Pennsylvania could be on the verge of legalising esports betting following State Rep. Ed Neilson’s tabling of a new House Bill 1636.
The announcement last week is Neilson’s second attempt to update Pennsylvania’s 2017 Gaming Expansion Act to include esports, following the stagnation of an earlier House Bill 733 in 2023.
If HB 1636 were to succeed, esports bettors in the state could soon be able to wager on competitive gaming tournaments, including titles such as Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 (CS2).
Neilson’s latest proposal would empower the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) to approve state-sanctioned sportsbooks to expand into betting markets beyond traditional sports.
Speaking on the bill, Neilson said: “To address these issues, I will be introducing legislation that would authorise wagering on E-Sports events and provide the PGCB with the deference in deciding what Pennsylvania’s sports wagering catalogue should look like.”
Neilson isn’t the only US lawmaker looking to capitalise on the rising influence of the competitive gaming market. Several states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, have already approved legislation that taps into the highly lucrative esports betting market in 2025 and the subsequent tax revenues it would raise.
Esports Legislative Challenges and Gambling Revenue Opportunities
In a bid to clarify the issue, the bill has defined esports as “an organised competition involving video games in which players compete against each other, individually or as teams, and the dominant element in determining the results is the relative skill of the players.”
As a result, Pennsylvanians would be allowed to place wagers on esports events and tournaments in the same way they do on the NFL, NBA, or MLB in the state.
However, the most significant limitation – as seen in other states – is the age of the competing esports athletes, with some professional gamers being as young as 13. Critics argue that the issue of betting on minors raises ethical concerns; however, the bill has left room for the PGCB to craft age-related safeguards.
With Riot Games opening its doors to betting sponsorships in North America and EMEA across its VALORANT and League of Legends titles, esports sportsbook operators will be watching the events in the Pennsylvania Senate closely. Should HB 1636 pass, Pennsylvania’s esports betting revenues could quickly surpass other state wagering markets, echoing the success of its surging iGaming sector.
