Online Gambling Regulations Approved in PA, But the PGCB Still Has Work To Do
Published March 28, 2018 by Elana K
The PGCB recently approved two sets of temporary online gambling regulations that address issues like the location of the servers, security, game fairness, and more.
Slowly but surely, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is taking concrete steps toward making online gambling a reality. Most recently, the PGCB approved two sets of temporary regulations, though have not officially been published in the PA Bulletin. The regulations address issues like location of the servers, security, game fairness, and more.
First Set of Regulations
The first set of regulations deals with the location and security of the servers, stating that the PGCB must approve the location of the servers for interactive gaming, and that facilities that store the servers need to provide comprehensive physical protection against floods, fire, and other natural/man-made disasters.
The regulations also require that Pennsylvania’s online gambling platforms include the option for players to self-exclude, mainly intended to prevent problematic gambling habits. Platforms will also be required to include a “replay last game feature.”
Second Set of Regulations
The second set of regulations approved by the PGCB deal mainly with the fairness and integrity of the online casino games themselves as well as advertising and promotions.
For example, the PGCB requires that players must be able to access paytables and game rules once they’ve registered to the casino. Players must also be provided with a specific minimum of information once they enter the game, including the name of the game, their current balance, restrictions, and other details.
Additionally, RNGs (random number generators) must be approved by the PGCB and advertising must meet minimum standards
Third Set of Regulations, TBA
A third set of regulations is expected to be put forward during the next PGCB meeting on April 2. Lawmakers will discuss one of the most pressing issues at hand — that of “skins.” Skins is the colloquial term for the number of branded websites a master license operator can offer, and it is not yet known how the PGCB will rule on this issue. Proponents of online gambling hope that the number of skins won't be severely limited, because the more skins a master license operator can offer, the more potential profit for both the operator and the state of Pennsylvania.
