Pennsylvania Bill Would Ban Microbets And Cap Online Casino Losses

Two Pennsylvania state representatives, one from each party, have filed legislation that would ban microbets, put per-play and loss limits on online casino players and shut down VIP programs at licensed operators. 

House Bill 2879 was introduced on October 21, 2026, by Democrat Tarik Khan and Republican Jamie Flick, and it is among the broadest proposals yet aimed at online gambling in the state. 

The details below are drawn from the bill text on the General Assembly website and from Khan's announcement.

What HB 2879 Would Ban

The bill defines a microbet as a proposition bet placed live while a sporting event is under way that concerns the outcome of a single play or action in that event. 

Betting Sites would not be allowed to offer or accept one. The same list of prohibitions also covers proposition bets that combine multiple occurrences, nonoccurrences or outcomes from a single sporting event.

Credit cards and government assistance cards could not be used to fund a wager, directly or indirectly. Accepted payment methods would be limited to ACH debits, wire transfers of readily available funds, and physical checks. 

The bill also bars rewards or loyalty schemes, including VIP programs, that assign a host or dedicated attendant to a player or encourage more play, bigger deposits or larger losses.

Limits For Online Casino Players

For online casinos, wagers would be capped at $2 per play for players aged 21 to 25 and $5 per play for older players. Younger players would be cut off once their losses reached $750 in 24 hours or $2,500 in 30 days. 

For players aged 25 and over, the thresholds would be $1,500 in 24 hours or $5,000 in 30 days. Once a daily limit is hit, the player cannot place wagers for 24 hours.

Operators could not take more than $5,000 in deposits from a player over any 180-day period without first completing an affordability assessment. 

Platforms would have to set a default time limit of two hours in any 24-hour period. Players could choose a shorter limit but never a longer one, and raising an existing limit would trigger a 72-hour cooling-off period. 

Accounts would also be signed out after 15 minutes of inactivity.

Advertising Restrictions And Funding

The advertising section would prohibit operators from authorizing or instructing the broadcast of online gambling promotions between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., or during a live broadcast of a sporting event, on radio, television, or any app or website. 

Khan's office says the bill also restricts marketing aimed at minors and young adults and cracks down on AI-driven promotions that target vulnerable people.

To pay for prevention, treatment and research, the bill sets an assessment equal to 0.75% of each operator's gross interactive gaming and interactive sports wagering revenue. 

The money would go into a restricted account managed by the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, which would assume a larger role in gambling oversight under a public health approach.

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The Study Behind The Bill

The legislation builds on a Joint State Government Commission study released in July 2026, which Khan requested through a 2025 resolution that passed the House 189-14. 

According to Khan's release, the study found that 5.7% of online sports bettors accounted for 80% of gambling spending, and that at one sportsbook 0.5% of customers generated more than 70% of revenue through its VIP program.

The bill was announced on the day lawmakers launched a bipartisan Problem Gambling Caucus, of which Khan and Flick are both members. 

Khan said the aim is not to stop people from placing an occasional bet but to stop operators profiting from addiction, while Flick pointed to the reach of betting ads and betting apps among young people.

What Happens Next

HB 2879 has only just been introduced, so it must still clear committee, a House vote, the Senate and the governor's desk before any of these limits could take effect. 

Neither the bill text nor Khan's announcement sets out a committee schedule. 

The proposal arrives as regulators elsewhere scrutinise micro contracts too, and operators in the state will be watching how much of the package survives amendment.