Pennsylvania's HB 2801 would ban sweepstakes casinos, with fines up to $500,000

Pennsylvania has joined the list of states weighing an outright ban on online sweepstakes casinos. House Bill 2801, sponsored by Rep. Russ Diamond with Republican Reps. Jacob Banta, Brad Roae and Dan Moul and Democratic Rep. Jeanne McNeill, was referred to the House Gaming Oversight Committee on Sept. 24, according to the General Assembly's bill page.

The measure would prohibit casino-style games built on a dual-currency system in which a currency can be exchanged for prizes, cash or cash equivalents. Covers reported that slots, table games, lottery-style and instant-win games, bingo and sports wagering would all be covered, while social casino games that award no cash or equivalent prizes would not.

Operators, and anyone who helps run a prohibited game, could be fined up to $500,000. The attorney general and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board would gain authority to investigate, hold hearings and issue cease-and-desist orders. The sweepstakes ban is one part of a larger package, described on the bill page as skill games and gaming modernization, that also deals with licensing, taxes, revenue distribution and responsible gaming.

Gaming Control Board officials told lawmakers at an April 2025 hearing that the agency had sent 18 cease-and-desist notices to sweepstakes platforms. Every recipient complied, but new sites kept appearing, and the board said its reach over companies outside its licensing system was limited.

Time is short. The bill page shows no committee action yet, and the 2025-26 session ends Nov. 30; any bill that has not passed by then would have to be refiled in the session that opens in January 2027.