With eSports betting stuck in legal limbo in Pennsylvania, Rep. Ed Neilson hopes to recruit a few co-sponsors to push his bill legalizing wagers on electronic games over the finish line.
With the start of Pennsylvania’s two-year legislative session just beginning, Rep. Neilson circulated a memo to his colleagues on January 27th to show representatives the money being lost by not allowing eSports wagering in the state.
After Neilson’s proposal in 2021 to legalize online gambling of eSports fell short of receiving genuine consideration, the Rep. from Philadelphia is looking to find more support for a floor vote on the matter.
Citing a study that shows the eSports industry could climb to over $1.8 billion in economic activity over the next year, Rep. Neilson wrote, “…I believe Pennsylvania should quickly add esports to our gaming portfolio, bolstering our economy and the attendant tax revenue. Therefore, I am introducing legislation to legalize betting on esports in Pennsylvania.”
The memo did not detail Rep. Neilson’s plans or outline specifics about his proposed legislation, an intentional move to garner ideas and suggestions from other lawmakers.
