Pennsylvania Proposes Ban on VIP Betting and Microbetting
Two lawmakers in Pennsylvania have introduced a bill that would ban microbetting and some VIP programs and impose strict financial and time limits on online betting. The proposal is backed by a bipartisan group formed to combat gambling addiction.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Tarik Khan and Republican Jamie Flick introduced House Bill 2879 on October 21. The bill would ban microbetting and certain gambling VIP programs, and introduce individual betting limits and mandatory loss controls for online betting. Both lawmakers are members of the Gambling Addiction Caucus, formed the same day, and want to expand the proposal with a fund dedicated to the prevention, treatment and research of gambling addiction.
The package also includes two additional proposals that would prohibit funding online gambling accounts with credit cards and strengthen protections for people on the self-exclusion list. Because the legislative session ends on November 30, the proposals need to move forward quickly.
The proposals are based on a study adopted in 2025 under Khan's leadership. According to its findings, 5.7 percent of online sports bettors account for 80 percent of gambling spending. At one betting site in 2019 and 2020, just 0.5 percent of customers provided more than 70 percent of VIP program revenue.
Khan said companies use aggressive marketing methods to keep people betting even as they lose money. According to data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the state's regulated gambling revenue hit a record $6.8 billion in 2025. Online casino revenue rose 27.22 percent to about $2.8 billion, and sports betting revenue rose 17.97 percent to about $602.5 million.
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