No Bonuses, No Prop Bets, No VIP Programs: Pennsylvania Bill Targets Online Gambling

Lawmakers in Pennsylvania have introduced legislation designed to better regulate the state’s rapidly growing online gambling sector through enhanced consumer protection measures.

Eight Democrats and one Republican in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives recently filed House Bill 2879—an act providing for Online Gambling Public Health and Consumer Protection. Led by Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia), the bill would impose a series of guardrails on the state’s expanding online sports betting and internet casino markets.

The bill’s supporters say the impact on young adults, especially young men, is particularly concerning. The legislation has been referred to the House Gaming Oversight Committee. The Pennsylvania General Assembly’s 2026 session ends Nov. 30, and unpassed legislation does not carry over to 2027.

Limiting Losses

HB2879 proposes limiting online sports bettors and casino gamblers to no more than two account deposits per 24 hours. Credit cards and government assistance cards would be prohibited, and online gambling gift cards would become banned.

Consumers would also be restricted to $5,000 in total deposits during any 180-day period unless an online sportsbook or iGaming platform verifies that the individual can afford additional losses through a formal affordability check.

Rules would be even stricter for consumers aged 21 to 25. Those bettors would face a maximum wager limit of $2 per play on online casino games, and anyone losing $750 in a single day or $2,500 in a single month would trigger a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period.

The legislation would require bettors to set daily and monthly loss limits before their first wager. Lowering a limit would take effect immediately, while raising one would require a cooling-off period.

Operators would need to take steps to ensure consumer safety by eliminating microbets and proposition bets from sports betting. Push notifications to solicit bets and deposits, sign-up bonuses, bonus bets, and the use of VIP programs would become illegal.

Marketing terminology such as “risk-free” would be banned, and all gambling advertisements would be prohibited between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., as well as during live sports broadcasts.

Win for Offshore Market?

Opponents of HB 2879 argue that the stringent regulations would hand an unfair marketing advantage to illicit offshore gambling websites and mobile applications.

Because offshore operators are unregulated and operate outside U.S. jurisdiction, those platforms do not comply with state laws or consumer protection safeguards proposed by Khan and his co-sponsors.

Licensed sportsbooks and legal iGaming operators maintain that they actively promote responsible gaming and that protecting consumers from gambling-related harm is fundamental to the long-term sustainability of their businesses.