HARRISBURG – Allegheny County Sen. Wayne Fontana says he will soon be introducing a bill to prohibit the use of credit cards for online casino games, sports betting, fantasy games, and the PA iLottery. He says online gambling and sports betting is growing exponentially, especially with young adults. At the same time, credit card debt is climbing so it’s necessary to make sure the greater access to gambling isn’t leading to burdensome or crippling credit card balances. In a co-sponsorship memo, Fontana noted that March is “National Problem Gambling Awareness Month” and that the average Pennsylvanian has a credit card balance exceeding $5,640. Last year, PA reported a record high from gambling revenue of nearly $5.7 billion. Other states have prohibited the use of credit cards, including Iowa, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.
SEN. WAYNE FONTANA