Pennsylvania Targets Online Betting With Gambling-Free School Zones
Posted on: June 15, 2026, 10:06h.
Last updated on: June 15, 2026, 10:06h.
- Legislation in Pennsylvania would require iGaming and online sportsbooks to block their operations on school campuses
- The bill is to honor a young man who committed suicide after developing a gambling addiction while in high school
Pennsylvania schools are already surrounded by supposedly drug-free zones. Lawmakers in Harrisburg are considering making them also free of online gambling.
On Monday, Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) introduced House Bill 2631. The bipartisan bill, cosponsored by one state Democrat and four Republicans, would require online gambling platforms to block access to their apps and websites on school campuses.
Our schools should be a place for learning, not a place to lose your future one bet at a time. 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,” Ortitay said.
“This is common sense, and it is long overdue,” Ortitay added.
School Campus Ban on Online Gambling
Ortitay’s HB2631 would force online gambling companies licensed by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to use their geofencing capabilities to block access to their platforms across school campuses.
A “school entity” is defined in the legislation as “a school district, intermediate unit, area career and technical school, charter school, cyber charter school, or regional charter school.” All qualifying school grounds and buildings would need to be blocked. The PGCB worked with Ortitay in drafting HB2631 and is supportive of the bill.
Online gambling is at unprecedented levels across the commonwealth, with losses from iGaming reaching $2.77 billion in 2025, a record high. Revenue from online sports bets was north of $600 million, and fantasy sports players paid more than $19.1 million in contest fees.
Pennsylvania’s gaming industry is the third-largest in the United States, behind only Nevada and New Jersey.
Suicide Case Prompts Measure
Ortitay and his cosponsors are hoping to prevent another tragic loss of life resulting from online gambling addiction.
The lawmaker says HB2631 is to honor Ray Mikesell, a 24-year-old who committed suicide in November 2024 after struggling with a severe gambling problem.
Mikesell’s family says their son began gambling while in high school, often making bets on his smartphone while in the classroom.
Ray Mikesell was a young man from South Fayette Township whose struggle with gambling addiction began while he was a student. That addiction followed him for years and ultimately cost him his life. His father has asked that we act so that no other family endures what his family has endured. As he told me, if this legislation helps even one person, it is worth it. I agree. This bill is for Ray,” Ortitay said.
Online casinos and mobile sportsbooks in Pennsylvania are reserved for ages 21+. Fantasy sports and online lottery games are accessible to 18+, though HB2631 would not require those interactive gaming platforms to adhere to the school geofencing law.
The bill also does nothing to prevent teenagers from playing prediction markets and offshore online sweepstakes casinos, both of which continue to pose regulatory and consumer safeguard challenges in Pennsylvania.
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