The use of credit cards to finance online gaming accounts in Pennsylvania might soon be going away, much like the 76ers in the postseason. In the Keystone State, a new measure was presented to prevent Pennsylvanian gamblers from using credit cards to pay for internet gaming services within the commonwealth.

Check out the latest sports betting odds right now at Caesars.

The bill SB 1159, sponsored by Sen. Wayne D. Fontana (D-42) was most recently sent to the Community, Economic, and Recreational Development Committee. Should the bill be granted approval, it would become one of the only states that forbids using credit cards to pay for online gaming services. If enacted, Fontana’s measure would make Pennsylvania one of the states that forbids using credit cards to pay for internet gaming services. Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Vermont would already have similar laws in place.

When Fontana first introduced the idea, he sent a message to his fellow senators explaining that the goal of the consumer protection bill is to prevent problem gaming among Pennsylvanians and to prevent people from using their credit cards to incur debt from online gambling.

“Gambling and credit card debt often go hand in hand since this disorder can lead to financial problems that affect one’s ability to pay off debt.” Fontana said, “Therefore, I will be introducing legislation that would prohibit the use of credit cards for iLottery, online casino games, and sports betting and fantasy sports. With the average Pennsylvanian having a credit card balance that exceeds $5,640, online gaming should not be another scenario to accumulate more debt.”

March is “National Problem Gambling Awareness Month,” thus it seems to make sense that he announced his intention to present the measure in that month. Only a few states in the United States have outlawed the use of credit cards to pay for gambling services, while the United Kingdom and Australia have done the same.

The bill would help shield Pennsylvanians with problematic gaming habits from incurring debt in order to support their habit by outlawing credit cards.

Check out the latest sports betting odds right now at Caesars.

“Since the expansion of gaming to include online gaming and sports wagering, there is greater access to gambling which in turn increases the number of individuals who may develop a gambling disorder.” Fontana said, “In fact, over 36% of online gaming participants in the commonwealth reported at least one gambling problem according to the 2022 Online Gaming Report produced by Pennsylvania State University in coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs as well as the state’s Gaming Control Board,” 

Recent news has shown that problem gambling can occur with heavy credit card use. Amit Patel, a former employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was sentenced to more than six years in prison after he was convicted of fraud for using the team’s virtual credit card to fund $20 million on a FanDuel account and $1 million on a DraftKings account.