 25 and older. Mandatory loss thresholds would enforce strict wagering suspensions: users aged 21 to 25 would be blocked from playing after losing $750 within 24 hours or $2,500 over 30 days, while those aged 25 and above face limits of $1,500 and $5,000 respectively. Additionally, all registered players would be required to establish binding daily and monthly monetary loss ceilings prior to placing their first wager.
Cracking down on microbets and fast gameplay
The legislation targets high-frequency betting formats by prohibiting microbets, defined as live proposition wagers on specific actions during an ongoing event, alongside multi-outcome proposition bets. Online casino operators would be forbidden from offering interactive games lasting less than 15 seconds from start to finish, and automated autoplay features would be outlawed.
Account security and verification protocols would also tighten significantly, requiring platforms to automatically log users out after 15 minutes of inactivity while enforcing a default maximum login session of two hours within 24 hours. Biometric verification, such as facial recognition or fingerprints, would become compulsory during account creation, at every login, and prior to placing sports wagers exceeding $500.
Sweeping advertising and promotional restrictions
HB 2879 places severe limitations on marketing, banning push notifications or text messages soliciting deposits. Advertising restrictions would prohibit promotional terms like “bonus” or “no sweat,” ban wagering instructions, and outlaw cross-promotion between different iGaming verticals. Operators would be barred from broadcasting gambling advertisements between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., or during live sports broadcasts across television, radio, apps, and the internet. Furthermore, VIP programmes utilizing dedicated employee attendants or promoting increased play would be completely abolished.
The legislative push follows findings from the official Sports Betting and Related Interactive Gambling in Pennsylvania Study, which revealed that 5.7 per cent of online sports bettors generate 80 per cent of sports betting expenditure, while 4.9 per cent of casino players account for 80 per cent of online casino revenue. To combat these harms, the bill introduces a 0.75 per cent gross revenue assessment on interactive operators to fund addiction treatment, alongside the creation of an Online Problem Gambling Public Health Task Force.
