Pa. bill would geoblock online gambling at K-12 schools

Pennsylvania Rep. Jason Ortitay introduced House Bill 2631 on June 12 to require licensed online casinos and sportsbooks to block access to their platforms from K-12 school property across the state. The measure directs operators to use geofencing technology to prevent gambling apps and sites from functioning on school grounds.

The bill would create a digital boundary around school campuses so platforms will not work within that zone, regardless of which account is used. Co-sponsors listed in the filing include Reps. Anderson, Flick, Merski, Kuzma, Verobish and Kutz. The proposal applies only to kindergarten through 12th grade schools and does not cover colleges or other post-secondary institutions.

Ortitay framed the legislation as a response to students using smartphones and, in some cases, parents’ accounts to place bets or play casino games during the school day. In the bill release he said, “Our schools should be a place for learning, not a place to lose your future one bet at a time.” He told colleagues the geolocation tools operators already use to enforce state borders for online gambling can be adapted to mark school boundaries.

The bill assigns responsibility for implementation to licensed operators, requiring them to build and maintain the digital boundaries that block access from school grounds. Ortitay said he developed the language in coordination with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, which supports the approach. Regulators already require geolocation systems to verify wagers occur within state lines; adapting those systems to recognize school property will require technical work and time from operators.

Ortitay introduced the bill in honor of Ray Mikesell, a South Fayette Township resident whose gambling problems began while he was a student and who later died by suicide. Raymond Mikesell Jr., Ray’s father, asked the lawmaker to act and said in the release, “If this legislation helps even one person, it is worth it. This is for my son.”

Advocates for problem-gambling prevention welcomed the proposed access limits but urged additional steps. Josh Ercole, executive director of Pennsylvania’s Council on Compulsive Gambling, described the bill as “a great starting point” and recommended mandatory prevention education for students to accompany access restrictions. He noted that blocking platforms at school addresses one immediate risk but does not replace formal programming to explain gambling harms.

Ortitay referenced past work on consumer protections, including efforts to consolidate problem-gambling resources under the 1-800-GAMBLER helpline. House Bill 2631 now awaits consideration by the House Gaming Oversight Committee, where lawmakers will weigh technical implementation and whether to add complementary prevention measures.