A fresh push to legalize eSports betting is underway in Pennsylvania, as State Representative Ed Neilson reintroduced House Bill 1636. The bill seeks to broaden the state’s gambling laws to cover competitive video gaming, aligning eSports wagers with traditional sports betting. While a similar 2023 effort stalled, this updated version refines the bill’s language and regulatory framework in hopes of gaining legislative approval.
House Bill 1636: Expanding Pennsylvania’s Betting Landscape
The newly reintroduced House Bill 1636 aims to officially integrate eSports into Pennsylvania’s legal betting ecosystem. If passed, the legislation would allow licensed sportsbooks within the state to accept bets on eSports competitions, which are currently excluded from the state’s gambling laws.
Neilson, who has been actively advocating for modernizing gaming regulations, emphasized the necessity of adapting laws to keep pace with the rapidly growing eSports industry and its evolving entertainment formats. The 2023 version of the bill failed to advance, but this iteration offers clearer definitions of what qualifies as an eSports event, along with regulatory measures designed to address prior concerns.
Defining Esports as Skill-Based Competition
Under HB 1636, eSports are described as “organized, multiplayer video game competitions where success depends mainly on the skill of the players.” This categorization places eSports alongside traditional sports as skill-based contests eligible for legal wagering. Popular eSports titles such as League of Legends, Valorant, Dota 2, Counter-Strike, and Fortnite would fall under the bill’s scope. These games feature diverse competitive formats, from team battles to individual matches.
Current U.S. gambling regulations generally permit betting only on games of skill. HB 1636 aims to clarify that eSports meet this standard.
Challenges: Protecting Minors and Ensuring Integrity
One significant concern about legalizing eSports betting revolves around the participation of underage players. Many professional eSports competitors start as teenagers, some as young as 13 years old. Child protection advocates have expressed worries about the bill’s lack of explicit safeguards preventing bets on matches involving minors.
Unlike traditional sports, eSports currently lack a centralized regulatory authority, which increases the risk of misconduct such as match-fixing and cheating.
The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) highlighted these risks in a 2024 report, noting that out of 90 suspicious betting alerts worldwide that year, 48 involved eSports events. This underscores the potential vulnerabilities within eSports wagering that lawmakers must address.
Pennsylvania’s Gambling Market Hits New Revenue Milestone
Even without legalized eSports betting, Pennsylvania’s gambling sector continues to grow robustly. In May 2025, the state set a record for monthly gambling revenue, reaching $601.8 million. This surge was largely driven by strong performances in iGaming and sports betting.
iGaming revenue soared to $232.9 million, a 33.8 percent year-over-year increase. Mobile slots were the top contributor at $177.2 million, followed by online table games with $52.9 million and internet poker at $2.8 million.
Sports betting revenue also climbed, totaling $59.4 million. Of this, $56.4 million came from online wagers, while retail sportsbooks accounted for $3 million. The total sports betting handle for May was $655.4 million, with online platforms handling $625 million.
Source:
“Pennsylvania lawmaker pushes to legalise eSports betting”, sigma.world, Jul 1, 2025
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