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Pennsylvania already blocks legal betting apps outside state borders. A new bill would use that same idea inside school walls, where lawmakers say gambling apps should not work at all.
Good to know
- HB 2631 would require licensed sportsbooks and iGaming operators to block app access inside Pennsylvania schools.
- The bill relies on geolocation technology already used by operators to verify player location.
- Rep. Jason Ortitay introduced the proposal in honor of Ray Mikesell, who died in 2024 after struggling with gambling addiction that began during his student years.
Pennsylvania Looks At Gambling Access, Not Just Age Checks
Legal online gambling in Pennsylvania runs through a regulated market for adults 21 and older. Sportsbooks and casino apps already check where users sit before allowing wagers. House Bill 2631 takes that same compliance tool and applies it to a more specific place: school property.
Rep. Jason Ortitay introduced the bill Tuesday. Under the proposal, licensed online sportsbook and iGaming operators would need to block access from within Pennsylvania schools through geospatial technology.
The issue goes beyond standard account checks. Students can sometimes reach gambling apps through smartphones by using parent details, stored payment methods, or personal information that helps them pass basic barriers. HB 2631 aims to cut off access at the location level before a bet can happen.
“Our schools should be a place for learning, not a place to lose your future one bet at a time,” Ortitay said, according to the Times Observer. “The technology to stop this already exists. We are simply asking the operators who profit from gaming to make sure their products cannot be used by a child sitting in a classroom. This is common sense, and it is long overdue.”
A Personal Case Behind The Bill
The proposal carries a direct link to Ray Mikesell, a young man who began suffering from gambling addiction as a student and later died in 2024.
His father, Raymond Mikesell Jr., backed the bill with a short statement.
“If this legislation helps even one person, it is worth it,” he said, per the Times Observer. “This is for my son.”
Ortitay framed the bill as a practical use of tools gambling companies already operate. Pennsylvania operators use geolocation to keep wagering inside state borders, so the school ban would add another restricted zone rather than create a new system from nothing.
Wider Gambling Rules Tighten In Pennsylvania
The school access bill comes during a busy period for Pennsylvania gambling enforcement.
Earlier in the week, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned two lower court rulings and found skill based slot machines unlawful under current state law. The ruling gave state officials another win in their effort to keep gambling products inside regulated channels.
“The Supreme Court recognized what our office has argued from the beginning – these machines operate as gambling devices and cannot legally exist without the same oversight, regulation and accountability as other forms of legalized gaming in the Commonwealth,” Pennsylvania Attorney General James Sunday said in a statement.
“Pennsylvanians deserve protections that ensure games are fair, transparent and operated within the bounds of the law.”
HB 2631 sits in a different lane than the skill games case, but both point to the same policy question in Pennsylvania: who controls gambling access, where it happens, and how quickly regulators can close gaps when products reach the wrong audience.
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